Pulling on the Strings of Destiny: Act 2 Chapter 3

Summary: Four days pass for Japan, and everyone is on edge. They wonder, and wait. What will happen next for them? Will Midoriya keep rising? What sort of things would she face. They all turned towards the screens, wondering. None more so then the future class 1-A, more so as they get a glimpse into their first sports festival, first internship and their final exams. Watch as Midoriya’s future continues to unfold, as she learns more about her family, society and herself.

Warnings:References to underage pregnancy and the assualt of a minor. References to child harm. Toga Himiko to, she is her own warning.

 On AO3

KoFi

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The screen starting caused most of Japan to stop in their actions, the exceptions being the future class 1A, all of whom continued to walk towards the cars, trains or other forms of transportation they would take to UA. People have waited for this, and many have stalled in starting any job that would require less than their full attention. What happened after the USJ? Would the screen open up to the villains? To the students? 

 The future show started later then, which surprised them, but they all wanted to know. Those who didn’t see themselves yet wondered if they would appear. If they wouldn’t. A lot hoped they would, showing themselves being heroes or being amazing. They were cool, after all. And sure, it would only be a few episodes, given they were starting around 1 in the afternoon, but they still hoped.

 They watched as the screen flickered on, hop in their hearts while those who already appeared despaired at the idea of more personal things would be exposed.

“Up next: an update on yesterday’s incident at the UA rescue training center where a gang of villains attacked hero course students. According to new police officials, the criminal forces called themselves The League of Villains. Investigators have reportedly uncovered that this group has been plotting to kill UA teacher and popular hero All Might since the spring of this year. Police arrested 72 villains at the scene, but the League’s leader escaped. His whereabouts are unknown,” the newscaster says as a room full of nurses and patients watch the TV. One of them is Mrs. Midoriya, dressed in a pair of scrubs. She is standing with other people in scrubs as well. She has a water bottle in hand she lifts to her lips to drink. “There is some concern that these villains are tied to Yamanaka Hari, a teacher recently sentenced to sixty years due to the sexual abuse of a minor, who is a first-year hero student at UA.”

 Mrs. Midoriya drops the water bottle and stares with large eyes. Her coworkers look at her in confusion, reaching out to her, but her eyes are on the TV screen.

 “So that’s how she’d find out,” Izumi said softly, playing with the pull tab of her lemonade can, twisting it. Mic hummed, watching the screen with narrowed eyes. Aizawa crept into the kitchen, looking ruffled from the nap he’d been taking. 

 “The student’s name has not been released, but the records state that the student became pregnant from the ordeal.” The reporter says. “She is currently raising her child while attending UA. With this new knowledge, we wonder if UA is truly safe for a young teen mom and whom else might be attending in similar circumstances.”

 “Really?” Izumi asked. Mic snorted

 “I’m only surprised they aren’t outright accusing us of anything.” Mic rolled his eyes. “They love to do that.”

 “I’ve never heard of anything like that….” Izumi said.

 “Mostly, it just doesn’t go anywhere,” Aizawa said. He’d taken a look at Izumi’s lemonade before grabbing his own, popping open the can before taking a gulp. He drummed some fingers on the side, leaning on the kitchen counter. “It’s gossip, people making noises about things that don’t have any substance but wanting to be pests.” 

 “Everyone loves a hero rising to the top. Just as many want to see them fall.” Mic said. “Sometimes even the ones who wanted them to rise first.”

 The screen switches to show Tsukauchi, All Might in his skinny form, Nezu, Snipe, Midnight, and Vlad King in a UA conference room.

“Our investigators are trying to learn everything they can about this so-called League of Villains. We’ve made some progress, but we can’t find anything on this Shigaraki so far. We’ve searched our records for men in their twenties or late teens who are registered as having some sort of disintegration quirk, but so far, we’ve come up empty. Same for the warp gate villain, Kurogiri. So, either they’re not citizens, or they’re using aliases. Hard to find, either way,” Tsukauchi tells the pro heroes, shuffling through his papers.

"So what you’re saying is we don’t know anything?” Vlad King asks. The pro-hero leans back in his seat, arms crossed across his chest as he scowls darkly.

“We’ve gotta track them down. I shot their ringleader, but he’ll probably try pulling something like this again once he heals up,” Snipe says. The cowboy hero snorts and shakes his head. “What a pain.”

“He did seem like the type,” All Might agrees, the thin man leaning forward on his elbows.

“Is something on your mind, All Might?” Nezu asks him.

“The attack on the USJ was too bold. No sane adult would ever attempt it. The ringleader kept monologuing about the reasons he was there,” All Might says as he leans back in his chair, the screen briefly showing Shigaraki, Kurogiri and the Nomu leaving a portal in the USJ. “He bragged about the Nomu’s many Quirks like it was a tool, a prize.” All Might briefly glances at Nezu as he speaks. The mammal is drinking from a teacup, looking unbothered until the screen focuses on his teacup as it briefly shakes.

 He’s reacting to the Nomu being bioengineered, All Might thinks, his inner thoughts echoing. I can’t imagine how angry he is.

  Nezu’s claws unfurled. He rarely unsheathed them, but the sharp reminder that the Nomu were created in labs made him do so. He dug the sharp points into the desk, growling to himself as he dragged them down, leaving marks. 

 Oh, no one truly understood his anger. 

“ When things didn’t go his way, he was visibly upset. Like he was gonna throw a tantrum,” All Might continues, turning away from the principal. “Like… honestly like Tomoe.” All Might remarks, the screen morphing to show Tomoe crying and banging her hands on some sand while Midoriya looks stressed but firm. “Though bragging about the Quirks the Nomu had was an easy way to draw me into a fight.” The screen goes back to the room.

 “What?!?” Shigaraki yelled in anger. “I AM NOT LIKE A CHILD!” He slammed his hand onto the table he sat at, the table decaying under his hand. Kurogiri did not say a word.

 Meanwhile, around Japan, people were laughing at the image, giggling at the thought of someone throwing a tantrum like a toddler. Especially a villain.

 A few retail workers shuddered, sharing disturbed looks at the thought. While they didn’t have the same experience as some in America did, it was a pain in the ass indeed for them to deal with some customers. Seeing the villain in the place of some of them made a few nervous. 

 Others gleefully wondered if they could use this as a way to get people to stop being annoying. Being compared to a villain would stop some customers… hopefully.

“That might be true, but strategically, it was foolish to reveal his quirks upfront instead of keeping them a secret,” Nezu informs the group, putting his teacup down a bit too firmly.

“Shigaraki made wild, immature claims but did so with a completely straight face. And he talked about Nomu like he was some kind of pet.” All Might winces as Nezu twitches slightly, the rest of the room giving the mammal a side look in worry. “It seemed like he’d never been told no before, like he thought things would go his way no matter what. He has the personality of a spoiled child.”

"A child with incredible power, though,” Vlad King comments as he uncrosses his arms. “A power he seems very careless with.”

“It’s possible he never got the quirk counselling children should receive,” Midnight suggests. “Or if villains raised him, it is more likely he’s never had to learn the proper way to use his powers.

  “I KNOW HOW TO USE MY QUIRK!” Shigaraki shouted angrily, slamming his hand onto the back of his chair. It decayed quickly, making him fall to the floor. Kurogiri’s pointed silence made him scowl. “Fuck off.”

“Maybe so, but it doesn’t matter now,” Snipe replies, waving a hand to dismiss his thoughts.

 All Might frowns. The screen switches to show the red shoes Shigaraki wore before moving to reveal the red shoes Midoriya wears.

 ‘Red shoes… those feel important for some reason, All Might thinks.

 “Hmm,” Z hummed in the bar she sat in with Dabi, sipping from her beer thoughtfully. “I can think of a few reasons for red shoes.”

 “Other than a bad choice?” Dabi asked dryly. Z raised a single eyebrow at him, glancing down his outfit slowly. 

 “You don’t get to talk,” she told him. She ran a hand through her blue hair, speaking as she did. “The cheapest options for Quirkless shoes are sold by a company who makes red ones only. It’s an easy way to mark us, and frankly, the expensive options are terrible. I get all of my shoes custom.” She motioned at the knee-high boots she wore, the souls adding an inch to her already impressive height. 

 “He has a Quirk,” Dabi pointed out.

 “I know that. He could be a late bloomer in truth, or hell, maybe the boogeyman of the underground is real and gave him one, who knows.” Z shrugged. 

 “Boogeyman?” Dabi asked. Z looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed, confused for a second before they moved up as her eyes widened, her mouth opening in shock.

 “You don’t know about All for One?” 

 Meanwhile, Izumi had given a similar speech to Aizawa and Mic, minus the rumours of a boogeyman of the underworld. They frowned, studying the screen. A late bloomer may explain some of his more extreme methods. Not the childishness, however.

“There were 72 villains arrested in the aftermath of the USJ attack. They were all small-time thugs who usually lurked around back alleys. What worries me is that this man-child got them all to follow his crazy plan.” Tsukauchi speaks up, opening a file that lays in front of him. “They viewed him as a real leader.”

 “He was actually the one to gather them up?” All Might asks in surprise.

 “He was,” Tsukauchi agrees. “It could, however, simply be that criminals are starting to feel more pressure now that the world is brimming with heroes. Someone speaking up about an idea of ripping down hero society and destroying the pillar of peace,” the detective nodded to All Might, “that could be why they were so quick to back such simple-minded villainy.”

"Guess that makes sense,” Vlad King comments.

“There are plenty of people out there looking for a cause to get behind anyway,” Snipe says.

“So, what can we do to stop them?” Midnight asks, looking around the room. “I’m used to gang wars, but I’ve never fought a full-on villain group. Just petty crime mostly.”

“Well, thanks to you heroes, we have the time to devote ourselves to this case. We’ll expand our investigation and continue searching for the perpetrators who planned this attack,” Tsukauchi replies, closing his file.

"A man-child, huh?” Nezu speaks up, looking to All Might, who nods. “In some ways, he shares common ground with our students. They both have so much potential, yet some have little maturity. Like our students, I suppose it’s possible someone is guiding him, trying to nurture his malice and villainy,” Nezu says.

  Hisashi chuckled, not too surprised the rodent managed to clue in. The pest may prefer heroics to the darker side of humanity like Hisashi tried to tempt him towards, but he was still a fun companion to battle wits against. 

“I don’t want to think about what that could mean,” All Might replies. The red shoes come to the screen again.

The screen shows Midoriya sitting in her bedroom with All Might’s debut playing in the background. She’s dressed in a loose sweater and jeans while she packs up a large bag with things while Tomoe quietly plays with her stuffed bunny.

“School was closed the two days after the league of villains attacked the USJ. I think they wanted us to have a little break, but it was pretty tough to relax,” Midoriya narrates.

“Who is he? The guy’s already saved 100 people at least, and it hasn’t even been ten minutes. This is… This is crazy! I can’t believe it! Look, he’s got more!” The guy from the video yells.

“Fear not, citizens! Hope has arrived! Because I am here!” All Might says.

 “Aww, she’s watching the video again,” many cooed around Japan. “That’s so cute.” 

I’m still so far away from being a real hero,Midoriyathinks. During the USJ attacks, all my classmates and I did was slow Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen down. If it weren’t for All Might and our teachers, we never would have stood a chance against those villains. She sighs and stops packing. She stands there, looking at the wall thoughtfully.

 Plus the news- I let it slip to a few classmates during the USJ, but now the news did get a hold of it. Could Yamanaka be linked to these villains? Midoriya wonders.

 Shigaraki’s face, looking shocked, fills the screen, Midoriya facing him with her arm bleeding.

  No, Midoriya thinks, going back to packing. He looked too surprised at my words. If he did know about Yamanaka, he wouldn’t be. She finishes packing and puts a smile on her face.

 “Good,” Shigaraki muttered. His sister knew that he would never work with a rapist—especially not one as disgusting as Yamanaka. 

 “C’mon, baby, we’re going to stay with Unc tonight,” Midoriya says to Tomoe, picking her up. The toddler leans her head on her mother’s shoulder.

 With the news released about me, Iida offered for me to spend the night to prevent anyone from tracking me down until they can get someone to watch the apartment. Midoriya thinks. Uraraka will be there too. And mom… well, she’s out during the night, and no one is stupid enough to attack during the day.

 “She’s got good friends now,” Spinner remarked to one of his crew, an immigrant from America who ended up in debt after a nasty divorce from his husband. Liam, the man, was an engineer currently helping figure out where the support beams were in the house.

 “She does. Better than most people I know, honestly,” the man snorted. “Knowing them such a short time but already going for bat? Those three are going places mark my words.”

 Midoriya stops to leave a note on the table and walks out without glancing back.

 “We have an appointment this morning Tomoe,” Midoriya said to her daughter. “Gotta register your Quirk and get you looked over. Then it’s the park where Unc and Auntie will help us celebrate your Quirk!” She kissed her daughter’s cheek, and Tomoe hummed.

 I wish she didn’t get it. It’s awful to think that, but I genuinely wish she didn’t. Midoriya thinks. Her pulling a block to her or coughing up fire wouldn’t have this much damage to her. She’s barely speaking. Midoriya hugs her daughter tightly.

 The screen goes back to the apartment they just left, the door opening and Mrs. Midoriya entering.

 “Izumi? Izumi?” she calls out. She steps in and then spots the note. Her shoulders slump.

 Izumi frowned at the screen. Her mom came back then? Why? She couldn’t really care what happened. After all, she left as soon as she could when her reputation was on the line. Why come back at all?

 The screen shifts to show Midoriya and Tomoe getting on a train. Midoriya moves to sit in a seat. Tomoe buries her face into her mother’s shoulder as people around them look at them, one of them a child somewhat older than Tomoe.

 “Doll!” the older girl says, reaching out, and Midoriya frowns.

 “She’s not a doll; she’s a little girl,” Midoriya tells the other girl firmly.

 “Oh, don’t lie to my daughter,” the woman next to the child begins, but Midoriya gives her a look and points to the bright orange vest Tomoe wears.

 “Extreme mutation Quirk, thank you,” Midoriya tells the woman.

 “…Why aren’t you in school?” sneers the woman. “Did you decide not to go to high school?” Midoriya stares at her, her eyes brows raised, and her mouth open slightly. Around them a few others are glaring at the woman. One of which is a green-skinned man with a tail who gives the woman a very nasty look.

 “Hey, it’s me!” Spinner said. He then scowled at the screen. “Ugh, I hate that crap.”

 “It happens all the time,” moaned Akari, the dragon-like man shaking his head in disgust as he carried away an old chair. 

 “It really does,” Benjiro said, the bug-like man clicking his mandibles together. “You shouldn’t bring animals on a train was common when I was younger.”

 “Same,” Spinner said in disgust. “And I can count how many times they apologized for the mistake on the one hand. Other times it was either disgust or them doing the same thing this woman’s doing. Trying to lay some sort of blame, so they aren’t at fault.” 

 Meanwhile, the woman speaking on the bus found herself being stared at judgementally. She purposely looked down, feeling her neck warm. Damnit, why did it have to be a brat who mattered she spoke to.

 “I go to UA.” Midoriya answers. The woman looks shocked and then scowls.

 “So you’re not going to do homework and instead-”

 “I’m taking my daughter to the doctor,” Midoriya tells her and then looks away. The woman goes pale while the others all glance at each other and their phones. One phone is shown, an article about a UA student having a child on the screen.

 The screen again switches, this time showing Midoriya in a doctor’s office with Tomoe in her lap. A woman sits in front of her with scrubs; her short blonde hair pushed back with a headband. The woman flicks through the papers in a file she holds.

 “Well then,” the woman looks up with a smile. “I’m happy to tell you that Tomoe is very healthy for a premature child, especially one who has been neglected by her caregivers at her daycare.”

 “That’s good,” Midoriya says with a smile. “Thanks, Dr. Yamanato. I was worried about that.”

 “Think nothing of it, kid,” The doctor says. “My job, after all. Now I am slightly wondering about her weight, but after checking her a bit more and running it by my wife, she’s a Quirk Specialist slash counsellor slash consultant, and she was in the office today, we think that Tomoe’s light weight may be caused by her Quirk.” The doctor moved to put some photos onto a white screen that she flicked a switch on, showing a few X-rays. It’s a child’s body, with what looks like lines leading from various places on her body towards her stomach, where a ball is.

 “Whoa,” Izumi murmured. “That’s so cool. That’s my baby’s Quirk?” she smiled, feeling her cheeks ache slightly. Her baby’s Quirk!

 “That’s her Quirk?” Midoriya asks.

 “Yes- Tomoe is able to… burst, for lack of a better word, her stitches to make threads that can attach to people and things. We think that when Tomoe eats most of the food, it goes to creating these threads given how close they are to the stomach.” Dr. Yamanato says. She points at some thicker lines. “There are larger ones and only attached to the palms of her hands and the arch of her feet. We think they’re stronger too.”

 “The daycare says she could control the other kid,” Midoriya says.

 “Yes- that I did need to bug my wife about. I am much more used to physical Quirks rather than mental ones, and your daughter has a combination of a mental and physical one.” Dr. Yamanato informs the teenager. She points to a very long and thick line that goes along the spine of the x-ray. The doctor trails her finger up it until it reaches the top of the spine. “We believe this connects to her brain. She’s a little young for a brain scan, but around five or so, she should start coming in every year to make sure the threads are connected properly. We think that it enables her to control her threads and control what is attached to them. She can only physically control what’s attached by moving her hands, but it’s possible she can eventually control people mentally as long as one string is attached.”

 “Alright…” Midoriya nods. “Anything else?”

 “According to the note written by a member of the daycare, Tomoe seemed to feel pain being removed from the girl she was attached to. We don’t know exactly why, but it’s possible there is a limit or such. For now, if she does end up attaching to something, try and get her to let go herself. If she can’t…” Yamanato looks pained, saying that, and Midoriya clutches her daughter tightly.

 “…Anything else?” Midoriya asks.

 “Feed her a bit more, be careful with her Quirk and… that’s it. For now, anyway. There’s a slim possibility there may be more to her Quirk than present, given her high emotional understanding, but I doubt it. It looks straightforward, and from the Quirk history, I doubt it will end up showing any other surprises. I just want her to be at a higher weight.” Yamanato shrugs. “I don’t want to put her on supplements until we know if she needs to eat more or if we need to add extra to her meals to keep her healthy.”

 “Why would it matter if she’s emotionally mature?” a student wondered aloud. Todoroki Natsuo looked up at his teacher. They were in a general class for those studying medical sciences, and he was curious about the answer.

 “High intelligence levels often mean Quirks that are tricker than we understand,” the teacher explained. “For example, I know Dr. Yamanato. Her Quirk is the ability to make a child with the genes that the parents desire. She was emotionally mature very young, and could understand complex emotions. Her mind just matured faster since it requires a high level of control and understanding to be able to do what she does.” The woman shrugged. “Quirks are strange. It’s possible that Tomoe could develop a secondary aspect to her Quirk, such as a low form of empathy or emotional control like how she controls people. We wouldn’t know unless we see it later.”

 “Fascinating,” Natsuo muttered, writing down the information. While he hoped to work with psych patients, it didn’t hurt to understand what was going on with Quirks. 

 “Does that happen?” Midoriya asks.

 “Yeah, from time to time. I’ve had a few cases where the kid could not eat more because they felt full, but their Quirk ate it all, so they really needed the supplements.” Yamanato tells her. “Now… do you want to name it?”

 “… She can change the name later, right?” Midoriya asks.

 “Yeah- we just need a name for her records. I’d just slap Strings or something on there myself, but if you have an idea…”

 Midoriya looks at Tomoe and hums.

 “… Strings works for now,” Midoriya says. “She can decide when she’s older.”

 “Nice.” Dr. Yamanato says with a nod, writing it down.

 The screen morphs to show Midoriya and Tomoe on the train again. Tomoe is sleeping this time, and Midoriya is texting someone.

 The train stops, and Midoriya stands to walk with her daughter off the train. Uraraka and Iida are waiting for her, who both beam at her, carrying a basket and a bag.

 “C’mon!” Uraraka says. “Time to celebrate Tomoe’s Quirk!”

 Izumi smiled softly, looking at her friends. They went out to celebrate her daughter, to celebrate her Quirk. They weren’t running away or shunning Tomoe. They truly cared.

 It was enough to give Izumi some tears in her eyes, rubbing at them as she finished off her lemonade. Mic and Aizawa kindly didn’t comment; instead Mic pushed a glass of water toward her and started making lunch for them. 

 On the train, Uraraka plotted a party for Tomoe and her Quirk in the future. A tradition to hold the party after the activation, she wouldn’t let the fact they knew already stop her. A picnic in the park, and time spent playing games, would be perfect. Iida made similar plans as his brother drove him to UA, wondering what the best gift would be. Something fun for her… possibly a hero toy?

 Midoriya smiles herself, walking with her friends.

 The screen shows Midoriya dressed in her uniform and walking into UA, Tomoe in her arms. Tomoe wears her bright orange vest and a pair of leggings, and a t-shirt that looks like it is in All Might colours. In Tomoe’s arms is a stuffed toy of Ingenium. Beside her are Uraraka and Iida. Iida is carrying a long rectangular bag with him as he walks.

 “Thanks again for the toy, Iida. I think Tomoe likes having a version of Big Unc.” Midoriya says, grinning.

 Tensei playfully pumped a fist into the air while Iida let out a small sigh of relief. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but hearing ‘Big Unc’ made him feel a hundred times better than when he got called ‘Tiny Tensei’ as a kid.

 Around Japan, people all cooed at the image, finding it absolutely adorable. 

 “Of course!” Iida says with a smile.

 “Your parents are so nice,” Uraraka tells him. “I thought that reporter who called asking about ‘the teenage girl with the kid who entered your house’ would get their head bitten off.”

 “Same… they really are amazing, Iida.” Midoriya smiles at Iida, who nods, a brilliant smile on his face.

 “They are excellent parents!” He agrees. He frowns for a second. “Though sometimes they miss the mark, I suppose you could say.”

 “Please don’t let mother or father jump me with another speech on how they love me and feel badly about forgetting me from time to time,” Iida said to Tensei, who snorted.

 “No promises.”

 “Working parents are like that. Can’t tell you how many times my parents forgot stuff,” Uraraka says with a wave. Iida nods, though Midoriya gives him a sympathetic smile he returns. 

 The three walk to their classroom, the sound slowly vanishing from the screen, replaced by Midoriya’s thoughts.

 I called and informed Principal Nezu about the fact that I couldn’t find anyone to take Tomoe and that I couldn’t trust anyone else. Midoriya thinks. He says it’s okay, but… I worry about how the class will react…

  The class themselves wondered as did many others across Japan, trading worried looks. Good, bad? Would anyone be disgusted? Would they not? 

The screen moves to show the rest of class 1-A, excluding the three friends and Mineta.

“You guys! Did you watch the news yesterday?” Hagakure asks, the arms of her sleeves waving.

“Yeah,” Ojiro replies, the teenager looking exhausted as he slumps forward n his seat.

“It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time. I’m even happier about my costume now; I stood out!” Hagakure says happily.

“We’re totally big deals. Those news channels love us; we’re basically celebrities,” Kaminari says as he runs a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, it’s kinda crazy, right?” Kirishima agrees.

“Get over yourselves. The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked, and that’s what they care about,” Jirou tells the two boys, rolling her eyes. They both make faces at her.

 “Like, I know, but it’s nice to focus on the good stuff other than the terror we felt,” Kirishima tells her. Jirou pauses before she slowly nods.

 “Kyoya…” Mr. Jirou groaned at his daughter, clutching the steering wheel tightly as the girl in question winced in the backseat of the car. Her mother spoke up, though.

 “Honey, would this be you trying to be mature?” She turned around in the front seat to look at Jirou, who’d been looking at her hands. “Or trying to appear like a teen girl-“

 “I am a teen girl!” Jirou shouted, lifting her head to glare. Her mom winced.

 “I know, honey. Poor choice of words, baby. But what I mean is could this attitude be you attempting an image? Or you not understanding why they foul focus on positive things right then?” Mrs. Jirou asked gently.

 “…I dunno,” Jirou muttered. She looked back down. It didn’t seem like a huge thing in the circumstances, but her parents seemed to be jumping at everything she did with everything going on. And it could be traced to her wanting to seem mature, she supposed. Or not. 

 Or is it because Kaminari was involved, and you need to put him down? A small voice wondered. Jirou tried to ignore it, but it blared inside her mind, making her nervous. Why did she always target Kaminari?

 “… does anyone know anything about the supposed teen mom?” asks Ashido. The class all stops and look around at each other.

Asui looks impassive while Kirishima looks down. Bakugou’s hands are clenched, and Todoroki just stares at the wall.

 “If not for your own sake, for my daughter who doesn’t want All Me-t to get injured, be careful.”

 “Be raped by your teacher and give birth. It’ll raise anyone’s pain tolerance.”

 The words echo through the screen, and all four look to the door just as it opens. The rest of the class turn to smile, all about to speak, but they freeze as Uraraka steps in with Midoriya following, the small form of Tomoe in her arms. Iida enters with his bag and smiles at his friends while ignoring the others.

 “I will set up the playpen!” Iida says, heading over to do just that as Midoriya shifts Tomoe in her arms a bit. The little girl looks around the classroom before spotting Shouji. The little girl gasps.

 “Like me?” She asks, pointing at the teenager. “Mama? Like me?” Midoriya looks at her in surprise before smiling widely, her shoulders slumping in relief.

 Shouji took a long breath as he clutched his bag on the train. He… he saw it. Tomoe looked at him and saw herself. She wanted a hug from him, wanted him. It was all he wanted as a hero. And he got it.

 He tried not to cry, tried not to show how much it truly meant to him that someone saw him as more than just a monster. Someone saw herself in them, a child at that. It made his heart ache. 

 When I get to UA and see you, I’m giving you the biggest hug possible, Tomoe.

 “Yeah, baby, that’s Shouji. He’s a mutation type like you.” Midoriya tells her. Tomoe blinks and then looks at the boy whose eyes are slightly wide.

 “…Hug?” Tomoe asks, pointing at him still.

 “Only if he wants to, baby,” Midoriya tells her before she looks up to look at Shouji. The tall teen blinks but then stands. He walks over as Midoriya places her daughter on the ground.

 Shouji kneels, and Tomoe toddles into his arms to hug him around the neck as he hugs her back.

 While Shouji’s face is mostly covered, it is easy to see he is shocked by the hug, the little girl still holding her toy in one hand as she hugs him.

 “I Tomoe!” the girl says, pulling back.

 “Nice to meet you, Tomoe; I’m Shouji,” Shouji tells her. The little girl grins. She then looks around the classroom and gasps.

 “More like me!” she says in a shocked voice.

 “Yeah, baby, more mutations like you,” Midoriya says.

 Tomoe looks so shocked that she turns back to her mother and motions for her to be picked up. Shouji steps back, allowing Midoriya to do so. Holding Tomoe, the toddler cuddles her toy, looking around the room with big eyes.

 “So many…”

 “Wanna meet them?” Midoriya asks. Tomoe blinks and then hides her head. “Later?”

 “Yes,” Tomoe says, her voice barely audible.

 “Alright.” Midoriya looks over the class.

 Many people are staring in shock. Yaoyorozu and Jirou both look ill, along with Kaminari and Sero.

 Ashido has a hand in front of her mouth, eyes wide and obviously trying not to squeal or scream or anything.

 Todoroki also looks like he might be sick, while Asui stares at them with eyes that look angry. Kirishima has become pale, and Bakugou seems as if he is in shock.

 “You all saw the news probably. Yes, I am the student they talked about.” Midoriya tells them. “This is Tomoe- she’s two and came into her Quirk on Monday itself. We’re calling it String- the ability to produce strings from her stitches that can control people or objects. The daycare workers reacted badly. So, she’s with me until I can find a place for her.”

 “What a mad banquet of darkness,” Tokoyami voices. His Quirk pops out of him then.

 “That sucks! It happened to us too!” The shadow complains.

 “Dark Shadow-” Tokoyami begins, but the shadow scoffs.

 “It did! I come out, suddenly you’re being thrown into a room and told you’re a terrible thing! It sucks!” Dark Shadow retorts. The shadow moves to look at the two. “Tomoe, I will play with you when you want, okay?”

 “Hell yeah!” Dark Shadow cried, poking out of Tokoyami. The bird-headed teen groaned as the Shadow cheered happily on the train. They attracted amused looks from the other passengers.

 “Dark Shadow!”

 “Nu-uh! I’m going to get to play with Tomoe! That’s awesome, Fumi!” Dark Shadow cheered some more.

 “I agree, but decorum, please!”

 “Fun sucker.”

 The little girl nods slowly and then buries her face into her mother’s neck. She’s overwhelmed, obviously.

 “Thank you, Dark Shadow,” Midoriya tells them, looking very thankful.

 “Ah! The playpen is ready!” Iida announces. The screen shows that the bag he had carried was a playpen for Tomoe. Uraraka is dropping some toys into the pen for Tomoe. Nothing noisy, just some random toys.

 “Wanna go in the pen?” Midoriya asks her daughter.

 “…Blanket?” Tomoe asks.

 “Yes, I’ll put a blanket over it,” Midoriya tells her. She moves and places her daughter in said pen. The toddler grabs her rabbit plushy and hugs it. Midoriya then takes a blanket offered to her by Uraraka, who had pulled it from Midoriya’s bag. Midoriya lays the blanket over the playpen, making sure to leave some open spots so her daughter wouldn’t be stuffy in the pen.

 Once she does, she turns to the classroom, lifting her chin and staring at them.

 “…Your daughter is beautiful,” Aoyama speaks up. Midoriya looks at him. He smiles at the green-haired teen. “She is astute as well, yes?”

 “Good job Yuuga,” his father muttered, making Aoyama wince while rolling his eyes. The future him didn’t know that Midoriya was a person of interest. And Tomoe was a beautiful child. Even if morons couldn’t see, it didn’t make it untrue.

 “Her Quirk is a combination physical and metal Quirk. Her brain moves quicker than other children, and the doctor mentioned she might be more emotionally aware than other children because she can control people.” Midoriya explains.

 “Magnificent,” Aoyama says, smiling and nodding.

 “Is it okay she’s here?” Yaoyorozu asks. She cringes at the entire class looking at her. “I mean, shouldn’t she be with a teacher?”

 “Today is the first time she’s spoken since the daycare incident. Neither of us are really willing to separate,” Midoriya admits. “I’m fine with her staying with All Might during hero classes, but that’s just because I’m there.”

 “Ah, I see. My apolog-“the dark-haired teen begins only to be interrupted.

 “Why the fuck didn’t you tell anyone?” Bakugou barks out. He’s glaring at Midoriya, looking furious. “No one- not Aun-”

 “You lost any right to call my mom Auntie,” Midoriya tells him bluntly. Bakugou looks taken aback as the class trade looks. “And to be frank, I was terrified. I had no idea I had a Quirk, I was scared they wouldn’t believe me, and I would get in trouble, and I just wanted to pretend it never happened. Of course, I couldn’t but…” Midoriya sighs. “Mom as well is no help. She hates Tomoe- keeps telling me I ruined my life, won’t help at all-”

 “A- Your mom isn’t like that!” Bakugou says, standing up. Midoriya simply looks at him.

 “I think I know my mother better than you do. You only know the face she gives to the public. I know how she plans on marrying me off to some random person with a strong Quirk. It’s why I wanted UA so badly. She needs their permission to.” Midoriya tells him.

 The screen switches to focus briefly on Todoroki, who has clenched his hands tight enough to be white around the knuckles.

“You’re a-” Bakugou begins, looking angry and so confused. 

 Bakugou snarled, slamming his hand onto his bed. It had to be wrong. Deku had to be exaggerating. It couldn’t be true. There was one instance of Auntie Inko being distant shown and…

 What about the news? She left. Mom even went to check, and Auntie is gone. The thought filled him with an awful dread that almost drug him down, his heart aching as he tried not to panic. No, it couldn’t be fake. It couldn’t be. Because if the whole thing did happen then, Bakugou would be wrong. Something he couldn’t be. He couldn’t be wrong. Not about something like that. He had to be correct, he had to be. 

 If he was wrong about this, then that meant a lot. It suggested his judgement could fail. It meant that Inko had fooled him. It meant Deku suffered both at home and school. She deserved his torment, but he’d never expected Auntie to let her suffer at home. It just… made his gut squirm. Deku deserved to be reminded of her place. Yet…

 Bakugou shuddered, shaking his head. No. No, it was all lies. Auntie just felt standoffish since Deku had a kid. The following few parts would show Auntie being good that he was right. That Deku blew things out of proportion. When the truth came out, he’d be in UA, where he belongs. He’d be in 1A with asked and her lackeys in 1B because teachers would know that they’d just cause problems. It… 

 It had to be like that cause if it wasn’t, then it meant Bakugou could be wrong. And if he was wrong about Auntie… what else could he be wrong about?

Before Bakugou can speak, though, Iida interrupts him.

“That’s enough!” He tells the class, eyes narrowed and hand raised in a chop. He looks to Midoriya, who simply stares at her friend blankly. “Homeroom class is about to begin. Everyone stop talking and take your seats.”

 Midoriya goes and sits down, as do her friends. The playpen is right next to them, and the soft sounds of Tomoe moving come from it. Bakugou slowly sits as Shouji also sits down.

 Silence fills the classroom for a long moment before Ashido speaks up.

"Hey, Aoyama.” The pink girl asks the boy in front of her, who looks over his shoulder at her. “Who do you think is gonna teach class today?”

“Ah, I do not know,” Aoyama replies. “Aizawa-sensei’s still in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Perhaps another teacher? Snipe-sensei, perhaps?”

 Mic paused in cooking the pasts he’d decided on for lunch to give his husband a hard stare. Aizawa responded by pretending to be engrossed in drinking down the rest of his lemonade.

 The door opens, and the entire class turns to see Aizawa stepping in. He’s covered in bandages, with both arms in casts and slings.

"Morning, class,” Aizawa says as he walks into the classroom.

 “WHAT THE FUCK?!” Most of Japan yelled loudly. Or something along the lines anyway. Those who knew the man just groaned loudly. 

 Of course, the moron did.

“Aizawa-sensei! What are you doing here?” the students ask simultaneously.

“Whoa! What a pro,” Kaminari comments in shock.

“Aizawa-sensei. I’m glad you’re okay,” Iida tells him, rising from his seat with an arm raised.

“You call that okay?” Uraraka asks, staring at him with raised brows.

“My well-being is irrelevant. What’s more important is that your fight isn’t over yet,” Aizawa tells them as he moves to the podium.

“Our fight…” Bakugo says, a grin on his face.

“Don’t tell me…” Midoriya says. She looks nervous as Aizawa gets to the podium in front of them.

   Japan traded worried looks. Was there something more? Something the heroes found out? Was there a mole in the group? What was happening? 

 “I swear,” Mic said in the kitchen, pointing at his husband with his spatula. “You’re a dramatic ho.” Izumi looked at them in confusion right before the screen showed what Aizawa meant.

“The UA Sports Festival is about to start,” Aizawa tells them. The class pauses before groaning in relief.

“Yes!” Kirishima cheers.

“Ugh! Why would you scare us like that?” the students ask Aizawa before cheering, “The sports festival!”

 “You’re cruel,” Izumi told Aizawa, who just chuckled. Many people around Japan shared Izumi’s opinion though others cackled in amusement at the chaos sprouting from the situation.

“Let’s go kick some ass!” Kirishima yells. He then blanches and looks to Midoriya, who simply shrugs.

 “Tomoe will hear it sooner or later hanging around here.” She says. The blanket on the playpen has moved, so Tomoe pokes her head out in confusion.

 “Loud?” she asks her mother.

 “We’re happy, baby,” Midoriya tells her. Tomoe nods and then spots Aizawa.

 “Owie?” the toddler asks, pointing at him.

 “He got hurt- and is being very naughty coming here like that. You are never to follow that example, okay?” Midoriya tells her daughter, who blinks and then shrugs before going back into her pen.

 “I’m not saying sorry,” Izumi says when Aizawa shoots her an annoyed look. “I don’t want Tomoe picking up bad habits like that.”

 Aizawa grumbled under his breath as his husband chuckled in amusement. Many others in Japan were also giggling. Ms. Joke and Midnight being two of them, the women cackling in their separate offices. 

 Ms. Joke still found herself aching for the man she’d fallen in love with, but she wouldn’t do anything to make him uncomfortable. Not only was he gay, but people pining in hopes of someone magically liking them or expecting it to happen typically annoyed her. She understood that sometimes feelings were hard to deal with, and you couldn’t help them, however, there came the point where people stopped feeling sorry for you since you never moved on. And expecting people to return feelings just was a horrible expectation. There were stories about people taking rejection badly or the crazy things they did to get someone’s attention. Hell, Ms. Joke arrested some of them. 

 As Joke thought about her love life, Nezu shook his head. Aizawa tended to focus on his work to the degree that worried him, even if he did find it funny that Midoriya called him out like that. 

 Yet Nezu found himself focusing more on how his employer announced the festival. The stoat felt concerned towards the fact Aizawa would pull something on his students so soon after the attack. The potential for backfire, causing the students to distrust him more, was to high. Aizawa did judge it correctly, but the fact he risked it at all, especially with a potential scandal awaiting them as Midoriya’s circumstances were released… not good. Perhaps a refresher course would work on it…

 The entire class is snickering while Aizawa just sighs.

 “As you all know, Midoriya, here is the student talked about on the news. If I catch anyone being cruel to her, I will expel you.” He tells the class. “Her daughter is here for a while until alternate care can be found. Please try to keep your language appropriate.”

The class all nods before Jirou speaks up.

“Is it really such a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?” The girl asks, leaning forward in her seat.

“They could attack once we’re all in the same place,” Ojiro agrees.

 “The morons who run the school probably had something to say,” Aizawa scoffed. “Idiots only think about money, PR and their jobs.” 

 “True,” Mic admitted. A few retired pros did sit on the board, but most were business people with little knowledge of how messed up heroics could be.

“The administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and our school is safer than ever. Plus, they’re beefing up security compared to past years. This event is a huge opportunity for all students at UA. It’s not something we can cancel because of a few villains,” Aizawa tells them. He sighs. “The sports festival here is one of the most-watched events in the world. Not having it diminishes the sponsorships we get and lessens your chances of being noticed by pros.”

“That’s right! Top heroes everywhere will be watching. This is where you get scouted as limelight heroes,” Yaoyorozu says.

“She’s right. After graduating, many people join pro agencies as a sidekick,” Kaminari says, grinning widely.

“Yeah, but that’s as far as some people go. They miss their chance to go indie and stay eternal sidekicks. Actually, that’s probably where you’re headed. You’re kinda dumb,” Jirou tells him, smirking widely.

 “That’s rude,” Midoriya speaks up at that. She frowns at Jirou, who looks surprised.

 “What? I’m just teasing him.” Jirou says.

 “…Kaminari, do you find it funny or okay?” Midoriya asks the boy, who looks at her and then shakes his head.

 “No, but I put up with it. She’s no worse than others, and I don’t think she means them to be cruel.”

 “What-” Jirou looks lost as she stares at Kaminari. “But you never said…”

 “Why would I?” Kaminari asks her.

 The adult Jirou’s didn’t say anything, given a glance at the rear-view mirror showed the horrified look from their daughter. 

 Jirou herself didn’t know how to react. She… yeah, sure, she picked on him, but she didn’t mean it. He seemed so used to it, and he was right. She didn’t want to be cruel. She only wanted… she didn’t know what she wanted. It just… she wanted someone else to be a target. Not her. And Kaminari worked for that since everyone knew him already. But she’d been different than the others who did it, right? She hadn’t meant it cruelly or anything. 

 Jirou wrapped her arms around herself, trying very hard not to let her emotions out. Kaminari had to know she didn’t mean it like that. He had to; she wasn’t cruel. It was different than the others. It was!

 Right?

 Jirou looks lost and confused as she looks around the room. Most were surprised by the interaction, but others nodded slowly in understanding. Aizawa coughs to break away the tension.

“Please do not put down your classmates unless it’s agreed upon banter.” The pro hero announces before continuing his words as Jirou sinks into her seat. “Joining a famous hero agency can indeed garner you greater experience and popularity,” Aizawa tells them.

“That’s why the festival matters. If you want to be a limelight 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. That means you better not slack off on your training,” he says.

“Yes, sir!” the students reply.

 “Now, before I end homeroom,” Aizawa begins. “I want to inform you that Mineta has withdrawn from UA after the attack.”

 “…What?” Ashido asks in shock.

 “What?” Bakugou demands. “Could he not hack it?”

 “Mineta expressed that he had not been fully aware of the true dangers of life as a hero before the attack and decided it was not for him,” Aizawa replied. “He has left UA.”

 “Really?!” A lot of people cried out in shock. 

 “Wow, he must have been shaken more than we thought!” One Sakusei Iroko said out loud, the woman looking to her coworker. 

 “Looks like.” The other woman, Mika, agreed as she stretched an arm up to grab some of the trash on the fire escape. The two worked for the city and several others to clean up vandalism and trashed areas. Sakusei’s Quirk let her change the colour of things, making it useful to remove graffiti, while Mika’s Quirk Gangly gave her a long reach to get items. The other workers were around, though they were lagging, which made sense. No one wanted to really clean up graffiti calling out mutation discrimination. “Not too surprised, though. I mean, he did a bit for the girls but nothing great. Plus, no one drew attention to it.”

 “What, you’d think he would have stayed otherwise?” Sakusei asked.

 “Probably. Who knows?”

 Endeavour sniffed as he escorted his son to uA, entering the gates. The blonde electric Quirk boy was also there with his mother. Endeavour paid some attention; the boy’s Quirk did seem practical. But he focused on Shouto.

 “Shouto, that Mineta boy is better off leaving when he did. Some people are not cut out to be heroes. Keep that in mind as you meet people.” Endeavour said sternly. He missed the look Kaminari, and his mother shot him, both looking confused. Why would he say it like that?

 The class all trade shocked looks.

“If anyone else wishes to withdraw, inform us sooner than later. Homeroom is dismissed,” Aizawa tells them. “You may talk until your next teacher comes in.” He leaves the classroom, and everyone begins quietly speaking before the screen changes again.

The screen now shows the 1-A classroom, Cementoss walking out as a bell rings.

“That villain stuff sucked, sure, but I’m pumped for these games!” Kirishima yells.

“We put on a good show, and we’re basically on the road to being pros!” Sero comments.

“Yeah, this is why I’m here in the first place,” Sato says.

“We get so few chances. We have to make the most of this,” Tokoyami tells them.

“Oh, man, Ojiro, I’m getting kind of nervous about the festival. I have to come up with a way to get noticed!” Hagakure says as she bounces around nervously.

“Uh, sure,” Ojiro replies.

“Maybe with a cheer!” Hagakure says.

“My, what’s a boy to do? I stand out even when I’m standing still. That means the scouts won’t be able to take their eyes off me! Don’t you agree?” Aoyama asks Koda, who nods his head rapidly in response. Aoyama dramatically poses with a hand on his chest, getting some giggles.

 “That guy is going to be one of my best friends,” Ashido decided as she sat on the train going to UA, having ditched her parents in the house as they argued. Her mom would send more things later if needed. The pink-skinned girl drummed her fingers on her suitcase, trying to ignore the tightness in her stomach as she wondered if her dad would be living with them in a few days.

“You’re so lucky, Shoji. People are bound to notice your unique quirk,” Kamianri tells him, sighing.

“Sure, but what matters is that I show them how useful I can be,” Shoji replies. Jirou opens her mouth, looking at Kaminari but pauses. She turns away, a frown on her face.

“This is gonna be interesting! Everyone’s so excited,” Midoriya comments. She is picking Tomoe out of her playpen, the girl looking like she just woke up from a nap. In her arms is a new toy- one of Cementoss.

 “That little girl is going to be spoiled so badly.” Midnight said with a chuckle. She knew her coworkers, particularly the mutation Quirk ones. They’d go gaga over a little girl idolizing them.

“Well, yeah, of course, we are! We enrolled at this school with the sole aim of becoming heroes. So naturally, we’re all getting fired up,” Iida says, dancing.

“Wow, Iida. Those are some interesting moves. Ribbit,” Asui tells him. Tomoe giggles sleepily at Iida’s dancing.

“You have to be excited too, right? Midoriya?” Iida asks.

“Well, yeah, of course I am! And also nervous,” Midoriya replies.

“Midoriya! Iida!” Uraraka yells. It looks like black smoke surrounding her, and she looks fierce.

“Uh…” Iida says.

“Ah…” Midoriya says.

“Let’s do our best in the sports festival,” Uraraka tells them seriously.

  “Holy shit, how can one teenager look that terrifying?” a businessman asked aloud.

 “Teenager girl. They’re all freaking terrifying.” His coworker said. “They go for the throat a lot.”

 “Oooh,” Toga cooed as she skipped along the roads. “She’s cute too. So feisty! I wonder how she looks like bleeding~.”

“Uraraka, what happened to your face?” Midoriya asks.

“Seriously, what’s up? You’re normally like the most laid-back girl ever,” Ashido tells her.

“Everyone, I’m gonna do my best!” Uraraka yells, punching her fist into the air.

“Yeah!” Ashido, Midoriya, and Iida all yell punching their fist into the air. Tomoe copies, cheering sleepily.

“I said I’m gonna do my best!” Uraraka yells again, turning to face Kirishima Sero, Sato, and Tokoyami.

“Got it…” Kirishima says as he and Sero slowly punch their fists into the air. “You okay? You kinda look like you’re losing it,” he tells her as Tokoyami and Sato slowly put their fists up too.

Now that I think about it, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask her, Midoriya thinks as Uraraka continues to yell about doing her best.

The screen shows a hallway of UA. Uraraka, Iida, and Midoriya walk down the hallway towards lunch. Tomoe is more awake and is drinking from a juice box.

“Hey, Uraraka?” Midoriya asks.

“What’s up?” Uraraka questions.

“Why did you decide to come to UA? What made you wanna be a pro hero?” Midoriya asks.

“Oh. Well… Because…” Uraraka replies. She hesitates and then sighs. “For the money.”

 Most of Japan felt their mouths drop open, eyes widening in shock. The money?!

 Stain growled, clutching his phone. Midoriya’s friend was a false hero! A disgusting one, only wishing to be a hero for the money. A despicable reason. He would make sure to remove her from the running to be a hero when he went after Present Mic. Midoriya deserved to be surrounded by true heroes, not fakes. 

 While some perhaps agreed with Stain that being a hero for money was a bad idea, many others only felt shocked she didn’t want to help out people. In the bar where Z and Dabi sat, she was praised for another reason.

 “Honesty! I love it!” Z laughed. “We need more honesty in heroes.”

 “You aren’t disgusted?” a man asked her, squinting. “Stain killed-”

 “Please, Stain is a whiny pissbaby.” Z scoffed. She pointed at the man. “I don’t care why people are heroes. It has nothing to do with me or you. He’s crazy and wants a cause. Something to make him different from the other killers. I like the girl. She’s honest, open, and that’s all I care about.”

 “So you don’t think people can be a hero for bad reasons?” Dabi asked her. Z paused.

 “Well… no. I don’t think money is a bad reason. Wanting a legal reason to beat people up is. Wanting to be an asshole with a license is. Fame, money, those aren’t bad reasons.” Z shrugged. “It can become a bad thing when you become obsessed with it when you forget that heroes are supposed to save people.”

 “You sound as if you like heroes,” Dabi said, sipping his beer. Z snorted.

 “Oh, no. I think heroes are fucking stupid,” Z clarified. “And often hypocrites. You would not believe how many hire me to take care of their problems.” Dabi looked at her with more interest, and she shook her head. “Nope. I keep my word. My main points: I’m honest, and I never go back on a deal… unless the person in the deal I’m with does it first anyway.”

 “Interesting,” Dabi said. “I suppose I’m with you in my thoughts on heroes.” He would never like them, and in his opinion, most deserved to be torn down from their pedestals with their sins laid bare. Yet, he supposed he could admire someone so honest as Uraraka. 

 Her friends both stop and stare, blinking. Midoriya adjusts Tomoe in her arms and opens her mouth before closing it.

“For the money?” Midoriya asks. “You… you don’t seem like the type to just want it to get rich.”

“If we’re cutting to the chase, then, yeah. I’m sorry if it sounds greedy. You two have such admirable motivations. I hope you don’t think less of me now,” Uraraka says.

“Not at all! Your goal is to support your well-being, which is a perfectly admirable ambition to have,” Iida tells her, waving his hands around.

“Mm-hm. It’s just kinda surprising,” Midoriya agrees. And I don’t think I’m entirely selfless, she thinks.

“Well, you see, my family owns a construction company, but we haven’t gotten any work lately, so we’re flat broke. As well, my parents trusted the wrong guy. He took everything from them.” Uraraka says, looking down. She then sighs. “Anyway, this isn’t really something I usually tell other people, but… you guys are special.”

 Uraraka blushed, keeping her head down on the train. She’d already gotten plenty of looks before, but the pitying ones just made her feel worse. 

"Construction, eh?” Iida asks.

“If you got a special work license, you could reduce the costs,” Midoriya says.

“And they could sell their heavy-lifting equipment. She could float everything!” Iida agrees

“I know, right? I’ve been telling dad that since I was a kid! But…” Uraraka says before the screen moves to show a younger Uraraka and her parents.

“You want to work for us?” her dad asks.

“When I grow up all big and strong, I’ll help you and mommy out any way that I can,” Uraraka says.

“I really appreciate the thought, Ochako. But as your dad, I’d be even happier if you achieved your own dream. That’s the way to make us happy. And if you do make money, you can take us to Hawaii or something!” her dad tells her.

“Daddy…” she says.

 Uraraka refused to look up, hearing the coos from the others on the train. Her cheeks were redder than normal as she firmly kept her gaze down. God, why this?!

The flashback ends, and the hallway can be seen on screen 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!” Uraraka tells them.

  The fake hero… had an honourable… NO! Stain shook his head. It was still the wrong reason. Sure she would give her parents the easy life as well as herself! No true hero would wish to be one for the money, for any reason! The girl’s position may be more honourable than he thought, but it still didn’t matter. She would fall like any other!

 Others, though, felt a little bad for their judgement. Poor girl just wanted to help her family. 

 A couple of heroes watching the screens decided to look up the girl’s name later. Good construction workers were hard to find somedays, and if they could raise such a daughter, perhaps the Urarakas would be better than most.

“That’s beautiful! So noble! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!” Iida says, clapping. Tomoe follows, looking confused but happy to make noise.

She’s not here because of some hero fantasy. She just wants to help her parents, Midoriya thinks.

 “I help mama!” Tomoe says suddenly, a smile on her face.

 “Just be you, Tomoe, that’s all I need,” Midoriya told her daughter.

 “Always and forever,” Izumi vowed, glancing behind her at the playpen where her daughter still rested. Mic made a cooing noise, covering his heart as Aizawa chuckled to himself.

Al