Uhhh this is Chapter 1 of Shout! Off of patreon because Ina is having a shit day or something feel better soon your grades aren't that bad 

Or: What if present mic was Lillian's dad instead?

Third person pov

Lillian has shattered the windows of their house approximately thirty-seven times in her fifteen years of life. She's shattered Hitoshi's five in the time that she's known him. At this point, it's a bit of an inevitability.

It's a small miracle none of them have hearing aids yet. With a quirk like Voice, you'd think at least one of them would be partially deaf by then. Lillian's quirk was one she'd been born with. A set of enhanced, essentially super-sonic vocal chords had made her early childhood a rocky one as far as tantrums went.

There'd been one point where she'd almost taken the roof off when she was eight-- that had been a fun time. She'd destroyed several parts of her preschool. Her parents had never put her into any kind of quirk counseling-- though, it was probably because they were spending so much money fixing all the stuff she broke that they couldn't afford it.

As destructive as it is, Lillian loves her quirk. She loves the way her whole body vibrates with energy when she uses it. She loves the way she can make her voice reverberate and echo, how she can reach practically any pitch no matter how high or low. She loves the strength in her tone, the extra fortification in her throat that's ever-present.

It is a quirk that she shares with her biological father, whom she loves too even if she's never met him. Something that is unique to just them. Lillian has always cherished that just a little, even if it caused her trouble at times.

It's not all that bad. A bit recognizable, but Lillian's always been able to brush off questions about her relation to Present Mic with relative ease. She was an expert at deflecting them. It was impossible to outright refute them, so Lillian didn't bother, instead evading. It was too glaringly obvious that they were related in some way-- or more specifically that he was, clearly, her father by blood.

If not because of their shared quirk, then because Lillian looks like a miniature him with freckles and blue eyes instead of green. They have the same face, hers just a little softer and more feminine. The same shaped eyes, the same nose, the same cheekbones, the same chin, the same brow, the same ears. Lillian's irises, though not the same color as her biological dad's, had the same rings his did.

For all Hitoshi moaning and scowling about how she was quote-on-quote 'unjustly abandoned', Lillian's never really minded that her dad didn't want her, or couldn't keep her, or whatever happened. She doesn't think about it as often as one would think. Maybe that's weird of her, or maybe her outlook is just too blissfully positive to allow for such dark thoughts to creep in.

Her parents had adopted her, and they were wonderful. Being the child of a pro-hero was dangerous, and she understands that Present Mic had been young at the time. Too young for a baby, just starting out his career. He'd have still been in UA at the time of her birth. Lillian's accepted that she was an accident and has moved on. It is what it is, right?

It's not like he's not a part of her childhood at all. In a roundabout sense, he was still there for her. He raised her, influenced her upbringing way more than an absentee parent probably should've been able to. It was strange. Lillian had never met the man, yet she felt like she knew him anyway.

Through radio shows and press appearances and talk show interviews, she gets to know her father and the quirk they've both been born with in a depth some kids don't get. And it's enough. Her parents love her, and it doesn't matter that her dad doesn't know her. Because she knows him, and Lillian knows with a bone-deep certainty that she'll meet him some day anyway. In that moment, she is okay without him. She could probably be okay without him forever if she needed to be.

It's not all that much of a surprise that Lillian grows up wanting to be a hero just like him. He's bright and loud and amazing, so strong and in control of his quirk, and Lillian wants to hone herself in the same way. She wants to help people! She wants to make them smile, and she wants to make music, and she wants to do it all while wearing a badass leather jacket!

Overall, the idea of her growing up to be a hero seems like... kind of inevitable. Even if Present Mic didn't exist and she had no idea who her birth parents were, the point stands that Voice is powerful. Quirks get stronger with every generation, and Lillian's has already shown the potential to bypass her father's in terms of flexibility, pitch, and general ability. It would be practically criminal not to go into heroism at this point!

What kid doesn't want to be a hero? It's like, the most normal thing for a kid to proclaim. What do you want to be when you grow up? A hero! Ask like, ninety percent of anyone under the age of fifteen. They're all going to say the same thing up until they either pass or fail the hero course high school entrance exams.

That's why Lillian has genuinely no idea why her parents don't want her to be one. They're like, adamantly against it. So much so that it's actually a little awkward. They never have a good excuse, either. Just half stuttered reasons that don't actually make a lot of sense.

In the past they've claimed they don't want her to run into Present Mic and get hurt, but honestly, fuck that. Totally moot. He obviously knows she exists if he put her up for adoption like they claim he did. In that case, he was probably expecting her to crop up at some point. It's not like Lillian chose to be born. If he gets irritated at her for showing up, that's on him.

He's so cool that Lillian severely doubts that'll happen, though. Even Hitoshi had laughed at the notion despite being far from the guy's number one fan. Present Mic was one of the nicest, most genuine heroes Lillian knew. It's why he was her favorite. Not just because they were very obviously related, but because he was good. Confident, insanely smart, juggler of three jobs, absolutely hilarious. He was everything Lillian wanted to be!

Maybe they're afraid being a hero is too dangerous. Being quirkless in a world full of powers, Lillian knows they're a little scared and a little more cautious than most. They'd practically wrapped her in bubble wrap as a child, squirreling her away from prying eyes and keeping her in the family as best they could for as long as they could.

Being such an obvious child of a spotlight hero, Lillian gets their attempts to isolate her from some of the larger parts of society. Lillian has no social media presence because she knows the chances of scandal and traction are high. She doesn't use her quirk in any often sense, and certainly never in a place with other people. If a villain got wind, she could be in danger, and she could cause a lot of issues for people who probably didn't really want to deal with her in the first place.

Present Mic would save her, of course. Lillian doesn't doubt that for a second. He'd give it his all whether he wanted her as a daughter or not. Lillian would just rather him not have to, you know? That would be an unpleasant first meeting. Definitely not the impression she wants to make.

Lillian loves her mom and dad even with their neurotic tendencies. For all their sheltering, they've never tried to get her not to make friends. Lillian knows her popularity at school comes mostly from the fact that she's Present Mic's spitting image. She's loud and outgoing too, and her powerful quirk certainly helps things along. It's hard to tell who likes her for her and who doesn't.

That's what Hitoshi's for, though! The Eraserhead to her Present Mic! Her partner in crime! He's her best friend in the whole world, and he never bullshits her. He's the person who subdues her when she gets a little too wild. He's like a little voice of reason in the back of her head that tells her to calm the hell down, or lower her tone, and other stuff like that.

He's like an angel on her shoulder. Or maybe a devil. Possibly both. Lillian doesn't know, doesn't really care. As long as the vibes are good, does it actually matter?

"So you're like, forging your parents signatures on your application and submitting it anyway, right?" Hitoshi asks drawly despite the answer being obvious. It was the first time her parents had stonewalled her completely on the hero thing. Asking them to sign her UA application was apparently just a step too far. Their twin yelps of 'No! Absolutely not!' still rang in her ears.

Probably because Present Mic worked there, but who better to teach her how to safely use her quirk than someone with the same one? Even if they didn't want her to be a hero, they had to at least want her not to accidentally deafen someone and end up in court, right? Present Mic was a teacher first and foremost, probably. Even if he ended up hating her, he'd probably still teach her.

"I would never do that. We're going to be heroes, Hitoshi. Forgery and impersonation on official documents is illegal." Lillian responded idly, forging her mother's signature with a grin. It was honestly just a J followed by a scribble. "I should go track Present Mic down and just ask him for an autograph. On the dotted line."

Lillian had been tempted to a few times. It never felt like the right time, though.

"I tell you for years that we should track him down so I can finally take a shit on him for abandoning you as a kid, and now you suggest we go meet the guy?" Hitoshi grumbled half-heartedly. Present Mic was such an active hero that it was easy to find his location through Twitter or Instagram at any given time. And if all else failed, his radio station had a publicly listed address. "Ugh. And of course you suggest it right before we get into UA, where we'll see the ass anyway."

Lillian tuned him out. Her hearing was actually quite good all things considered, but fuck if she couldn't expertly pretend to be completely deaf anytime Hitoshi got on a 'lets burn Present Mic at the stake' spiel. For all Lillian's love of the hero, any admiration Hitoshi had held for him had apparently been gone with the wind as soon as he realized he'd put Lillian up for adoption.

She'd given up trying to convince him otherwise. He claimed he was being mad enough for the both of them, and Lillian honestly appreciated it, even if there was nothing to be upset about. Present Mic had done it for her! To secure her future, and to ensure she grew up somewhere safe and stable. As a new hero, he'd have no time to give a baby the attention or funds it needed.

Besides, with UA on the horizon, maybe she... maybe she would be able to meet him, and maybe it wouldn't go bad. Maybe they'd be able to actually sit down and talk. And maybe-- maybe he'd be happy to see she'd grown up so well, and that she looked so much like him. Which was definitely wishful thinking on her part, but what's the point of life if you don't tackle it with enthusiasm and an optimistic outlook?

"It'll be fine. Maybe he can give me some tips. Remember when I shattered all the dishes in your cabinets? That's an incident I'd like to avoid a repeat of." Lillian closed the application packet with flourish, grinning. Mihoko had been overjoyed by the accident. Apparently the dishes were all ugly wedding gifts she hadn't been able to get rid of without offending her mother in law, so Lillian had done her a favor. They had all been a strange shade of puke green, so maybe she hadn't just said it to make her feel better. "Now, let's go get some fried chicken. I'm STARVING."

Hitoshi looked a little ill at the concept of even more greasy food but he stood up anyway. He always complied when they got to talking about her dad, perhaps under the false impression that she was hiding some sort of tender soreness behind her smile. Which was nice, but definitely a privilege she abused relentlessly. She'd be a terrible best friend if she didn't blatantly take advantage of his kindness, right?

"You're terrible." Hitoshi sighed, looking more tired than ever. Lillian beamed, throwing an arm over his shoulder. He sighed again, harder this time. "Fine. But you're paying."

(He paid, but only because Lillian brought up Present Mic again. Her laughter had been loud enough to make Hitoshi's reddened ears ring.)

~~~

She's so excited she's pretty sure she kills a pigeon on the way to UA with her shriek of joy. Hitoshi smacks his hand up under her chin to get her mouth to clamp shut. Last time he'd slapped it straight over he'd gotten all the bones in his palm shattered by the vibrations, so now he didn't risk it.

He waits a few seconds until he's sure she won't start again before he retracts his hand and plucks his earplugs out. He's got a weird sixth sense for when she's going to accidentally slip up. It's probably the only reason his hearing has survived their friendship so far. At least the pitches Lillian usually operated at weren't ear-drum piercing. Just enough to ache, mostly.

"I... am so not sorry!" Lillian all but bounced through UA's gates. Other hero hopefuls coming in were staring at her with big eyes, glancing between her and the downed pigeon. It was twitching a little. That meant it was fine, right? "This is the best day ever! Look, Hitoshi! We're at UA HIGHHH!"

Hitoshi smacked under her chin again. When had he put his earplugs back in? Lillian slapped her own hands over her mouth apologetically, though her grin remained unrestrained. It was wide enough to make her cheeks hurt, her eyes electric and pinging every which way. She was too used to the feeling gazes on her to care, instead choosing to focus on the school as a whole.

It was utterly massive. All glass windows that she hopefully wouldn't be mistakenly destroying anytime soon. They were probably made of some pretty tough stuff. If they housed Present Mic here, what was one more smaller version? Not that he was slipping up and accidentally screaming every two seconds. Maybe like, every four seconds instead. Ish.

It was surreal. Lillian felt a little nervous at the thought of meeting her father, but she pushed it off furiously. Who cared? This wasn't even really about him. This was about her, and her future! She wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of her having the best experience ever, ya dig?

Her parents were under the impression that she was sitting an exam for a completely normal high school in an entirely different prefecture. Lillian had really sold it! Performance of a lifetime, and they'd bought it hook line in sinker. Maybe she should've felt guilty for deceiving them, but how could she?

This was what she was meant to do. Lillian could feel it in her bones, in the constant vibration of her vocal chords. She and Hitoshi-- this was their future, and she wasn't about to let their lack of support keep her from her dream. She'd show them! They had to know, deep down, that this was what Lillian was going to do no matter what. They had to.

"You're vibrating. Calm down." Hitoshi swatted her arm. Lillian opened her mouth to reply, but he closed her jaw manually again. "No. Absolutely not."

Lillian yanked her head back, practically bouncing as she was handed her seat number. The attendee manning the sign in desk was staring at her very intensely. With raised eyebrows. Lillian gave a cheerful wave as they slipped past.

"I'm just so excited." Lillian forced herself to whisper, though it came out more normal-person speaking volume than anything. She hopped from foot to foot like she was jumping on hot coals, unable to contain herself with all the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "We're going to be heroes, Hitoshi! HerO--"

He smacked her again. Lillian's answering, sheepish grin was wide and all teeth.

~~~

Mic wouldn't call the entrance exams his favorite time of year, but it ranks up there on the list. He loves looking out at the mass of UA hopefuls, his chest filled with excitement that just aches to escape in the form of a energized shout. He loves to see the passion, loves to see so many youths so full of determination. This, he thinks, is why he became a teacher.

There's a lot of interesting looking kiddos this year, which only serves to ramp up his anticipation He's already seen Tensei's little brother in the crowd. He knows Endeavor's youngest took the recommendation exam, but it's still invigorating to know he'll be around in the upcoming year too, even if he's not here now. Mic's eager to watch and see who stands out, eager to see what little listeners will become students of their great establishment.

The nervous energy in the auditorium is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Present Mic can't help but grin under the many anxious eyes on him. He hopes his easy-to-approach, friendly persona will help put them at ease. He loves to be an announcer, and he thinks he does a pretty damn good job at it.

He grins wider as everyone settles, the whispers petering off into silence as the doors are finally closed, sealing them in and signifying the start of it all. Mic rolls his shoulders as he takes the stage, eyes scanning the crowd. He swears the first year hopefuls get smaller and smaller every year. They're all so tiny and cute, he could just cry!

Strangely enough, not all of them are looking at him. Normally the focus flies to him when he's up on stage doing this, but this time he sees several sets of eyes glancing off and then back to him again. He tries to figure out at what or who they're stealing glimpses of but it's hard to pinpoint anything specific in such a flood of kids.

Well, it doesn't matter! UA is home of the crazy and the weird. It draws in all sorts! Maybe it'll be something interesting-- something to spice this batch up! Mic loves it when there are standouts. Really makes him want to SHOUT! Sometimes you look at a student and know they're going to hit the top one day, whether it's of the charts or something else entirely.

"What's up, UA candidates?!" He bellows, grinning wide, eyes big behind his orange tinted sunglasses. His volume makes many gape, or flinch, or gasp with star struck awe. It's adorable to witness. "Thanks for tuning in to me, your school DJ! Come on and let me HEAR YAH!"

He doesn't expect a response back. He never gets one. The kids are always too scared, too anxious for the test to come. He gets that-- he mostly does it for show. Keeping things upbeat and lighthearted has proved to be a great way to loosen the nerves, and he doesn't want any of them to fumble just because they're feeling too tense to perform at their best.

Only this time someone does respond, for once. Someone loud.

"YEAH!" An enthusiastic voice cheers out, a voice holding the same reverberating echo that his does. It seems even louder in the silence, laced with an undercurrent of power he's familiar with. That he's only ever heard from himself.

His gaze whips across the crowd and immediately catches on a small girl who's practically vibrating in her seat, she's so excited. Several twist around to look at her. Whispers erupt, and those darting gazes go back to pinging between Mic and the girl just like before. He can see why. God can he see why.

Mic flounders for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times in shock. Because the kid she-- she looks like him. Her eyes are big and blue in contrast to his toxic green, but her hair is the same shock of yellow as his, straight as a pin. She's got his face shape, his cheekbones, his nose. She's got his grin stretched across her face, a little too wide.

Hell. He's pretty sure she has his quirk.

She doesn't seem to notice the stares, or maybe she doesn't care. Maybe being loud, she's gotten used to them. Mic did when he was her age, learned to barely bat an eye. Mic finds himself staring at her, but she doesn't seem to notice that either, her attention drawn to the screen as robots begin to pop up on the screen. Robots he's supposed to be explaining.

But it's hard to focus when she looks... like that. Like him. His brain scrambles for some form of an explanation, desperate. He almost thinks he must be dreaming. She's like a miniature him. There's a tiny him in the crowd. She looks just like him, and sounds just like him, and is grinning just like him.

A part of him is tempted to call out to her. Ask her name or age, or anything, really. His brain sputters up in denial. There's a logical side to him that tells him that there is no possible way he heard right. Maybe he just thought he heard that quirked undercurrent. Since they look so similar and all. He'd expected her to be loud because he's loud, and they look so similar.

Only people are whispering and looking between them and he... that means something. He knows it must. But-- no. No, nope! Everything is fine. She just looks similar to him! What had he said before? Crazy and weird? This is one of those thing. Doppelganger situation. Her quirk probably has nothing to do with her voice and he imagined it! Totally!

He can focus on it later. Find out more about her after. Until then, he has an orientation to give! To a bunch of children; none of which he is related to! At all! Because that's impossible and wow, maybe he needs to get more sleep. He must be seeing things. And hearing them. He must be. There's no other explanation.

His hearing aids might need replacing. Or retuning. That's possible too. Come to think of it, he turned them up before he came in here, didn't he? In case anyone had questions to ask. So her literally shouting had just sounded-- even louder! And more vibrate-y! That's all. That's it. Nothing... nothing else.

(He tells himself that, but as he tries to keep his gaze from trailing to blue eyes and bright blonde hair, he doesn't truly believe it for a second.)

It's quiet as he explains. He backs up the power point and he starts over with vigor and it's fine. It's all fine! The exams are done and the robots are talked about and Mic is almost able to convince himself all is well. That he's not going to have a mental breakdown over this, and he imagined it, and he'll probably never see the girl again after today!

Except then the orientation ends and, as students filter out to go to their physical exam testing sites, she waits. He can see her standing up on her chair in a way students definitely aren't supposed to, but she doesn't seem to care as she peers over the flowing crowds in clear search of someone else. Mic stands stock still, gaze locked on her.

She really does look like him. Like, exactly like him. Their side profiles are almost identical. She's got his exact nose. It's utterly uncanny, the way her hair rests at the same length his is when its down. It's the same texture and shade, and she pulls it up into a ponytail as she spots whoever she was waiting for, her face lighting up.

It's like looking into a mirror straight to the past. This is him when he was younger. The longer Mic stares, the more pieces of himself he can pick out. Even the way she carries herself is similar, like she grew up watching him. And-- And maybe she did. Maybe that's part of it. Maybe she's a fan who's taken inspiration.

That just doesn't explain the physical resemblance. Like, at all. Mic soaks her in with practically unblinking eyes, shades sliding down the bridge of his nose. The girl beams, hopping down from her seat as the crowd thins. She lands with a happy bounce, already jabbering away with exaggerated hand motions to go along with it.

Mic gaze tears from her to fly to whoever's wandered over to her, and it is... a miniature... Aizawa.

Mic wishes he was making this up.

The miniature him has a miniature version of his best friend. With the same slouch, and eyebags, and unimpressed stare. Mic can't keep himself from gawking as the mini Aizawa glances his way and rolls his eyes, scoffing and pointedly turning his back to him. He's not sure if he's gaping at the audacity or at the shock of the resemblance.

The mirror to the past turns into less of a mirror and into more of a doorway. Mic has never felt so flabbergasted in his entire life, watching a little him and little version of his best friend, who are also clearly best friends, chatter away as they head for the doors. They're adorable, and he'd probably gush about that fact more were he not so busy trying not to lose his mind.

"Whatever." He can faintly hear tiny Aizawa sign now that most of the crowd has made their way out of the doors. God, he even sounds like Shota. Right down the tired, unimpressed drawl in his tone. "Let's go kick some robot ass."

The boy reaches up to put earplugs in right after. It's swift and practiced, and were Mic not staring at the pair with laser-focus, he's certain he wouldn't have noticed. It's like Shota canceling his quirk out the second before he can open his mouth and use it.

The girl throws her hands in the air. Like life's a party and she's here to celebrate. Just like him. Literally the exact same way he does when he's excited. She has the same grin, same glint in her eyes, and then--

And then she opens her mouth and she shouts.

"YEAAAAH!" She shrieks out with genuine gusto. The tiny Aizawa is bodily grabbed and dragged out the door, though he seems used to the manhandling. "Let's GO! We're gonna ace this, Hitoshi!"

Mic stares after them, unable to move an inch even after they're out of the auditorium. It wasn't quite a super-quirked shout, but it had been on the edge of one. It had still reverberated. It was louder than most could get with so little effort, though not loud enough to hurt. And maybe... maybe it's nothing. Maybe his hearing aids really are turned up too high.

But maybe they're not. And that makes Mic want to run in circles like the world is on fire and scream.

~~~

It's like, not as jarring as she thought it'd be! In fact, it's not so bad at all!

Lillian had known she might see Present Mic. She was a big enough fan that she'd heard rumors that he usually handled the explanation part of the entrance exam, since his (their) quirk make a microphone unnecessary, and he was a natural announcer. She's not sure why she expected to go through some great emotional turmoil after seeing him for the first time in person.

Maybe it's because she's such a big fan that she doesn't feel anything but excitement upon seeing him. Her dad-- whoever he is under his leather jacket and directional speaker-- is not the one explaining the physical portion of their exam. Present Mic is, and Lillian has adored him from the very moment she first saw him on TV. Before she ever realized what their connection was.

She loves his radio show, and how cool he is, and how confident. It has nothing to do with them being related! Seeing him is-- again, cool. Looking like him is cool and having his quirk is cool too, but even if Lillian didn't have those things, she thinks she would still strive to be a hero like him. He's upbeat and confident, good at what he does and such a badass it's actually unbelievable.

His credentials are insane. He juggles three jobs like it's nothing. He brings smiles to the faces of all his fanbase, ranging from small children to full grown adults, one of the most diverse followings in all of heroism-- he targets all demographics and doesn't discriminate! He shares his love of music with the world and is an activist who invests in several charities, sponsoring them through his show. He's exactly the type of hero Lillian one day hopes to be, and that has nothing to do with their relation.

Lillian is so excited by the thought of reaching that goal that seeing him in person doesn't feel so different from waking up and seeing his face on the posters in her room. She doesn't feel like the daughter he gave up. Lillian feels like a hero hopeful who gets to be in the audience of Present Mic! Present MIC!

Of COURSE she's going to enjoy it!

She does see his expression when he spots her, but it doesn't really phase her all that much. It's no different than all the other stares she's gotten in the past. Big eyes, observing her intently, making mental connections. If Lillian were a little more anxious a person, maybe she'd stop herself and wonder what he was thinking. If he was upset, or if he was just surprised.

But like Hitoshi has said, Lillian is sort of... not stupid. But dumb in a big, loud golden retriever sort of way. Like all she wants to do is wag her tail, bark, and spin in happy circles. And he's really not wrong. Present Mic asks for a "YEAH" and like, who would Lillian be not to give one back?! Have you met her?

"He definitely shit himself a little." Hitoshi drawled with deceptive calmness as they strolled towards their testing areas. They'd have to split off once they got closer, but Hitoshi had all but magnetized to her side as soon as the orientation was up. "Did you see his face? I'm pretty sure his heart stopped."

"Hitoshi! We sorta just met Present MIC!" Lillian all but shrieked, ignoring his words completely. Several eyes drew their way, but Lillian was too busy squishing her cheeks with her hands in her glee. "He was the proctor! Did you see him?! He's even cooler in person!"

"He's also your father who abandoned you as a baby, but whatever. Sure. He's cool in person." Hitoshi's voice was as flat as it always was when they talked about Present Mic, but that did nothing to deter her. As usual.

It was just-- so cool. Everything was cool. Lillian was at UA! About to ROCK the exam and hopefully come out somewhere near the top! She'd sorta met her favorite hero but not actually, and now she was going to slam through these robots with their quirk! It'll be AWESOME! Lillian can tell!

Hitoshi already has his hand slapped up under her chin before she can let out a (quite literally) deafening squeal. Several people are whispering, shooting glances at them, but Hitoshi flips them off the same way he never hesitated to when they were in public. Lillian yanked her head away again and opened her mouth, but he had his hand smacking her jaw back shut before she got the chance.

Which was... fair. She wasn't going to scream that loud!

He waited a few seconds before he pulled back. Lillian grinned that Cheshire grin she always gave him after he thwarted her attempts to damage the hearing of the surrounding public. Nowhere near apologetic, just acknowledging. What could she say? Lillian was just born to bellow, or something catchy like that!

"I'm just excited! Nothing is gonna ruin my groove!" Lillian managed to keep it down somehow. Hitoshi looked satisfied enough by the volume, at least. "Heroes, Hitoshi! At UA HIGH!"

Hitoshi paused after her shriek and then... pull out the earplugs he'd had in. No, really, when did those get there? How was he doing that? Lillian genuinely wanted to know, and she was usually too distracted to ask questions, so it was really saying something that it had held her attention this long.

"Uh huh. Funnily enough, I'm actually here too. Who would've thought." He gave her a look. "Now, get going to your gate before you're late. And for the love of god, take first place. I want to see the look on Present Mic's face when he realizes he gave away a prodigy baby."

Lillian's going to try for first place, but not because she wants to see the look on Present Mic's face when he realizes he gave away a quote-on-quote "prodigy baby". Lillian's going to give it her all so they know she's not just doing this because of the the father she was born with. She's not just doing this to prove something. She's not just doing this for fun, or because she has the quirk for it.

Lillian's going to shoot for the top score so that they know she wants to be a hero. So they know she's serious.

(And maybe, just a little, so she can finally scream her lungs out and destroy things without getting in trouble for it. But she'll keep that part to herself.)

~~~~

Mic is dead silent for once in his life, watching the observation screens anxiously as he gnaws at his thumb nail. His eyes stay stuck on the bouncy blonde girl, dressed almost mockingly in a jacket from his merch line. She's covered in freckles and obviously dying to get out there. He's supposed to be down there letting them out of the gate, but Cementoss had taken over when he saw his shell-shocked expression.

This will be confirmation. Proof of... Mic's not sure yet. He can't think about that until he sees for certain. If he does, he'll come to half a million conclusions that will be so far from right it won't even be funny. His brain already runs a mile a minute on a normal day, but right now? It's practically lightspeed.

The kid's adorable. Maybe he's biased because she looks like him, but he loves the energy she carries, the pep in her step, the way she's always grinning and enthusiastic, never letting the nerves get to her. Also probably biased of him seeing as she basically just another him, but what can he say?

"I'm sure it's nothing." Nemuri offers half-heartedly as Mic tracks the UA hopeful. "She probably just idolizes you, if your quirks are similar."

Idolization doesn't get you the same face and hair and quirk as the one you're looking up to, but hey, what does Mic know? Clearly not enough! Because he'd somehow had no idea there was a small him running around!

It must've been posted about at some point. Maybe shot his way in a tweet. As many people as had been glancing at her before she even opened her mouth, the resemblance had to have been noted other times outside of UA as well. Social media is an insane web that he's certain a photo of her would've been caught in it at some point.

"Could she be a relative?" Aizawa suggested, because it would be illogical to assume they weren't related in some way. He'd seen the girl's profile when Mic frantically searched it up, and she's a mirror image of him at that age, if not a little softer around the edges. Lillian Faust, her quirk titled a very telling 'Shout'.

"Have you met my family? We'd know." Mic jittered the words out. It was true. His family was extremely connected, all the way down to the second cousins. As far as Mic knew, there was no one estranged. Not one that could have produced a mini... well, him. Unless she's the result of a one night stand? Entirely possible, but if that were the case... "What if--"

To say Mic had been a bit of a party animal during his time at UA and in the years after would be a vast understatement. It was just in his nature. He loved music, loved to be loud, loved to socialize. He was a talented DJ and being in the hero course, he'd been popular during his time at UA. He was friendly, open, enthusiastic. He'd had his fair share of flings.

The room was awkwardly quiet, all of them curious but nobody wanting to say anything. Even Nezu was focusing on Lillian, watching with a tilt of the head that indicated interest as Cementoss opened the gates and signaled to start. The stampedes of students all rushed into their respective arenas, tripping over one another to try and get ahead.

Lillian was fluid and fast, breaking off from the group as fast as she could. Mic looked like he was about to hyperventilate as the girl skid into an alleyway where a three pointer was waiting for her. The grin on her face was familiar enough to make Mic's heart skip a beat. The girl only seemed to grow more excited as the robot whirled on her, red 'eye' zeroing in.

Everyone held their breath. Mic knew. He already knew, but this would be confirmation and he-- what was he supposed to do? He watched with wide eyes as the girl took in a deep breath and opened her mouth in a shout, bracing her feet in a wide stance.

"YEAAAAAAAH!"

It was deafening. It was so loud it shook the ground around the girl and sent the robot flying back like it was nothing more than a ball of paper in the wind. The windows of the buildings around her all shattered at the wave of sound. Mic felt his jaw drop. Even without the speakers broadcasting into the room, they could hear the shout coming from the streets below, faint thanks to how far away they were but audible due to the sheer volume.

Her quirk profile had listed and explained her power, but seeing it in person cemented it. Mic's mind immediately began to race in search of where this kid could've come from. Because she'd very obviously come from him. At some point, at some time. He'd slipped up. And he--

This was very likely the result. He had a child. Mic had a child-- a daughter!

For a moment nobody spoke. Nobody could seem to move as the girl ran and leapt over the robot's crumbled form, sending out another shout that levelled four robots in one before darting off again, a pop in her step. Aizawa and Nemuri stared at their blonde friend with their lips pressed into thin lines. Aizawa sighed heavily.

"Damn." Aizawa seemed to decide, frowning as he turned his attention back to the screens. He could already feel his future headaches. "There's two of them."

~~~~

Lillian had always thought seeing her father in person would change her life or something, but the exams pass and she feels no different than before. She keeps waiting for it to hit. The wave of 'oh shit, he knows I exist.' It just... never comes. He already knew she was out there. Now he just knows her name and face.

It's not a big deal. After all, her face and his aren't all that different anyway. Hitoshi is much less understanding. Griping about how Present Mic didn't say anything, and didn't come up to her, and hasn't contacted her, and how he's abandoning her all over again. Lillian just lets him prattle. Trying to get him to stop is like trying to get her to be quiet.

"Well, I got into Gen Ed, which is about what I expected." Hitoshi shrugged. Maybe he'd have been more upset about it if he were a loner with no friends, but this was the way the world worked. "I'll have to get in at the Sports Festival like Eraserhead did. Damn-- we really are like a parody of him and that cockatoo of a sperm donor you have, aren't we?"

Lillian stared at him with big eyes, still holding her disk in hand. They'd opened them separately, Lillian hunkering down in his closet to open hers in peace. That way they could have their privacy but immediately tell one another in person. It had been Hitoshi's idea, and Lillian was all too happy to go along with it.

Now Hitoshi stands in the doorway, light silhouetting him awkwardly as he raises a brow at where she's huddled herself in the corner. After five extra minutes of no sound from her and her not coming out, he'd taken matters into his own hands and thrown the door open himself, an expectant look on his face.

Lillian was... in shock. First of all, All Might had given her her test results. Like, the Number One hero. Apparently he was teaching a heroics class in the upcoming schoolyear. Present Mic would always be Lillian's favorite, but come on. It's the Number One hero. Lillian was still undeniably a fan.

Second of all... Lillian had gotten eighty one villain points and twenty seven rescue ones. Making her not only the top scorer, but a record breaker.

Lillian could feel herself beginning to grin as the realization sunk in. That she'd done it! She'd not only placed first, but she'd blown it out of the water just as planned! She'd shouted and downed a shit ton of robots, and she'd even helped a few other examinees while she did it.

She'd been super careful not to shout in anyone's direction-- and if they weren't mentioning her bodily harming anyone's ears, that probably meant she hadn't! Lillian had successfully gotten into UA. She was going to be a hero! She and Hitoshi both were, and it-- it was going to be SO RAD!

Hitoshi seemed to realize that her silence was not caused by some form of devastation. His expression dropped, and he threw himself backwards just as she opened her mouth, his hands flying to his ears. Lillian really wasn't trying to deafen him, and he knew that.

She was just so excited. And sometimes when she got like that, she couldn't help it. It was like a burst of energy she couldn't contain. It had to go somewhere, and Lillian was helpless to do anything but let it bubble out. It wasn't something she could control yet. But she'd gotten INTO UA, so maybe she'd get to learn!

From her dad, who was also her favorite hero, who she also shared a quirk with. Which was so surreal and cool and this was the best day ever.

One difference between Lillian and her dad was that, while his quirk had damaged his own hearing and caused him to need aids, Lillian had... some sort of built in filtration. She could hear incredibly well, and her shouts had never made her own ears ring. It was some sort of mutation-- not uncommon to see in the children of individuals with quirks that had backlash.

The only issue with her natural sound filtration is that, though she could technically hear better, she struggled to detect her own volume once it got over a certain level. Lillian could feel she was loud more than she could tell with her ears. Things sounded much the same level in her ears.

When she got too pumped up, sometimes she lost track of this. Sometimes it was... hard to focus on how hard her throat was vibrating. And Hitoshi knew this too.

"YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lillian shrieked, kicking her feet she was so happy, hands tossed in the air. Hitoshi cringed as the house shook underneath him, holding his breath as Lillian held the high-pitched, exuberant tone. He waited one beat, and then two.

And then his window and every single one in his house shattered.

(He's honestly not sure what he expected. His mom was so happy to have an excuse to reframe them to look more farmhouse that she wasn't even angry-- especially when she found out Lillian's score. After all, 108 points and Hitoshi making it into General Education was reason to celebrate.)

~~~~

Mayako Aki. That's exactly who it is.

"Oh my god." Mic stares a her yearbook photo. At her freckles and blue eyes. He flashes back to second year, the first time he'd let himself get truly drunk, and the first time he'd ever been intimate. "Oh my GOD!"

Aizawa didn't even flash his quirk at him to shut him up. Just raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his coffee. He'd been acting disdainful all afternoon. Apparently Lillian had been pawned off into his class. Vlad refused to take her if he didn't have a way to stop her from taking out the hearing of half the class with a look, which was... fair.

Aizawa was still going to bemoan it, though.

Mic could feel himself panicking. He wasn't sure if it was good panicking or bad-- maybe a bit of both. He had a daughter. A child, a baby, a little girl. One he hadn't known existed at all. He hadn't gotten to watch her grow up, or be with her, or-- or raise her. And more than that--

More than that, she had to know. Everyone who knew her would know. With his quirk and face, it was impossible not to tell. If she'd never reached out... did she think he didn't want her? Did she think he'd abandoned her? What was-- what was the story there? She certainly wasn't staying with Mayako-- her parents on her file were listed as June and Hisato Faust, a quirkless couple with no other children.

There was a dread beginning to mount in Mic the longer he stared at the photo of Mayako and the one of Lillian. The realization that holy shit, this was his daughter. He didn't know her and she'd never met him, and he'd just... he'd missed it all. He'd missed every second of it.

He'd never thought about having kids. There'd never been any time for one, let alone the relationship that would precede having one. One job to two, two to three-- Mic was a busybody, always on the move, always biting off a little more than he could comfortably chew. He loved the constant chaos of his schedule, lived in a maelstrom of always having things to do. He hated being stagnant, so he'd constructed his life to never be.

But having a kid versus finding out he already had one? That was-- that was different. Because if he'd found out he had a kid on some off chance, of course he would've wanted them. Mic came from a big family, and he loved all of them. Family get togethers were everything to him. He loved being around his cousins, his siblings, his nieces and his nephews and his aunts and his uncles.

Lillian was his. And he-- he wished he'd gotten the chance to drop everything for her. Because he would've. He would've put his entire life on hold for her if he'd known she was out there needing him. Even if he was still in UA, Mic would've found a way. He was the master of juggling. He could've done it, and he could've done it well.

She seemed so much like him. Even though it was just a glance, it was astonishing how much she'd taken after him without ever having known him. When had her quirk come in? Had she had counseling for it, the same way he had growing up? What was her favorite color and food? Who had wiped her tears when she cried?

He wondered what her first word was. What had she looked like as a toddler? As a baby? What had it been like to hold her, to gaze down into blinking blue eyes and smile. To teach her to walk, helping her stand up and watching her wobble. Had her first day of elementary school been a good one? Or had she cried and wanted to stay home?

Mic could feel himself starting to burn from the inside out, an itch on his skin, a tightening of his throat as he spiraled into the pit of thought. This was his flesh and blood child. With a face full of freckles and a quick grin. With a shout that escaped her even when she was trying to talk normal, and an exhausted friend at her side just like his own.

He felt... betrayed. Not by her, of course not, but by what he'd lost. Mic knew that, in all technicality, he'd gained something. He'd found out he had a daughter, and that was amazing! Under slightly different circumstances, he might've gone his whole life never knowing. It's not like she ever reached out.

But even knowing about her now, all Mic could feel was horribly robbed. Had she been properly taken care of and loved her whole life? He hoped so. But even if she had been, his chance to give her that had been taken from him. His chance to raise her, to love her, to give her the world. He knew he still could but...

He'd missed so much. He'd--

"Calm down, you moron. She's still a kid." Aizawa drawled. Mic blinked rapidly. When had he started crying? Aizawa sighed heavily, lowering his coffee mug from where he'd been about to take a sip. "You're ridiculous. Of course you already love her."

He does. He has a daughter and he just-- is in love. He wants to know everything. He wants to go find her right now and wrap her in the longest hug ever, even if he knows that won't make up for all the ones he's missed. He wants to get to know her, wants to sit down and listen to a play by play of her life.

He wants to hear her talk for hours. Introduce himself, apologize, gush over her, pinch her cheeks, braid her hair, find out every like and dislike she has, give her a bedroom in his apartment that she can decorate however she wants. God, he needs to clean out his office! In case!

Only... is she mad at him? She must resent him for not being there. Seeing him on TV, famous and living this upbeat life. Not being there for your own child isn't very heroic, now is it? What makes him think she'd ever want to live with him? Or even want him in her life, for that matter? Mic feels dizzy, sick to his stomach all over again all of a sudden.

She... She probably hates him. And he may never get the chance to explain. Does he have the right to? He's the one who was supposed to be her dad. Who was supposed to know.

"O-Of course I do." Mic's voice came out several pitches too high and way too watery to pass as even relatively okay. "I would die for her."

"Yeah, you'd die for a lot of things." Aizawa sighed heavily. "Look, we'll do some research. Talk to her. She's in my class-- If she's anything like you, which she clearly is, you'll probably be best friends by the end of her first English lesson with you. She'll be at UA for three years. That's plenty of time."

It is. And that's great. He's excited for that, but that's not why he's so upset.

"Sho." Mic knows he sounds pitiful. His voice comes out quiet, and he looks at his best friend feeling nothing but heartbroken. His hands shake, and he feels small sitting there. Like everything in the past fifteen years of his life has been pointless compared to what he could've had but didn't. "I... I wasn't there. I missed it. I-I missed all if it and I've... I've never m-met her. I don't even... I don't know her. I haven't gotten to know her."

Aizawa doesn't tell him he's wrong, because he's not. And that's precisely why it hurts.

~~~

The morning of their first day at UA feels like a laser light show flashing to the beat of some techno synth remix, according to Lillian.

Her parents think she's gotten into an ordinary high school, to be taking ordinary classes and doing other similarly ordinary things. Lillian sells it about as well as she sold the whole entrance exam lie, which she did phenomenal at, if you remember. Hitoshi genuinely applauds her theatrics, and she happily bows.

Hitoshi... likes her parents. Ish. He doesn't really know them even with all the years he and Lillian have been best friends. They're distant in the oddest ways, the smiles they give him a little tight and their gazes a bit wary. At first he'd thought it might be because of his brainwashing quirk, but apparently they hadn't even known about that for the first year of their friendship.

He tolerates them because they clearly love Lillian and she clearly loves them back, even if some of their tendencies are weird. Sure, they can be explained away by the fact that they raised what is very clearly the child of a celebrity. Some of them... can't be, though. Hitoshi tries not to think about it too hard.

Lillian almost deafens everyone in UA's huge entryway when they first get in. She's physically vibrating. It's a low hum in the back of her throat that threatens to fight its way out, sometimes increasing in pitch. Her volume fluctuates as she speaks, her quirk kicking into overdrive in the face of her sheer, overwhelming joy.

Hitoshi's not bitter about getting put in gen ed. Just accepting, really. Lillian doesn't goad at him for it-- that's not something she'd ever do to him and he knows it. She grins at him and tells him they'll make a plan for the Sports Festival. Separate classes for now or not, they're in this together. It's comforting, and he knows he'll make it one way or another.

Lillian is great. She's like... lemonade flavored battery acid in a water speaker that's been playing dubstep for fifteen years straight. She is a walking party, slightly insane but entertaining enough to make up for it. She's the best friend Hitoshi has ever had, the most supportive. She's someone Hitoshi knows will have his back for life.

She obviously doesn't want to leave him in Gen Ed, but she does anyway. The hug she gives almost cracks a few of his ribs, and she would've blown out his right eardrum if not for him putting his earplugs in, but eventually she manages to bound off. She does it with the same vigor and pep she always does, rocketing down the hall and shouting at him to have a good day loud enough to make a few other students wince.

He watches her go, feeling light and airy. It's a good day. A great day! The best day ever, actually.

And then he turns to step into his new classroom and makes immediate eye contact with a wide-eyed Present Mic. Because of course he does.

The man is staring at him with big, watery eyes, stock still behind his desk. It's pretty damn obvious he just saw the whole exchange. It's also pretty damn obvious he knows Lillian is his daughter, and it's double damn obvious that he didn't say anything.

Hitoshi scowls immediately, and you know the fuck what? You can't blame him. He has no idea what the hell Lillian sees in the guy. As a hero, yeah, sure. He's a good one. As a person? Hitoshi can't say much, but he can't be all that great if he abandoned his own child and then never sought to make even the slightest modicum of contact, even after he'd settled, rich, with a steadier schedule and more time on his hands.

Maybe it's luck that puts Hitoshi in the guy's class. Good luck or bad luck, he's really not sure. That depends on how much he can get away with without getting expelled. Hitoshi has wanted to rip into this man from the moment Lillian plopped down next to him and loudly declared them best friends out of the blue, introducing herself and then rocketing into a spiel about the flavor of jello he'd been eating at the time.

Lillian acts like it doesn't bother her. And honestly, not much does. Lillian is like a malleable plastic. She can stretch and compress and widen, but it takes a lot to get her to actually give. Like a rubber ball, things bounce off of her, and she bounces off of them back. Everything is sunshine and rainbows with her compared to Hitoshi's naturally cloudy outlook.

They balance each other out like that. Maybe a little too well. And if Lillian isn't going to get angry and hurt, he'll have to do it for her. Because it's not fair to her. And also because he can't help himself. In his shoes, would you be able to?

Lillian is a happy person. Hitoshi loves that about her. He loves seeing her smile, hearing her ramble, hearing her laugh and dance and sing. Her dream is to be a hero that smiles. And even if Hitoshi gets expelled for it, he's going to let this fuck know he's dead if he dares throw a wrench in that.

"Great." He mutters as he shuffles in, shooting the man a derisive look that makes him flinch. He still has the audacity to look shell shocked, taking in Hitoshi's fierce scowl. "Hope you're not as deadbeat a teacher as you are a father."

Present Mic flinches like it's a physical blow. Jerking in his seat. Hitoshi raises a brow, glancing at the few students who've made their way in so far. None of them seem able to hear, but he drops his voice a bit lower and leans closer to his new teacher anyway.

Up close, the resemblance he holds to Lillian is all the more obvious. It's almost enough to soften his edges. Were he weaker, Hitoshi might've given in a little to the wide-eyed stare. But Present Mic has toxic green irises compared to Lillian's sky blue, and so he holds strong and makes a decision that will likely prematurely end his time as a UA student.

"Sh-She--" Present Mic starts to say, eyes big. Hitoshi holds up a finger. He can't believe he's about to commit career suicide, and he's not even in the hero course yet.

"She is my best friend." Hitoshi stressed the word, glowering. He glanced over his shoulder again before shaking his head. If they heard, they heard. "Look. I don't like you. I'm not going to like you. You abandoned someone I care about and she's not even pissed about it. She likes you-- she likes you a lot, and if you fuck that up? I am going to end you, and they are never going to find your body."

Well-- hopefully he won't get expelled. Suspension, probably. Maybe. Present Mic doesn't even look mad, just like someone bitch slapped him. Which Hitoshi kind of did? With his words? Fuck it. He'll bodily threaten a teacher for Lillian. She'd beaten his bullies off on more than one occasion. Though she'd never had any of her own, this was a way he could at least try to protect her.

If Lillian was a rubber ball, Present Mic was a needle with the potential to pop and deflate her. All it would take were some offhanded words. An ill expression. A scoff, an eyeroll, a heavy sigh, a request she stay away from it. The slightest thing could send her tumbling like a house of cards. Because it wouldn't just be her dad brushing her off, it would be her favorite hero too. And that was dangerous.

"She... Sh-She likes me?" Present Mic asked in a voice so quiet Hitoshi hadn't even known he was capable of it. Could Lillian be that quiet? Damn. The man sounded almost... hopeful as he asked, straightening slightly in his seat.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, she thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread." Hitoshi watched the man blink at his tears rapidly, his smile seeming to grow. Hitoshi'd wanted to intimidate him, not make his day. Why was he so happy? He's the one who got rid of her. "So don't fuck it up. I don't care if you expel me for saying it, just don't... don't break her heart. Because she's got a hell of a lot of it, and a good chunk of it belongs to your sorry ass. If you won't be her father, at least be the hero she thinks you are."

Hitoshi isn't sure what he expected. Maybe an expulsion, or suspension, or at the very least a detention. On his first day, no less. His parents wouldn't be mad if he told them what it was for. Anything for Lillian. She was the light of all their lives, and he'd go up to bat for her any day of the week.

Instead, Present Mic's smile grows. He looks like he's about to cry, his cheeks growing rosy and excitement filling into his previously-tensed shoulders. Hitoshi recognizes the click in his throat immediately. It's the same exact one Lillian has when her quirk is starting to ramp up. His earplugs are in in a flash as the man kicks back from his desk, hands thrown up in the air, chair spinning. It's so uncannily familiar that Hitoshi almost has to rub his eyes and blink.

Maybe he'd misread the guy's predicted reaction. The threat, Hitoshi thinks, was more than justified.

"YEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The windows in the room shatter, and the gen ed students who have already seated themselves all duck their heads and scream. Hitoshi has a sinking feeling he may've just sealed his fate. He's just... not sure what that fate is yet. If Present Mic's grin is anything to go off of, Hitoshi has a feeling it'll entail a whole lot more broken windows in his future.