It had to be some kind of mistake, Danny thought. There wasn't any discernible reason to make that choice. How could he, a person that couldn't even tie a piece of fabric around his neck be entrusted with the duty of a class representative? The halfa remained dumbfounded even as he was asked to stand in front of the class in all of his unkempt glory. It had to be some sort of a mistake. The choice of a deputy representative, however, was even more shocking for the person chosen for that person. If Danny remained blank and confused, Midoriya seemed outright shaken by having to be a part of it.

Out of all the classmates, the two most reluctant individuals were elected. The fate really loathed the half ghost.

"Why in the world did you vote for me?" Danny asked with a muffled voice, his face on the lunch table.

"Well..." Kirishima started. "We would have liked to vote for ourselves, but jokes aside, I think you can manage, Danny-san."

The halfa turned his head so that he was now lying on the side of it. "And what for the love of the Ancients gave you that idea?"

"Come on, Danny-kun," Mina nudged him. "You know why it's like that. When it comes to hero stuff, you are a number one student."

"Yep," added Kirishima. "I mean, we saw how you did in the battle trial, and you know how a hero should act."

Fenton sighed. "You missed the part about me preferring to do things alone. Precisely why I didn't vote for Todoroki."

"Come on, you are not always by yourself, right?"

Danny seemed to be in thought. Kirishima was correct that his friends were there quite often, willing to lend their hand or save his backside in a pinch. However, he stood by his word, and the halfa still was choosing to fight alone if he could help it. His power had grown over the months of constant fighting. He could manage.

"Maybe. But do you honestly expect ME to be responsible enough to keep up with everything and everyone else? Do you want THIS," he pointed at his all over the place clothes, "to represent you during the meetings?"

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, Danny-kun," Mina beamed. "I'm sure you will do your best."

The halfa didn't look convinced. Instead Danny decided to casually indulge in the delicious foods of which he had taken plenty. After downing the first bowl of gyudon, the half ghost took a look around the cafeteria.

"There are a lot of people here," he commented.

"You only just noticed?" Mina cackled. "We just study in the different parts of the school, but there is only one cafeteria. So, there are guys from all departments."

"How many of those they have exactly?" Asked Fenton and made a sip of the soda. "I only know a couple."

"Well, there's ours," Kirishima started counting with his fingers. "The hero course. There are also general education, support department, and department of management."

"Management?" Danny raised an eyebrow.

"Well, most heroes have their agencies," explained Mina. "They are in charge of your PR, make sure that you get the jobs and are also good for managing finances. You need the money to repair what's damaged during the fight. Manage some ads, too. That's what management department teaches."

"Christ, they turned heroism into Hollywood," Danny mumbled as he chewed on a bun.

'You have a marketable plushie of yourself in your bedroom,' the inner voice reminded him and promptly shut him up.

It would be a lie if he said he didn't want the kind of fame most prominent heroes had, but the specifics of that new world still felt wrong to him. He had been bitten so many times by his desire to be respected by his peers and have hundreds of fans among the populace, that by then Danny had grown wary of the idea, no matter how much he might have potentially enjoyed it. It was somewhat of a guilty pleasure at that point.

"Well, it's not like you can't do both," Kirishima shrugged. "If you are still manly and noble enough, why not make some cash out of it?"

"That's...not what I am used to."

"Why?" Asked Mina. "You have heroes in America, too. They are everywhere."

"America is not Japan. It is an enormous country with so many heroes. Our town had only one unsung vigilante, and that's pretty much it," Danny responded unenthusiastically. "Don't you see this as a problem? Even if one hero is to prevent ten, twenty crimes a day, it still won't be enough. Schools can't possibly pump out enough heroes, and hardly all of them are on par with the top brass, obviously."

"Danny... are you defending vigilantism?"

"My town is still standing because of one. People close to me are alive because of him. I can't bring myself to think that this is wrong in any way. Having second thoughts about your pick of a class rep?" Danny asked sarcastically and grinned.

Then, before he could say anything else, the deafening siren sounded across the entire school.

"A level 3 security breach is detected," the robotic voice announced through the speakers. "All students please evacuate properly."

Danny stood up without even noticing, the gears in his mind set in motion.

Was that it? The villains' attack on the school? No, the halfa reasoned. The two of them did not appear moronic enough to try and assault the school like that. No matter what tools they had, the school was the heroes' territory, easily defensible and full of capable superpowered individuals. His hearing didn't pick up any explosions or crashes, although the white noise in the form of shouts and cries of panicking students was hampering his ability to pick anything else up. Thus, this could not be an actual attack.

Perhaps, it was the distraction Danny had been expecting.

The halfa was about to bolt for the principal's office and the archive so conveniently located nearby. But then he remembered something. Looking at his shocked classmates, Danny realised that he couldn't just abandon those who put their trust into him. He didn't know what that distraction was, and with Kurogiri's Quirk the villains could attack any stray student. The time was running short. Jumping into the air, the half ghost floated above everyone and casted a look across the entire cafeteria.

Danny then put his hands to his mouth and channelled a portion of his ectoplasmic energy to his throat.

"Hero course, Class 1-A, gather near this table!" He bellowed.

Considering the stampede that closely resembled the dreaded episode of the Lion King and was currently taking place in the only exit corridor, there wasn't much the class was missing. They weren't getting anywhere close to the exit in such conditions anyhow. At least that way he would make sure that every classmate of his was alright and they could leave in an orderly fashion.

The class did as instructed, having heard his shout and having seen his floating figure they had no trouble gathering close to each other. Danny slowly descended, counting the students that were there.

"Is this everyone that was in the cafeteria?" He asked and descended.

"Mineta has already run off, kero," Tsu responded and saw the halfa lower his head.

"For the love of...I also don't see that blonde guy, what was his name again?"

"You mean Aoyama?" Asked Tokoyami.

"Yeah, the sparkling one."

"He said he was going to the library."

Danny had studied the layout of the school. Due to the library's proximity to the principal's office AND the archive this was probably the worst spot for him to be. Phantom was careful not to display the true emotion he was currently experiencing, which was deep concern for his classmate. Humming for a moment, Danny casted a glance at Midoriya, his supposed deputy. Yes, that could work as an excuse, too.

"Midoriya-san. You lead the others to the shelter. Make sure you stay together."

"What about you, Fenton-san?" Asked Iida.

"I'll try and get Aoyama. When I find him, we'll join you."

"What, ya want to face the bad guys alone, glowstick?" Bakugo barked.

Danny shot him an apathetic look. "Last time I checked it was me who went through walls and could fly. I have the best chances in this whole school to get there quickly and get Aoyama and others to safety," he said and took off the suit that was part of his uniform, leaving only the shirt. "Well? Go! We've already wasted enough time!"

Everyone exchanged glances. They were unused to hearing orders from the usually laid-back halfa. But his cool head and confidence seemed to be enough for them to follow his orders. While the students quickly ran off towards the corridor, Danny didn't waste another second, before dashing towards the nearest wall and leaping through it, landing on the other side already in his ghost form. From there he flew upwards, as it was there where the points of his current interest were. Danny prepared himself for any emergency that could happen.

At the very least, he would make sure that the fight would be very loud and noticeable. Was it the rule violation if he actually did engage in a fight with a villain? It could technically be considered an act of self-defence as long as they were attacking the school. Reassured by his impunity, Danny quickly headed towards the upper walls. He phased through another ceiling and landed in another corridor. From there he sprinted towards the library, making it there in a matter of seconds. He swung open the door and entered the spacious room. Rows of bookshelves and not a single living soul around.

"They must've heard the alarm... of course they would be on their way to the shelter," Danny facepalmed.

There were no villains in sight either, which was probably a good sign, too.

"Well," he said upon exiting the library. "Since I'm already here, I might as well check the rest."

After taking a peek inside every room around, he heard some sounds coming from the one he hadn't checked yet. Someone seemed to be in a hurry. The fact that that particular door had 'Faculty room' written on it made Danny stop in his tracks. The halfa remembered that the villains were after the teachers' schedules, wishing to know where and when All Might would be. Of course a copy would be in the faculty room. And it would lack in defences with how many heroes there were inside usually.

The halfa turned invisible just in case, before floating right through the nearest wall. There, in a room filled with littered desks, one person was eager to bring even more chaos to the surroundings. And that was not a teacher. In fact, it was the particular blonde Danny had been looking for. It was Aoyama who was digging through the desk drawers, with a goal Phantom didn't want to accept, but apparently would have to. But maybe he was jumping to conclusions, right? He had to check, and do so quickly, because Aoyama finally found what he had been looking for.

"What are you doing?" Asked the half ghost.

Aoyama shrieked and jumped upon hearing someone whisper into his ear. Turning around, he saw Danny staring at him. In the meantime, the halfa saw the blonde hide something behind his back.

"F-Fenton-san!" Aoyama exclaimed shakily. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

He couldn't understand why the half-ghost was reacting in such a manner. Aoyama saw hostility in those emerald eyes, and it made his legs go wobbly.

"Are you really in a position to ask?" Fenton tilted his head. "I am the class rep now. My job is to keep your asses intact, among other things. So I was looking for you. Well?"

"I...the shelter is far away, right?" Aoyama responded. "I-I was thinking of hiding in the faculty office, but there is nobody here!"

Danny sighed. "A valid course of action, I guess," he said and Aoyama for a second thought he was off the hook.

"But this doesn't explain you rummaging through the desks," the half ghost finished. "What's that you have there?"

"O-oh, that's just... a schedule!" The fellow student showed him the piece of paper.

If Phantom's core was beating, it would have ceased such activity for a moment. Aoyama was showing that list like nothing, because it was nothing to the normal observer. However, why would he try and hide it in the first place if it was perfectly normal?

"Why do you need it?" The halfa asked as the sirens outside finally fell silent.

"What are you asking such questions for?" The blonde suddenly grew a backbone.

He knew his time was running out, Danny realised. The teachers were probably going to be there soon.

"Because this is hardly the time, simple as," the halfa responded.

He also knew that if the teachers came, it would throw a wrench into his plans as well. He couldn't interrogate Aoyama in front of everyone. And to be frank, he could not allow himself to be hasty. One wrong word could potentially pull the rug from under the halfa's legs. If Phantom made his accusations clear, Aoyama could do something people usually did — speak. Speak not only to him, but either to the teachers about the class rep's odd suspicions, or to the villainous employers, on the same topic but with different content. Danny could not allow such questions, because he so far had no idea how to respond to them.

For now he had to play it safe. Until he knew what to do with him. Why did it have to grow so convoluted this quickly? Danny eventually sighed.

"Alright, let's just hurry to the classroom. Everyone must be worried."

Aoyama did not say anything, internally glad that that's where Fenton had chosen to drop it, even if temporarily. However, as he followed his now human classmate, Aoyama was starting to fear that the half ghost knew more than he was letting on. To bear with that fright until Phantom chose to speak to him again about it, if ever, was going to be torturous. At the very least, Danny hadn't taken the paper back.

And why didn't he? That was also the question Aoyama had.

It would also be a lie to say that Danny's own soul felt at ease. Per chance, the halfa had caught his own classmate red-handed, he knew he had, but at the same time doubt plagued his mind. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but the evidence was all there. Danny knew that the villains needed to attain that information, he knew that there wasn't anybody else in close vicinity of the three important rooms. The whole distraction thing would be for naught if they hadn't had a guy on the inside. And the only person there was Aoyama. It couldn't be a mere coincidence.

Soon they heard the next message relayed through the speakers, telling the students to proceed with the rest of the day as normal.

With nothing else to do at the moment, the halfa decided to head to the classroom. Aoyama had no choice but to follow.

Upon entering, Danny saw the entirety of the class being present there and eagerly chatting, and he felt his anger subsiding.

"Danny-kun!" Mina waved at him, getting everyone's attention to the doorway.

"Everyone alright?" Asked the halfa.

"Ya bet!" Said Kaminari. "It turned out that the alarm was triggered because of the press."

"The...press?" Danny repeated slowly, glancing at Aoyama, who looked probably too elated by the electricity-throwing teen's response.

Was he wrong about everything? If it was the paparazzi all along, then it was him who acted like a prick. It did not completely eradicate the doubt, but the halfa was starting to feel consciousness gnawing on him.

"Fenton-san!"

Danny turned to look at Midoriya, who looked awfully anxious about something.

"What's up?" The halfa asked with a small, tired smile. He welcomed the distraction.

"I... have an announcement to make, if nobody minds."

Danny turned to Aizawa, who was still lying in his futon behind the desk.

"I don't care what you do, just make it quick. You kids still have to make other decisions on the class officers."

"Oh, that's right. Well, the floor is yours, pal," Phantom smirked and gestured to the wooden rostrum.

Midoriya slowly made his way there, as Danny followed. He had to constantly remind himself that he was the class president. The feeling was still new to the half ghost. Standing by Midoriya's side, he leaned against the chalkboard behind him.

"I...I think Iida is more suitable to be in my position after all!"

Danny blinked. That was awfully sudden. But looking at the class, the halfa noticed that there were very few surprised faces.

"What did I miss?" Fenton asked half-jokingly.

"A lot, man!" Kirishima responded. "Iida was a great help at the cafeteria today."

"He kinda looked like that man from the exit signs," Kaminari cackled.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "The heck..."

Iida slowly rose from his seat. "If it is Midoriya that is making this proposal, then I will humbly accept it as long as the class representative has no objections!" He said and raised his hands.

"Wait..." Danny said slowly. "You could just switch positions all this time? If so..."

"I know what you are suggesting, Fenton-san," Iida interrupted firmly. "I must refuse, and I am confident that many others do too. During the commotion you acted with cold head and rationality expected of someone in your position. With all due respect, I won't accept you stepping down."

"Eh..." Danny rubbed the back of his neck and averted the gaze. "Thanks?"

There wasn't much he could say in a situation like that. He initially acted without thinking, doing what had been drilled into him by mock evacuations they had at Casper High. And his past unpleasant experiences with panicking crowds.

"Is this how he says it is?" Danny turned to the class.

"Yep. You can pull this off, Danny-kun!" Mina gave him a thumbs up. "Don't back out on us now!"

After receiving some more words of encouragement, the halfa had to concede. Perhaps...it was for the better in some aspects, Danny decided. Everything that had taken place in the last hour or so was the clear indication of who was the real worrywart among the entire group of students. A worrywart in a sense that he was truly concerned about everyone's safety, even if it meant suspecting one of them. The position of a class representative was the one that put a weighty responsibility on his deceptively weak-looking shoulders, but it was also the one that would allow him to exercise the much needed authority when it came to the crisis situations, as Danny and anybody else could see in the cafeteria.

Once again he was being made to accept something ex post facto. By accepting and embracing the role others wanted him to take, what was he really doing? Was he simply coming to terms with the inevitable, or he simply refused to argue because he was actually the one deciding it? The halfa could not give an answer to that question just yet. However, everyone expected him, and him alone to say something.

"I suppose...I can bear with it a bit," Danny smirked. "I'll stay as the class representative. And I am all for the change Midoriya proposed. No offence, pal."

"None taken!" Midoriya grinned. "It's my idea anyway!"

Danny took another breath. In the end, he guessed he could roll with his sudden responsibility, as long as there was someone capable of aiding him in whatever bureaucratic nonsense they would have to endure. Speaking of such nonsense...

"We still have to decide on certain positions, so let's be quick... anyone wants to be the treasurer?"

-Linebreak-

Phantom's line of thought when it came to the ongoing conspiracy was simple. There was a very simple way of knowing what everything was about. The solution? To watch where Aoyama was going and what he was going to do with his papers. Danny reasoned that with him evidently suspecting Aoyama of something out of norm would make the pompous blonde nervous and eager to get rid of what he had stolen. It was how all overly-cautious thieves behaved.

Before the lessons were over, Aizawa had the teen go and sign a couple of papers so that he would be registered as the official class rep. Since the last lesson was not Aizawa's, the homeroom teacher accompanied him, and whilst travelling through the empty and quiet corridors, Danny felt slightly uncomfortable.

"I've heard of what you did in the cafeteria."

The halfa panicked for a moment, but then realised that he hadn't done anything out of ordinary. Aizawa turned his tired red eyes to the the teen.

"Keep at it."

Danny blinked. The compliment had caught him off guard.

"Eh..." he rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you?"

The teacher sighed, feeling the need to elaborate. "I've been told about how you behaved and I heard what your classmates said. Several faculty members noticed that Class A proceeded according to the procedures and in order. You did a good job," he nodded. "So if I say so myself, it is an improvement."

"An improvement from what?" Danny raised his eyebrow.

"From the initial impression I had," Aizawa responded frankly and without missing a heartbeat. "Despite having been a vigilante, you show that you can work as a part of the team."

"Forgot you guys knew that..." Danny looked out of the window, before noticing something.

He was able to see the front gates from their position, and what he saw made his mind return to another matter entirely. He saw the front gates reduced to nothing, with the remains showing the signs of someone actually forcing their way in.

"What is it?" Asked Aizawa.

"Are...you really sure that it was the journalists?" Danny said. "This doesn't seem like their work."

That was his way of indirectly warning the teacher about the upcoming threat. At least they would stay on guard.

"We can't know that. All it takes is one Quirk sometimes."

"But even the paparazzi have limits. They don't turn metal doors to dust."

Aizawa couldn't deny that the halfa had a solid point. Neither he, nor the others among the staff had any illusions. They had told the kids the opposite for the sole reason of preventing concern and panic. Heroes in training they might have been, but to their mind many of them were not ready to be exposed to real threats.

"Observant, aren't we?" Aizawa mumbled tiredly.

"You guys know what I did in the past," Danny rolled his eyes. "I learned to perform basic investigation."

"Your experience will only get you this far, Fenton," the teacher spoke seriously. "You may have an advantage over classmates, other students, and some rookie heroes. But many of us spent years and even decades in the field."

"What are you trying to say, sensei?"

"I say that you must work just as hard as everyone else. You yourself admit that your investigation skills are 'basic'. Learn to perfect it and keep going. I simply keep sensing that you aren't enthusiastic about my lessons. Or others from the hero course for that matter."

"You are diverting the conversation, Aizawa-san. Was I wrong about the journalists?"

The man kept silent for a while, as a pair of ice blue eyes unnervingly stared at him without blinking.

"You are not going to believe me if I say otherwise."

"One could even say that I can read people enough," Danny grinned, before his look turned serious. "So it WAS a villain."

He had no doubts about that, knowing full well about someone who could pull that distraction off. Danny simply wanted his teacher to wholeheartedly share his sentiment.

"Don't go around saying this version to everyone. We have no concrete proof. Not even an eyewitness."

"Never planned to, sir. But what are you going to do?"

"We must first learn if it really was a villain. Until then, we will stay on guard. I expect this level of responsibility you've shown today from now on, Fenton. And I hope that your urge to break the law is subdued."

"Is it against the law trying to find out what happened here?"

"Not really," Aizawa responded sincerely. "But this is what I told you and what I threaten to expel you for."

Danny's eyes widened. "You really aren't shy with measures..." the halfa mumbled.

Phantom already had found the truth and the culprits. The destroyed door also eroded any suspicion that he might have been mistaken. But the whole fact that they didn't want to even hear of what he found, much less accept it and forgive his missteps, annoyed the young hero beyond measure. That attitude was going to get someone killed. Danny was slowly starting to hate the secretiveness of his endeavour, and even more so the people so entrenched in their conceptions of vigilantism that they refused help when they could get it.

"You are smart enough to understand why I am doing this, Fenton," Aizawa stopped and turned to him. "My job is to make sure that students remain safe. And that includes you, too."

"I fought the people you guys can't even scratch," Danny said through his teeth. "I can handle myself."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Aizawa said firmly. "Until then, the ban remains in place."

"Plans never work, Aizawa-sensei. What if villains choose to attack the students? I, for one, would feel guilty if there was anything I could do to stop it from happening outright."

"This is a 'you' problem, Fenton. We are working on this as we can, you have to trust us on that."

"Because this feeling is obviously being reciprocated," Danny responded sarcastically. Since he knew better than to speak too frankly with a teacher, he promptly added. "Fine. I get it."

Fast forward a bit later to the end of the lessons, when the halfa did not hesitate to go against what he had told Aizawa. Technically it was not a full-fledged investigation, as he probably knew the culprits already. He was merely confirming his findings. It was, however, much more boring than Danny had anticipated. All he did was invisibly tail Aoyama until something happened. Until the guy reached a meeting spot with the villains or reached his house and put the halfa's mind a bit more at ease. From observing the blonde whilst Phantom invisibly floated in front of his face, Danny could see the nervousness. The wobbly hands, the expression full of concern, the signs were all there and they indicated that something clearly wasn't right.

The halfa wasn't the most patient person. He opted to fly home because it was much faster. Commuting was not something he enjoyed, and Aoyama was doing just that, forcing Danny to follow him in the bus. The halfa feared that he would have to go with the suspect even further, by metro, but surprisingly Aoyama opted to detract from the path Danny had predicted, and instead went the opposite way from the station. And finally, the student entered a very unimpressive establishment.

'If he chose to buy himself a bagel, I'm hanging myself,' Danny thought with exasperation at a possibly wasted time. 'Can I even choke in this form?'

Shaking off that thought, Danny floated inside the cafe. The place really was rundown, and that was especially striking in a place not so far from a city centre.

Aoyama had by then situated on his seat, in front of another person.

"You are late," the man said from under the black hoodie.

That voice...

"Shigaraki, you weasel," Danny whispered inaudibly, sitting at the nearest table behind Aoyama. Still invisible, of course.

He was right all along. And he was not sure whether to be thrilled, appalled or concerned. What he knew however, was that he had to listen.

"S-sorry, I-I was held back in school," Aoyama responded, visibly scared of the man he was talking to.

"Hm... was this because someone wasn't careful?" Shigaraki looked at the student, tapping on the table.

"No... look. Here is what you asked for."

Aoyama quickly dug in his bag and fished out the file Danny had seen him take.

"Is it...safe for us to discuss this here?"

"Don't worry," Shigaraki gave a wicked smirk. "The proprietor is a kindred spirit of yours. He isn't going to tell anyone about this exchange."

Danny glanced at the only man at the counter and saw the distress plastered on his face. That didn't look like a person that was in it willingly. And neither was Aoyama. Something was amiss in the picture. Was his classmate threatened to do this?

"Now," the smirk vanished. "You haven't answered my question. There is no skipping this dialogue."

"There's one classmate..."

"And..."

"He saw me take it..."

Shigaraki swiftly grabbed Aoyama's hand in a strange, four fingered grip, making the student yelp in shock and fright.

"What happened next?"

"He didn't do anything!" Aoyama quickly added. "Nobody but him knows, and he paid it almost no attention."

"Hmm... that was awfully close," Shigaraki whispered, not letting go. "You needed a distraction, I gave you a distraction. It's you who almost failed."

"I know! But Fenton is our class rep, he came looking for me personally, there's nothing I could do!"

After a momentary silence, during which Danny fully prepared to blast the hobo-looking villain to crisp, Shigaraki finally released his grip.

"Sensei would not approve of me destroying his asset," he mumbled. "But he is not going to be happy with you either. You got the paper. Now scram."

"Do I... have to do something else?"

Meanwhile, Danny floated closer, wishing to take a look at the schedule as well.

"You stay put and don't call attention to yourself. Don't think that your debt is repaid, either. Master will surely contact you. And you will get another quest," Shigaraki cackled, folding the list of paper and stuffing it into the pocket of his hoodie.

Aoyama did not hesitate to leave the place with the opportunity he was given, and Phantom had half a mind to beat the bastard in front of him here and then, certainly having the ability to. But then it would lead to unpredictable consequences, and perhaps even Aoyama was going to be blamed for everything. From that brief conversation the halfa realised that the blonde was not a willing co-conspirator, and thus the boy regained some sympathy. Being manipulated by a villain...he knew that feeling perhaps too well.

Which did not mean that in the following days he would not try and stop them.

First, he needed to find an information on the 'Rescue training.' event. It was something that took place in a location Danny so far had no idea of.

Finding the information wasn't that hard, since it was not some kind of a classified data. He could simply ask the older students from his course, and results it did bring. Upon learning of what the special training course entailed, the halfa started hatching another scheme. It was taking place in a separate building, and thus was a perfect spot for the attack. The villains would not have to fight all the heroes if the latter would remain oblivious to the ongoing battle. Cut the connection, and the place would also be one big grave. It seemed to fall so perfectly in place that the halfa had no doubts about the location of the villain attack.

Once more the stupid problem of having nobody to report to was biting him in the backside. Any attempt to inform the authorities was going to end poorly for him. And, as he had learned, for Aoyama. The blonde was quiet after the exchange in the faculty office, not wishing to even interact further with the half-ghost. Due to fear of villains' retribution or Danny's own intrusive approach, Phantom did not know, but there was the fact — Aoyama avoided him as much as possible. And everything had to appear absolutely natural so as not to alert the villains or heroes about the scheme of one particular half-ghost. Thus, Danny did not press him.

Giran never made contact with him after the meeting with Shigaraki. So apparently the villains chose to drop it and not to ask someone clearly opposed to the plan without having the leverage over him. Especially since they got what they wanted in the form of Aoyama.

Danny meticulously prepared a multitude of gadgets, created for the purpose of stopping a small army of cutthroats. He was the only one who knew about the attack. The responsibility to protect his classmates pressed on him, but at the same time, the halfa felt... excited.

The ice shard in place of his heart buzzed softly, creating a feeling similar to the butterflies in the stomach. He acted accordingly to his ghostly core's desires, and it was understandably happy with such outcome. The term 'happy' was, of course, applied liberally, for it never had a sentience of its own. Danny knew not of what obsession was, scientifically speaking. His parents had attributed the increased power output to the creation of special hormones at certain moments, when the ghosts indulged in what they were obsessed about. His parents had scraped the idea, because for hormones to have effect one had to possess a brain and nervous system. Something they believed ghosts seldom had.

Maybe those were hormones. Fentons were known to be wrong with their assumptions a lot. Danny could only hope they did not cause extra acne for him.

And then, the day of the event rolled about. At least, that's what the schedule said. And the halfa waited with baited breath and deep concentration until that moment arrived. Right after lunch they had a lesson with Aizawa, and the man did not waste his time.

"For today's basic hero training course you will have three instructors: All Might, me and one more person."

"Excuse me!" Sero raised his hand, "What exactly will we be doing?"

Aizawa lazily lifted a card similar to the one All Might had shown before the battle trial, only that time the card read 'Rescue', and like always Aizawa didn't seem to express any strong emotions like his boisterous colleague.

"Disasters, shipwrecks, everything in between. Today you will undergo rescue training."

Danny had learned of this beforehand, certainly, but he still couldn't help but chuckle into his fist at the irony of the predicament they were in. The course made sense, certainly, as a hero had to know how to perform a rescue mission. It was always a large part of being one. Phantom was no stranger to such things, be it a bus that fell off into the lake from the bridge or anything of the sort. But now, however, he was preparing to perform a different type of operation. The halfa glanced at Aoyama, who must have felt Phantom's piercing gaze, because he soon turned around and their looks crossed. The nervousness of the blonde teen was difficult to hide from the half ghost. Whether Aoyama intended to fight the classmates or not, Danny had long since come to terms with the possibility of the former.

Still, Danny supposed that the villains would not want to throw away their valuable mole so early.

"I'm not done yet," Aizawa eventually stopped the excited chatter. "You are free to choose whether to wear your costumes or not. After all, some of them limit your Quirks, too."

Danny slowly and instinctively rubbed the back of his palms, where his newest contraptions were located during the fights. Yes, he was definitely using those.

"The training will take place off-campus, so we will take the bus. Start getting ready and gather near the front entrance."

With that Aizawa parted, trusting the students to do the rest. At Iida's urging, the halfa less than enthusiastically once again assumed the role of the class rep, making sure that everyone proceeded in a proper fashion first to the changing rooms and then to the entrance. Phantom began to wonder if he was there to be a chaperone. Nonetheless, the job was simple, so he managed to do that much. Once everyone gathered outside, the students could see the bus waiting for them.

"We must proceed further in a proper fashion!" Iida commented loudly, evidently more fired up than Danny was.

"Ease up, pal," Danny patted Iida on the shoulder. "Just look inside, there's enough space to run a marathon."

"I..." the debuty rep did as he was asked and finally noticed the disposition of the seats — along the walls, facing each other. "Oh, I see! I just assumed it was a normal bus."

"Looks like they are trying to accommodate everyone," Phantom smirked. "Although I'd have loved to see how Bakugo would have fit with those gloves of his," he cackled alongside some of his classmates.

"What did you just say?!" Bakugo roared.

"That your gloves are way too large," Danny shrugged.

"Keep talking like that and I'll show you what they can do," The tempestuous teen growled.

"I'll keep that in mind," Danny responded off-handedly. "Come on, everyone, we don't have the time to lose!"

The halfa situated by Iida, with Aoyama simply having no other place to take. And his discomfort at being so close to the halfa was eventually noticed.

"Is something wrong, Aoyama?" Asked Tsu.

"Oh, I assure it's nothing of concern to you," the blonde waved off the concern in his usual fashion.

Danny had to give the boy some credit. He was extremely good at acting as a dapper narcissist. Or maybe it was just who he actually was.

"You've been acting weird around Danny-kun ever since the lunch incident."

And the frog girl was awfully observant, Danny mentally cursed. He needed to change the topic, and quickly. How did it come to him hiding the actual mole? Right, it would mean him being busted, too.

"Sheesh, Tsu," Danny huffed and smiled, putting hands behind his head, crossing his legs and leaning backwards in his seat. "You really say what ya think, huh?"

"That's right, kero. I also think your Quirk is strange, Danny-kun."

Internally glad that the bait was taken so easily, he was nonetheless surprised to hear her words. Before he could answer, the one who was the most enthusiastic about Quirks butted into the conversation.

"That's right! I've never seen a Quirk so versatile before," Midoriya spoke up. "You must have spent years coming up with all those uses!"

"Not really. My Quirk was a late bloomer. Got it about a year ago, and when it did awaken, it was... unpleasant."

"A year?!" The exclamation of surprise sounded from perhaps everyone around but Midoriya, who himself received his Quirk not so long ago. Yet, it shocked even the green-haired boy how quickly the halfa got a hold of that power.

Aizawa, who had been occupying the front seat by the robot driver, looked over his shoulder and stared at the halfa, too. Just one year to become a powerhouse like that? The teacher sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes. He really could use a drink right now.

"What do you mean, unpleasant, Danny-kun?" Mina tilted her head. "You never told us this."

The halfa hissed. "I ate a huge shit pie in the form of multiple layers of pain. I would have died horribly, because a normal human body cannot sustain that much energy coursing through the body at once, but my healing factor kicked in just when I needed it. I'll omit the gruesome details."

Midoriya stared at him with wide eyes. He couldn't help but draw the parallels with himself, and how every use of One for All made his limbs break.

"How bad was it?" Asked Kirishima with concern.

"You really have to press, don't you? My skin was literally melting off," Danny looked at the distance. "My friends had to watch that whole thing. Ectoplasm doesn't like organic matter at all. Even when your heart all of a sudden begins to pump it through your body. It can be turned into a harmless goo, but otherwise it can easily kill you. So don't go around touching my things, would you?" The halfa smirked.

Perhaps it was one of the features that separated him from the rest of the ghosts. Danny may have had his reservations about free electric currents, but that was honestly where it ended. Usually ghosts went ballistic when faced with the reminder of their deaths, be it an object or a person, and they would never speak so freely of the moment their lives came to their end. Danny himself had by then largely dealt with the fact, especially since he got away relatively scot-free. He was still at least a partial human being.

"After what you just told us, I don't think I'll go anywhere near that glowing stuff," Mina shivered.

"Yeah, man," Kirishima muttered. "That's a messed up way of discovering your Quirk."

"You don't hear me complaining now," Danny smirked. "But one time was more than enough."

"Your Quirk is still amazing, Fenton-san," Midoriya spoke. "You can definitely become a famous pro."

The halfa rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhm...thank you, Midoriya-san."

"I know Bakugo won't be very popular," Tsu added.

"What the hell?! You want to fight?!" The teen in question yelled from the backseat.

"And that's exactly why," the frog girl pointed out.

"Yeah, we haven't known each other for that long, but everyone knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage," Kaminari added.

"Now, now," Danny grinned, "No need for such vulgarities, Kaminari-san," he surprised everyone with his stance. "But you are 100 percent right."

"Shut up, spook!"

"Enough of that," interrupted Aizawa. "We're here."

Soon the bus came to a halt, and the entirety of the class exited it. They were now near a colossal dome structure, able to fit an entire town inside from the seems. A peculiar person was waiting for them in front of the entrance. Danny hadn't seen that staff member before. That person was dressed in yellow boots and a white jacket, so puffy that it was impossible to understand who exactly was under it and how to address them. The pitch black helmet with white eyes did not make it any easier. However, the first phrase quickly put at least some questions to rest.

"Everyone, I have been waiting for you," the feminine voice sounded from under the helmet.

"Woah! I know who that is!" Midoriya squealed.

"Michelin-girl?" Danny offered sarcastically.

"Wh...no, it's the Space Hero, Thirteen! A hero who has saved thousands of people from disasters!"

"Oh, I know her too!" Uraraka said just as excitedly.

"Let us go in without delay!" Thirteen told the students.

As they went inside, Danny couldn't help but chuckle. That name sure brought some memories.

The place, unsurprisingly, was as big on the inside as it was outside. The first association many students had was an amusement park. To that conclusion they were lead by the long, wide paths crossing in the centre of the area, where a large decorative fountain stood. However, the metaphorical attractions in the are were quite intriguing. There was an area that was a collapsed, the ruined cityscape, somewhere at a distance was a smaller glass dome, under which everyone could see the blazing inferno. And nearby, there was a dome that contained a snow storm within. A model shipwreck could also be seen from the elevated platform the entrance and the students currently were. Once again, everyone could only marvel at the scale U.A. operated at.

"Everything you see before you," Thirteen spoke up. "Is a training ground I made with all different types of accidents in mind. This is the Unforseen Simulation Joint. U.S.J. for short."

"By the way, Thirteen," Aizawa said to the riled up colleague. "Where is All Might? He was supposed to be here."

"About that," the hero in space suit reduced her voice to a whisper. The whisper she hadn't known the halfa could easily overhear. "It looks like he did too much hero work on his way here and ran out of time. He is currently resting in the lounge."

Time? Upon hearing this, the halfa blinked. What did time have anything to do with All Might performing his hero duties? Danny began to wonder if the man's Quirk could work only for a limited amount of time. Whatever was the reason, he was secretly happy and also concerned about All Might staying behind. The villains' 'tool' was aimed at killing the hero who was currently absent. So he wasn't in danger's way. However, the lack of the world's strongest hero was going to severely undermine the combat chances of his side.

"That was awfully irrational of him," Aizawa sighed. "Let's start then."

"Alright! Let's see. Now I have one...three...some things to tell you first," Thirteen began. "As I'm sure you are aware, my Quirk is Black hole. It can suck inside everything and turn it into dust."

Midoriya and Uraraka nodded quickly and excitedly. "You've used this power to save so many!"

"Indeed I have. However, this Quirk can also easily kill people. Some of your Quirks, too, are very destructive, aren't they? In a superhuman society such as ours, Quirks have been registered and stringently regulated. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any problem here..."

"I can name a few," Danny mumbled quietly.

"...However, you must not forget what I just told you. A single misstep can end up with killing an innocent person. Aizawa-san's physical test helped you find out a couple of your own hidden powers. All-Might's personal training helped you understand the danger of your Quirks when used against another person. This class is a fresh start that can teach you yet another aspect — using your Quirk to save countless lives. And I hope that you are willing to listen and understand what I'm trying to teach you. That will be all."

At this, Thirteen bowed theatrically, under the loud applause from many students. Danny would have said something, too, but then, a gust of cold air escaped the halfa's mouth. And that feeling, unique to each ghost or other spectral entity, was very much familiar.

Kirishima, who stood by the teen's side, looked surprised at seeing his friend tense up in alarm.

"Danny-san, what are you..."

The halfa rushed forward to the edge of the platform. And his ghost sense, much to his woe, was right, just as it always had been.

And then, right in front of the distant fountain, a portal emerged, and its purple hue was unmistakable. Kurogiri was here. And with him, the striking force of cutthroats ready to engage in battle. The halfa threw a meaningful look at Aizawa, that could easily be translated to:

'I told you.'