"Hey, did you guys watch the news last night?!" Hagakure asked enthusiastically as she patted Shoji's shoulder. "Did you see how everyone in class was on-screen for a second? Aw man, I didn't stand out at all."

Shoji nodded. "Indeed."

Ojiro almost choked on his own spit at the bluntness displayed. His mind scrambled to mitigate the damage. "I mean, it's hard to stand out when you're invisible, right?"

"But man," Kaminari pondered as he leaned against his backrest. "All the channels sure were making a huge deal out of it."

Kirishima nodded. "It caught me by surprise."

"Could you blame them, though?" Jiro shrugged. "The Hero Course from the country's top hero school that kept pumping out pro heroes was attacked."

Sero rested his head on his desk. "Who knows what would have happened if All Might didn't show up?"

"Let them try!" Mineta suddenly placed a foot on his desk, eyes burning with fiery passion. "I'll pound their faces so hard their mothers won't–"

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugo yelled. Tiny explosions popped off his palm. "It's too early to be yelling, you fuck!"

"Wanna have a piece of me?!"

"I'll blow your ass sky high!"

Uraraka tuned out the bickering between the two boys and the ensuing attempt from her other classmates to placate the raging duo as her eyes remained glued on the class entrance. Only eighteen students had shown up to class with five minutes to go. Iida mentioned he was near the school entrance. So that left–

The door swung open, and all commotion in the class died in an instant. In walked one Midoriya Izuku, looking all drowsy with his squinted eyes. He suppressed a yawn before addressing the eighteen pairs of eyes looking at him. "Why are you looking at me like you just saw a ghost?"

That broke the dam of awkwardness, as the class exploded into murmurs as the students peppered the greenhead with questions.

"Are you alright?"

"You're supposed to be resting!"

"How are your injuries?"

"What did you do to the villain?"

The series of questions left unanswered overwhelmed Midoriya, and once again, he was saved by Iida.

"Everyone! We should give space to Midoriya to recuperate! And the morning homeroom's about to start!" The bespectacled boy announced as he waltzed into class. "Please stop talking and get back to your seats. You too, Midoriya!"

The rest of 1-A grumbled at their class rep's orders but complied, nonetheless. Midoriya shot Iida a glance, mouthing a soft 'thank you' before he too returned to his desk.

"You know," Mina suddenly spoke. "I wonder who's gonna teach homeroom today." She turned to the student behind her. "What do you think, Tsu?"

The frog-like girl placed a finger on her chin. "Well, Mr. Aizawa's supposed to be in the hospital receiving treatment for his injuries..."

As if on cue, the class door swung open once more and in stepped Mr. Aizawa with a sling for his left arm. The left half of his face was wrapped in bandages, so everyone only saw his droopy right eye. "Morning." He muttered.

"Sir, you're back!"

"You're too much of a pro, sir!" Kaminari's jaw dropped.

Iida raised his arm. "Sir, I'm glad to see that you're okay."

Midoriya and Uraraka blanched in unison. How can you call being in a sling 'okay'?

At this rate, Four Eyes will call being completely wrapped in bandages 'peachy', Bakugo deadpanned in thought.

"My well-being doesn't matter," Mr Aizawa drawled as he limped towards the podium. And before anyone could protest, he continued. "More importantly, the fight's not over yet."

His statement caused the class to tense in their seats, all prepared for another fight with a group of villains that might pounce from the shadows of the walls at any moment.

"The UA Sports Festival is drawing near. Two weeks from now. Everyone's participation is compulsory."

The tension broke. "A supernormal school event!" Kirishima leapt from his seat, but a palm right in his face culled his excitement. He opened his eyes to glare at the owner of the offending hand. Kaminari returned the gesture with a leveled gaze.

"Now just a minute..."

"Is it really a good idea to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?" The question came from Jiro. As Aizawa looked over the faces of the twenty students under his charge, he noticed that about half of them shared the girl's wariness.

"It is a necessary course of action," he retorted calmly. "By holding the festival as planned, we are essentially proving to the world that our crisis management control protocols are sound and that villains won't shake us that easily. At least, that's our thinking."

He leant on his better leg, his right side. "The police presence this year will be five times that we had in past years. And we've gotten the Top Heroes watching over this event, including All Might and Endeavor. Needless to say, this will be the greatest chance you'll get."

Midoriya blinked. Talk about going the distance...

A pair of heterochromatic eyes darkened at the mention of the Number Two Hero.

"UA's Sports Festival is essentially the biggest sports event in Japan, taking over the Olympics since Quirks appeared. All the top heroes across the country will be watching you, scouting you. Naturally, you'll gain more experience and perhaps more fame if you join a top hero agency. But remember, time is limited. You'll only get this chance to showcase your strengths once every year, so you'll have three opportunities in total. So, if you want to become a pro hero, don't overlook this chance. Don't slack off on your preparations, understand?"

Twenty students replied in unison, like cadets responding to their instructor. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Homeroom dismissed."

BREAK

"I envy you, Shoji." Kaminari lamented as he sat on his desk. "Your brawn stands out on its own."

"But then it'll be useless if I can't showcase it to the heroes," Shoji rebuked.

Kaminari leant back, a soft look of resignation on his face. "Even so, no doubt the Pros will wanna recruit you as a sidekick when you graduate."

Shoji stared blankly at his blonde classmate's logic. Jiro interrupted before he could reply, however.

"Yea, that increases your chances to become a Pro with your own agency." Her lips grew into a cheeky smirk as she twirled one of her earphone jacks. "Though, some of them will be stuck as sidekicks for the rest of their careers. Especially for dunces like you, Kaminari. Though, when I come to think of it, you could stand out, too."

Kaminari's eyes twitched at the jab. No doubt she was still picking on him for their shared experience at the Mountain Zone.

"Everyone's really into it, huh?" Midoriya observed. It was nearing midday, and the class had completed Modern Literature with Cementoss for the day. The lull in academic sessions left the students to their own devices, and they split into groups, chit-chatting amongst each other. He realized the conversations generally revolve around the Sports Festival.

Bakugo grunted in reply. He was about to leave the class when someone growled his name.

"Deku, Iida, Bakugo," the trio turned at Uraraka's voice, and Midoriya blanched when he saw the twisted look on his friend's face. She pumped her fist in the air. "I'll do my best."

Both Iida and Midoriya raised their arms in response. Uraraka spun around, her face darkening as she faced her other classmates. "I'll do my best!"

The others copied her action, though they didn't reciprocate the girl's enthusiasm as they followed her out of class for lunch.

Midoriya blinked, ignoring the sight of Asui slapping Mineta with her tongue as he focused on catching up to Uraraka. "Hey, Uraraka," the chestnut-haired girl turned upon hearing her name. "I've been meaning to ask: Why did you decide to come to UA? What made you wanna be a Pro Hero?"

"Well," Uraraka blushed. She scratched the back of her neck at a rapid pace. "It's..." she chuckled sheepishly, "for the money."

"The money?!" Green eyes widened. "You wanna be a hero to get rich?"

"That's what she said, dumbass," Bakugo drawled as he walked past the pair. He wasn't going to wait by and let the queue at the cafeteria grow. "Move your asses already."

"If we're cutting to the chase then... yeah," Uraraka ignored the blonde's crass language but started walking as well. She straightened up and waved her hands in front of her two classmates. "I'm sorry if that sounds greedy. I hope you guys don't think less of me now!" She covered her face with her hands.

"Not at all," Iida appeared next to the group. "Your goal is to support your well-being, which is a perfectly admirable ambition to have."

Midoriya nodded his head. "It's just unexpected."

The look Bakugo gave the greenette was so dry Lake Biwa would run out of water. "Heroes need to eat as well, y'know. It's not like she can create money out of thin-fucking-air."

"... I know that!" Midoriya grumbled. Uraraka, on the other hand, paid no attention to the byplay.

"My family runs a construction company, but we haven't gotten any work at all. So, we're flat broke," she started messing with the back of her hair. She quickly added. "It's not really something to tell other people, though..."

Iida brought a hand to his chin. "Construction..."

"With her quirk, if she gets licensed to use her quirk, it'll bring costs down by a lot, right?" Iida could practically see the bulb light up above Midoriya's head. Then, he too started piecing the puzzle together.

"Then, she could float any material! They could sell the heavy equipment to generate cash!"

"Exactly!" Uraraka suddenly agreed. "I even told dad that when I was a kid!" Brown eyes darted to the ground, the girl's mind suddenly drifting to an old conversation between her and her parents.

"As your dad, I'd be even happier if you could pursue your own dreams. When that happens, you can take us to Hawaii!"

Her fists tightened at the memory, her father exhausted and worn out but still wearing a smile to keep his daughter at ease. The fabric of her skirt crumbled underneath her grip as her resolve hardened. "I'll definitely become a hero and make enough money so that my parents will have it easy."

Iida started clapping. "Bravo! Bravo!"

"Good for you, Round Face," Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Now, how about we have fucking lunch? The line's gonna be longer now."

Iida spun around and began admonishing Bakugo. Midoriya tuned that spiel out as he found himself staring at Uraraka in a new light.

She's not just aspiring to be a hero. She's being more practical than any of us by taking reality into consideration.

His thoughts were cut short by a boisterous laugh that rang across the hallway.

"Young Midoriya–" The ground shook as they heard loud footsteps heading their way. "IS HERE!"

Four pairs of eyes widened as the quartet registered the sight of All freaking Might standing behind a wall and pointing in Midoriya's direction. Midoriya was the first to recover. "A–All Might?!" He yelped – the boy would vehemently deny that his voice went several octaves higher – as he whirled towards his idol. "What is it, s–sir?!"

"Lunch!" All Might announced, unfazed by the shocked eyes and stuttering mess his students turned into. He brought up a lunch box for the quartet to see. "Wanna eat together?"

Uraraka found herself spitting when she saw the cute blue and white design of the lunchbox. He's like a maiden–

Midoriya blinked at the invitation before turning towards Bakugo and Iida. When the former shrugged and the latter nodded with a smile, the greenette walked towards the Number One Hero. "It'd be my honour, sir!"

The trio continued their walk towards the cafeteria while their broccoli-headed classmate followed his teacher towards presumably the teacher's office.

"Y'know, I wonder what All Might wants with Deku," Uraraka pondered aloud as they joined the other students lining up to order from Lunch Rush.

"I heard that Midoriya had stopped a villain that was meant to fight All Might!" Iida commented. "Maybe it's about that? What do you think, Bakugo?"

Bakugo's eyes twitched as he regarded the long queue. The idiots really should have walked faster. "Does it matter? The idiot better not become teacher's pet," the blonde grumbled. He would not admit that he was partially annoyed that his childhood idol only wanted to speak with his childhood friend.

Standing a few places ahead of them in the queue, a dual-haired boy had been listening – eavesdropping on the conversation.

All Might... and Midoriya Izuku, huh?

BREAK

Midoriya placed the bowl and chopsticks down on the table in the teacher's lounge. "This katsudon is delicious, sir!" he proclaimed. "Thank you so much for the meal."

All Might's smile seemed to broaden. "I'm glad you like it, young man! It's the least that I can do as a thank you!"

Green eyes blinked. "A 'thank you', sir?"

"For helping me stop the Nomu!" The Number Hero let out a burst of boisterous laughter that shook the walls of the room. He offered a cup of tea to Midoriya, who took it with a soft 'thank you'. "I've read the report, and I know that the creature could withstand my strength! So, I must say, you rushing in and stopping it is a brave move! And any other hero would chastise you for putting your life at risk, but how can I condemn a young hero who bravely faced down a powerful villain?!"

Midoriya started scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, I don't really know what happened..." He stared at his palms that rested on his legs. "I just remembered wanting to stop the villains from hurting Mr. Aizawa... I didn't want to see my friends get hurt."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" All Might gave the boy a thumbs up before chugging down his cup of tea at a worrisome rate. "Such actions speak to the spirit of heroism that is hard to find these days!" He started to fill up a second cup. "It's just like the time you ran in to save Young Bakugo from the Sludge Villain all those months ago! Your body moved on its own, didn't it?!"

"Yeah, it– WAIT!" Green eyes widened, and Midoriya shot up from his seat. "YOU REMEMBERED THAT?!"

All Might didn't seem bothered by the boy's outburst if his laugh was anything to go by. He wiped off the spittle that hit his face. "OF COURSE! HOW CAN ONE FORGET A YOUNG MAN RUSHING IN TO SAVE HIS FRIEND?!" The Hero leant forward. "Which actually brings me to my next question: Do you remember what happened?"

"I mean, it was almost eleven months since the incident–"

"No no no!" All Might suddenly waved his hand. "I'm speaking of the USJ attack." His smile dropped slightly. "What happened?"

"We've told everything to the police–"

"Yes, yes, I've seen the report." All Might started nodding his head up and down like a ragdoll. He shifted in his seat and leant forward. "But I want to hear from the source. How did you defeat the Nomu? With that Ultra Beam attack."

Midoriya raised an eyebrow. "Ultra Beam, sir?"

Blue eyes widened, and All Might suddenly started fidgeting around. "The beam of light you unleashed. It's – it reminds me of UA's school motto, 'PLUS ULTRA". S-so, I thought it would fit as a name! I hope you don't mind."

For some reason, it sounded like an excuse made on the spot, but Midoriya let that slide. His brows furrowed, the back of his mind itching at the name. Ultra Beam. It was like a memory, the name of a friend that he should know but for some reason or another only remembered the face.

"So, how did you do it?"

"I–" Midoriya opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. He thought he was a goldfish. "I don't know. I just remember..." he paused. "I just remember wanting to keep my friends safe from the Nomu."

"... Do you think you could create that beam again?"

"I don't think I could, sir," Midoriya sighed. "I don't even know if it's part of my quirk."

For a brief moment, the teen thought he saw disappointment flash on the Symbol of Peace's face. Then, his signature wide smile was back. "Well, what matters is that you are alright! Once again, you have my thanks, young Midoriya!" He glanced at his wristwatch. "Before you leave, there's something you–" He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

The door swung open, and in stepped a blonde-haired teen. "Guess who's here to taco 'bout lunch?!"

Midoriya blinked, unsure how to react to the pun as he studied the new figure. He was at least a head taller than Midoriya. Based on how his uniform wrapped around his being, the student was on the athletic muscular side. The most prominent feature, however, was his eyes. It was cartoonish-beady, reminding Midoriya of an old retro cartoon from the West of the Pre-Quirk days.

Said blue eyes noticed that there was another student present, and the boy paused mid-step. "Ah, looks like I might have 'miso'-timed my entrance!"

Another blink. Wait, is he really holding onto a bowl of miso noodles?!

"Ah, Young Togata! Worry not, you certainly did not do such thing!" All Might reassured. He gestured to Midoriya. "Allow me to introduce you both. Young Togata, this is Young Midoriya, a First Year from 1-A. Young Midoriya, meet Young Togata, m– a Third Year!"

"Nice to meet you, senpai!" Midoriya bowed. He heard a chuckle from his upperclassman.

"Nice to meet you, too, greenhead. Heh," Togata chuckled again. "Get it? Greenhead." He paused. "I hope you don't mind the pun."

"I don't." Midoriya's lips curled up slightly. "I mean I don't mind."

"Young Midoriya and I were just having a riveting conversation about the true spirit of heroism in this modern day and age!" All Might added with a smile.

Midoriya was pretty sure the conversation was nothing close to the description, let alone 'riveting'. The name Togata along with his cartoonish face rang a bell in the teen's head, yet he couldn't quite place it. He kept that to himself, however, as he turned to All Might. "Um, sir," the Number One Hero turned to him. "Was there something you wanted to say to me?"

"That's right!" All Might snapped his fingers. Blue eyes darted towards Togata before he placed a large hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Do your best at the Sports Festival! Now, run along now, young man, lunch time is almost over!"

Midoriya shot up from his seat. "Right!" He bowed to All Might before running past Togata. "It was nice meeting you, again, senpai!"

Togata burst into a blinding smile as he waved. "Nice meeting you, too! I see you around!" He waited for the door to close before speaking again. "Honestly, All Might, I never took you for someone who knows how to hold conversations with kids." He heard a poof and the room was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. He turned to face the gaunt form of All Might. "No offense."

"None taken," All Might's voice was still as deep despite his much bonier look. He coughed into a handkerchief and placed aside the now bloodied cloth. "Don't tell anyone, but he's the kid that took down the Nomu."

Blue pupils widened somehow. "The big villain that injured Eraserhead?" He let out a low whistle as he turned back to the door as if staring at it would allow him to see the mop of messy green hair. "I can see why you took a liking to him." For a few seconds, he received no response, prompting the teen to turn. "All Might?"

The Pro Hero had a distant look in his eyes, but with a quick blink, the blank stare was gone. He coughed into his fist, before directing his attention to Togata. "So, how are you holding up? Feeling any different yet?"

The boy shook his head. "Not really." He stretched an arm. "I mean, it's been almost a week, but so far, my power levels are still more or less the same."

The Symbol of Peace brought a hand to his chin as he dwelled into his thoughts. "It's a bit puzzling. I was able to wield One for All at 100% the moment I received it. Did Mirai– I mean Nighteye have something to say?"

"Actually, yeah. He theorized that since I have a Quirk, it might take some time for One For All to fully assimilate."

All Might nodded, seemingly satisfied with his former Sidekick's hypothesis. "Maybe give it a few more days, and you'll start to see the difference. But remember..."

"Take it slowly or I'll combust! Got it!" Togata winked. Then, he gasped. "That reminds me." He placed the bowl and chopsticks on the table. "I got you miso ramen. Lunch Rush made sure to make it extra soft for you to digest easier."

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you." All Might replied with a smile. "But that's not why I called you here."

Togata's face turned serious. He had an inkling the reason his mentor had told him to meet at the teacher's lounge.

"My time as the Symbol of Peace is nearing a close." All Might sighed while he walked towards the window looking out towards the view of Musutafu. "Based on what we've learnt from the USJ, it appears that some of those with built-up villainous intent are starting to notice, too." He spun around towards Mirio. "I've granted you my power because you're the one worthy to succeed me. Remember, Lemillion, the reason you chose that name!" He saw Togata nod. "Good, then, it's time you show that to everyone! This is your final Sport Festival. Use it to announce not just to the country, or this world, but the entire universe that –" The Pro Hero grew in size and he was once again back in his muscle form. "TOGATA MIRIO IS FINALLY HERE!"

Togata clenched his fists on reflex, anticipation and excitement building within his chest. The vow he made when he was merely five years old rang in his ears.

I'll become a hero and save people!

A/N: The next arc looms. Shoutout to ZoomieZoomie324 for making sure the writing isn't 100% trash, and to TidalMoon2003 for keeping me sane (or insane idk)

If there's anything you like about this story, don't be afraid to review/comment xD