(O.D.D.- Haha, for a second after posting this chapter, I was afraid that the picture I used had Aizawa-san sticking his middle finger up!  Geez, me and my lack of sleep, haha! ( ʘ‿ʘ ; ))

//(Later in the night)//

Izuku snuck out to see All Might.  When he finally made it to the beach, the stars twinkled above as he looked around.  He finally caught sight of a familiar, lanky man.

"A-ALL MIGHT!" He cheered as tears pricked the corners of his eyes. "Y-You...!  I--!"

The skeleton-like man quickly shushed the other, his eyes darting to the catwalk extending a bit over the waters into the ocean.  A few people were there under the sheltered part, looking around curiously.

"Huh?  All Might?"

"Did the kid just say All Might was here?"

Toshinori let a mouthful of blood spurt out of his mouth out of worry as he turned to look at Midoriya.

"Quick, kid, tell them you mistook me for someone else!" He whisper-shouted.

Izuku flinched at the spray of blood that followed before quickly calling out in a clear voice.

"I mistook him for someone else!"

Midoriya then sighed and whispered apologies to Toshinori when the citizens finally lost interest and stopped looking.  All Might sighed softly, lifting an eyebrow at Izuku before speaking.

"Good job," The blonde praised as he raised a hand up to high-five the teen. "You passed."

Izuku laughed shakily, wiping the gushing tears from his eyes as he returned the high-five with his free hand.  The blonde's high-five was surprisingly strong despite being in his true form.

"Just so you know, I didn't inform the Academia about our connection.  I knew you were the type that didn't like to make it in just because you got recommended.  Plus, I wasn't even one of the judges." Toshinori grinned amusedly. "You won them over with your act of heroism.  I myself was a little blindsided by your use of my power.  What exactly were you thinking at the moment?"

Izuku floundered around for a moment, rubbing the back of his head as he lifted his index finger up in thought.

"Eto...it's kind of hard to explain it...but the feeling was...it was like...an egg in the microwave...?  And I wasn't trying to let it...explode?"

A spurt of blood followed Toshinori's laugh as he processed Midoriya's thought.

"Gufah--!  That's one unique way of putting it I guess.  Haha!"

Izuku smiled nervously at that in response before frowning thoughtfully.

"Uh...All Might," Making sure he whispered he hero's title, the teen continued to speak. "Why did...why did my arm just break like that?  W-Well...actually, I guess my body's not strong enough--"

"Midoriya, my boy.  That is to be expected.  It's like asking a man who suddenly has a tail to do tricks with it.  You've only been just recently introduced to One for All--it's not that easy to suddenly control this power." The blonde studied Midoriya closely as he continued to speak. "We built up your body, yes, but that's simply a base for you.  One for All is a Quirk that passes on the previous owner's strength to the next."

Izuku blinked in idle surprise.

"So...One for All is like a stockpile of strength passed on to the next?"

Yagi blinked at the rather blunt description of the One for All Quirk before nodding in agreement.

"In simple terms...I guess you could say that.  Anyways, back to the original topic, we still need to train your body.  This is only the beginning of your path in mastering One for All." He walked a few feet along the sand, feeling himself sink into the grains of coral and rock beneath him. "We still need to build up your strength, endurance, stamina and will."

Toshinori blinked at the aluminum can that was partially buried in the sand, frowning slightly at the sight of the litter before bending down to pick it up.  He sent a huff of amusement at Izuku.

"The more the vessel is built up, the more power that will be controlled." A puff of smoke surrounded Toshinori as his skinny arms became buff and his hero form appeared, crushing the can he had in his, now, larger hand. "Like this!"

"Hey!  That's All Might!"

"What's he doing here!?"

The blonde hero sweatdropped and quickly started to jog away with Midoriya in tow, heading away from the beach and farther away from the catwalk.

"Whoops!  We best be off, my boy!" All Might glanced over his shoulder at the teen. "I shall see you tomorrow hopefully!"

Izuku nodded, a nervous smile.

"Hai!"

~~
***

(O.D.D.- Plot and violence up ahead!  This is actually getting a lot more darker than I expected, so if you're queasy about blood and stuff, it would be best to skip a few parts in this... And I'm super serious--it'll be gory-ish...please, I don't want to scar you for life, my dear Readers.  My emotions and ideas kinda expanded in this chapter... (＞人＜; ))

Brown eyes slipped close for a moment before snapping open.  The owner of the eyes shook his head, grumbling to himself as he reread the lines on the paper he was going to sign or burn to ashes, brown bangs falling in front of his gaze.  Suddenly, brown eyes, flickering briefly to a sunset-orange hue, narrowed.

The brunet's fingers brushed against the wood of his desk as he set his pen down but kept the sheet of paper he had up in his right hand.  He kept his gaze on his paper while he reached inside of a hidden cabinet in his desk, pulling a loaded pistol out.  He turned the safety off with a muted click, still pretending to look frustrated with the piece of paper he was working on before--

--his armed hand shot up and aimed his pistol at the intruder near his opened office door...!

...

Brown eyes blinked in slight surprise and recognition at the figure standing in the shadows as moonlight spilled in from the window on the side if the room.

"Overworking yourself again?"  The question was rhetorical and the brunet smiled sheepishly as he lowered his gun, letting it clatter softly against the wooden desk as he let go. "If you can't discern my aura from an enemy mafioso, then you must be seriously losing sleep." A baritone voice murmured, obsidian eyes sharp and narrowed with admonishment. "You know you can get yourself killed that way."

The brunet leaned back in his chair with relief, tired eyes gazing at his companion instead of moving his gaze to check behind the other.  He knew that his friend was too sharp and alert to be followed by some sort of enemy.

"Maa, if it benefits my family and Famiglia, then I have no problems with that." He chuckled before mockingly gasping. "Is the father of Satan starting to get worried for me?"

There was a huff of amusement--not quite a laugh, but it was close, and brown eyes lit up with accomplishment.  The newcomer then sighed, stalking over quickly.  His form was briefly seen clearer in the moonlight before it was hidden in the darkness again as he stood before the brunet's office desk.  A callous hand moved forward into the orange lamp-light and grasped the brunet's wrist.  The brunet heard his visitor hum thoughtfully.

"There's more ink than usual staining your fingers." The brunet's hand was released. "Did something happen?"

The brunet shrugged, sighing exasperatedly.

"I came across a rather...infuriating offer?  No, bullsh**.  Yes--okay, that's better--I got a bullsh** offer from a Famiglia called Tutti per Uno."  The brunet paused. "...Something about the name of the group set my teeth on edge.  So, I read the contents of the paper; it was about an alliance with them.  I called Kyo and asked if he could do a background check.  Apparently...they are similar to the...Estraneo."

Brown eyes shut for a moment.

"So I ended up crushing the pen I had at the moment in my hand when I received the news." He smiled wryly up at his visitor. "It was a mess.  Luckily, or rather unfortunately, the rest of my paperwork didn't get messed up.  And I, of course, burned the paper that was offering the alliance."

The brunet shook his head tiredly before lifting his gaze up with a smile on his lips.

"Anyways, how was your mission?  Hope there wasn't too many 'bumps in the road'."

Obsidian eyes blinked, gaze calculating before he responded.

"The only 'bumps' were the pathetic mafioso that stupidly did not know who I was.  I gunned them down easily and retrieved the information that was needed."

The brunet watched as his companion reached inside of his suit to pull out a folder.  The brunet gazed down at the folder before flipping it open.  His eyebrows raised in surprise as he read the contents before his features twisted with confusion, anger, and disgust.

"This is..."

"Yep.  I was a little surprised myself." The newcomer replied. "People that aren't mafioso around the world are using flames of the Sky or Earth.  Even the Vindice doesn't understand what the he** is going on."

"...Tutti per Uno..." The brunet murmured is realization as he set the folder on his desk, head ducking down as he pressed his palms to his temples, reading the files before him. "'Missing people make miraculous returns'.  'There have been strange events following the return of a young boy'--"

The brunet straightened up in his seat as he scanned a different article closely.

"...'A missing, young girl, who has recently returned to her humble home, suddenly has the power to levitate objects around herself.  She herself can also levitate'..." The brunet bit his lower lip. "...That sounds a lot like En's Earth flames."

"I've done a brief background check on that girl, actually." His companion piped up. "She used to possess a small amount of Earth flames.  However, it seems something has happened to her while she was gone--she had a sudden increase in her Earth flames."

The brunet furrowed his eyebrows in thought as he looked up into onyx eyes that were shadowed by a black fedora.

"Are you saying her 'telekinetic' abilities are actually an overdose of Earth flames leaking out of her?"

"Maybe.  We both don't have enough solid evidence for tha--"

The brunet suddenly shot up from his seat and lunged over his desk, tackling his companion to the ground--!

BOOOM!

Smoke filled the scene and the brunet coughed, ears ringing.

"______, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, idiota.  Let me u--your arm..."

The brunet stiffened and chanced a glance to his left arm, finding a syringe with a bit of green liquid still left in it.  He quickly yanked it out of his arm, clicking his tongue.  The ravenet sat up as his onyx eyes narrowed, his fedora had been knocked off of his head in the tumble.

"Are any of your senses unstable?"

The brunet shook his head slightly.  He could still see the dark room.  He could hear the crumbling of the broken wall beside them.  He could taste the smoke in the air.  He could feel the ground beneath him.  He could smell the burning carpet fibers.  He--

Brown eyes widened.  The constant buzz in the back of his mind was completely silent.  His blood froze in his veins, feeling a little lost without the constant nudge in his head.

"I--....my Intuition isn't--"

The ravenet stiffened at that and quickly grabbed a crawling chameleon on his shoulder.  The reptile glowed a mirage of colors before forming a green gun.  The ravenet swiped his fedora off of the ground as he flicked the safety off.

The brunet quickly shook his head and narrowed his gaze, rubbing a thumb on the two-piece ring on his right hand.  The two quickly and silently stood up, turning their attention to their intruders.

"Ah...Decimo," An unfamiliar, rough voice purred. "I've been wanting to meet you for so long."

The smoke was starting to dissipate and a figure walked into the newly made hole in the wall.  Brown eyes flashed to orange and narrowed sharply.  Orange flames licked the brunet's fingertips.

"...What do you want--?"

The brunet then realized that something was terribly, terribly wrong.  He glanced down at his hands and noticed that his usual weapon, gauntlets and gloves, did not adorn his arms and hands.  He tried activating the flames within himself and found that he could not do it.  The small flames that danced around his fingers vanished.

Not a flicker of flames came back.  The brunet swallowed, his ravenet companion tightening his grip on his green pistol when he realized what happened.  The ravenet moved back to stand shoulder to shoulder with the brunet--standing in front of the brunet would be demeaning in a way, showing weakness to an enemy.

The unknown voice chuckled darkly.

"Oh good...so the serum has worked.  And to answer your question..." A figure dressed in black stalked forward through the smoke. "...I want you."

BANG, BANG, BANG!

The brunet watched as his ravenet companion fired off multiple shot--

A giant, muscular, gray being stood in front of the enemy, shielding him, taking the bullets.  The ravenet blinked and raised his gaze slightly at the towering figure.  Rolling, bulging eyes stared back as sharp teeth gnashed at the air; the bullets became liquid, silver mercury slipping off of its muscular body.  The brunet sucked in a breath--even without his sixth sense, he could tell that this...thing was bad news.

"______," He muttered the taller's name, worried for the ravenet.

The enemy chuckled.

"Meet one of my most successful experiments." The man waved a gloved hand in the air with amusement. "The Noumu."

Right after he introduced the...beast, there was blur of gray before blood splashed into the air.  The brunet widened his eyes in horror as he heard a sickening thud that followed the spray of blood.

"Merda--!" His ravenet companion bit out a curse in his native tongue--but he did not scream in pain.  Obsidian eyes darted to the side to look into brown ones. "Idiota..." He gritted out. "Get out of here."

"You--...!" The brunet choked out. "Y-Your arm...!"

Brown eyes gazed in horror at the place where his friend's left arm should be.  Not some empty, bleeding socket.  The brunet's mind caught up to him that the sickening thud from earlier was the ravenet's arm landing some distance away from them.

The ravenet merely growled lowly in his throat as he ignored the heavy 'plop, plop' of the blood seeping from his left side.  The gray creature, the Noumu, screeched, blood staining one of its large hands--the only evidence that it was the one that attacked the ravenet.

"Noumu, ignore the hitman; I find it ridiculous when you start playing with your food like that.  We're only here to greet the Vongola and to get what we came here for."

Bulging eyes rolled to look over at the masked intruder before looking straight at the brunet.  The brunet himself only had time to take in a sharp breath before a gray hand of the beast enlarged and wrapped around his torso, claws digging into his sides.

The brunet choked on air as he was yanked out of his office.  His head knocked harshly against the remains of the wall, a gash going through his right eyebrow.  Black spots started to fill his vision as he heard only a few more bits of the ending 'conversation' from the enemy.

"I'll be taking him for some....studying." The intruder was talking to the brunet's companion. "Don't worry.  I won't kill him."

"You son of a--!"

BANG, BANG, BANG!

"______-san!  What is--!?" A new voice entered the scene, followed by a choked-up intake of breath. "_____-SAMA!"

The brunet's consciousness was fading.  Whatever else was in that drug was starting to take ahold of him and the pain was searing.

As his eyes slid shut, he prayed that his sadistic, raven-haired tutor and his family would be alright.

...

***

There was a muffled shout of surprise as a figure sat up in his bed, breathing heavily.  Shaky hands moved to his side, grunting in pain.  His eyes were squeezed shut, slowly counting in his head to try and calm his breathing.

1...

2...

3...

Blood on the floor.  Smoke.  Gunshots.

4...

5...

6...

Darkness.  Everything was cold.  Pain.

7...

8...

9...

A smirk.  Warm banters.  The smell of espresso.

10.

The brunet, Rene, finally sighed, sliding his eyes open as sweat trickled down his temples.  He felt his white undershirt stick to his body as he took in deep, stuttering breaths.  Rene coughed, glancing down at his clothes.  He gently rolled up a corner of his undershirt up and huffed.

"...Opened again." He muttered to himself, staring at the sluggishly bleeding wound in his torso.  An image of gray claws digging into his flesh replaced the wound before it switched back to a simple, messily stitched injury. "......."

He glanced to the side at a digital clock, sighing tiredly when he saw that it only read 2:13 AM.  Rene had only managed to sleep for roughly one hour--again.  Dull brown eyes then caught sight of vivid green crawling along his bed and onto his thigh, which was under the bedsheets at the moment.  Rene smiled gently at the reptile that was there.

"Hey, Leon."

The said chameleon stuck his tongue out before crawling closer to Rene's torso.  Yellow eyes seemed to study the wound that was there before Leon's skin turned blue with sadness.  Rene noticed this and chuckled weakly.

"I'm fine, buddy.  I can barely feel it." Rene then rolled his undershirt down, sighing. "...Izuku-kun made it back home safely, I'm guessing."

Leon bobbed his head in a nod, quickly skittering up to rest on Rene's shoulder. 

"Both of them aren't awake, Izuku-kun and Inko-san, yes?" Leon nodded again. "Good.  I guess I'll take a quick shower, dress up, and head to the school early.  Sleep just seems to hate me, ya' know, Leon?"

Leon stuck his tongue out, skin a mix between green and blue--happiness for being at Rene's side and sadness that the brunet wasn't getting enough sleep.

(O.D.D.- The dream will be explained in future chapters.  But you can make your own theories on what happened until then. (>_< ; ))

~~

Now refreshed from a short shower, Rene quickly dressed himself in an orange undershirt, black blazer and slacks.  He grabbed his fedora, Leon and his keys, leaving a note to Inko to say that he was leaving early, making sure he was quiet as possible while doing so.

He made his way to his motorcycle outside and hopped on the seat, helmet tucked under one arm as he placed his fedora inside of his blazer, humming softly to himself.

He then shoved the helmet on, starting the engine of his motorcycle before wheeling away in a soft rumble.

//(6:00 AM)//
<<(At U.A.)>>

Rene sighed as he walked down the school halls with a stack of papers in his hands.  He paused at one of the doors when it slid open, a furry, white nose poking out before a mouse-like head followed.

"Oh!  Rene-kun!  I thought I had smelled coffee." The newcomer dusted the front of his blue, buttoned vest, smiling as his tail swished behind him. "It's practically your natural scent by now."

Rene tilted his head down so he could make eye-contact with the beady, black eyes gazing up at him; a scar ran through the shorter's right eye.  The brunet let an awkward smile tilt the corner of his lips up.

"Is that so, Nedzu?"  The brunet then searched through the papers he had before pulling a packet out. "And this is for you.  Info on the upcoming Hero students."

The mouse-dog-bear smiled, reaching out with his paws and taking the packet, flipping through the first few pages before letting the papers fall back into place.

"Thank you, Rene-kun." Nedzu tucked the packet under his arm as he continued to look up at the brunet. "Now......when and how did you get injured, Rene-kun?"

Rene blinked before giving a lopsided smile to the other.

"...What gave me away?"

Nedzu sighed, tail swishing against the floor.  His paws pressed together in front of him as he kept his papers tucked under his arm.

"Well, first, as I sat in my office, I heard footsteps.  However, I noticed how one side seemed to be favored--I realized that the person approaching my office was limping very slightly." Rene winced a bit, smile drooping a little as Nedzu continued. "Second, I heard the breathing.  There was a very minor intake of breath every time you moved in a certain way."

Rene grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.  His feet shuffled in a nervous way, almost like a child being scolded by their parent.

"Third, there was a bit of red starting to appear on your orange undershirt when your blazer moved out of the way." Rene blinked in mild surprise at that and glanced downwards, checking that there was indeed a small spot of blood starting to appear. "Fourth, I can smell the blood." Nedzu's nose twitched as he said that. "And fifth and lastly...you are not looking very well, Rene-kun."

Rene merely sighed, smiling tiredly at the other, moving both hands--one still holding the rest of the papers firmly--up in a 'you-got-me' way.

"Sorry, Principle, I had a few things to do.  But I guess I just wasn't attentive enough..."

Nedzu sighed at this, tutting softly.

"Rene-kun...we shall discuss more about this later.  Now, head on over to Shuzenji-san.  A kiss would be enough, but I can tell that your energy is rather low lately--it will not be enough to fully heal yourself." Nedzu kept his beady eyes on Rene's face, watching guilt flicker through brown irises. "Instead, have her stitch it up and rest, please.  I cannot allow you, my dear friend, to push yourself too hard."

Rene shrugged at that, breath leaving him in a soft sigh as he smiled at the Principle of U.A.

"...Alright.  I'll get going.  But first..." He then waved the papers in his hand. "I just need to drop off a few more th--"

Swip.

Rene gazed blankly at his now empty hand with mild amusement.  Nedzu huffed as he shuffled the new papers in his paws.

"You now no longer have any errands to run, Rene-kun." The mouse-dog-bear gave a stern look at the brunet. "Now, go on to Shuzenji-san--or I will call all of the U.A. teachers to drag you there."

Rene chuckled at that before he nodded and started to walk away, hands stuffed in his pockets as Leon briefly crawled circles along the brunet's right shoulder.

"I understand." Rene called back; Leon stuck his tongue out at the Principle as a farewell. "See you, Nedzu."

As the brunet left, Nedzu shook his head, paws curling slightly around the papers he had, nearly wrinkling the sheets.

"Please..." The Principle murmured lowly as Rene disappeared from view. "...Please learn to take care of yourself." He relaxed his grasp, sighing softly. "...Because your life is much more important than you think, Rene."

~~

Aizawa yawned softly as he walked down the walls, wincing when his dry eyes nagged him.  He sighed when he finally came to Recovery Girl's room, sliding the door open.

"Hi, Shuzenji-san, I accidently left my eyedrops at home.  I was wondering if...you could hand me...some...." He trailed off, taking in the sight before him.

Rene, with his undershirt off, had Recovery Girl gently stitching the bleeding wound in his torso.  The brunet looked at Shouta with wide eyes--like a deer in the headlights--before smiling sheepishly.

"Oh...hi...Shouta...?" Rene shifted slightly to try hide his wound slightly, the scars on his back and chest stretching with the way he moved.  Hand-shaped bruises wrapped around his left forearm.  Smaller bruises were scattered around his back, starting to yellow and green on his skin. Rene smiled anxiously. "Um...I'm getting a little check up with Chiyo..."

Rene winced when he was lightly slapped on the head by the mentioned elderly lady.

"We all know that that's a lie, Rene." She muttered as she placed a bloody needle down onto a napkin, moving her hand to a small pair of scissors, cutting away excess string. "I can't believe you're still being reckless."

Shouta moved into the room, shutting the door behind himself but keeping his gaze on Rene.

"You God d**n idiot." Shouta muttered as he examined Rene's injury and bruises, onyx eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

The brunet shrugged helplessly, a small smile on his lips as Recovery Girl threw the dirty bandages away.  The short woman started to clean the blood that smeared across his bottom-half torso.

"Eh.  I've been...'looking around'."

Aizawa deadpanned the brunet, fingers clenching and unclenching.  He sighed and took a seat on a nearby stool, crossing his arms.  Chiyo threw the dirty, wet towels away.

"...You've been spying." Shouta corrected with a small scowl. "Why didn't you heal your injury?"

Rene chuckled tiredly as Chiyo wrapped new bandages around his torso.  The brunet lifted his arms when she came around with the roll.

"I...fell asleep?" He murmured, questioning himself before nodding slightly. "I kinda lost the energy to finish healing this..." He paused for a moment. "I used up most of my energy for my disguise and my fake death."

Shouta narrowed his gaze.

"...You idiot." The ravenet shook his head. "You know you shouldn't do these sorts of things by yourself."

Rene shrugged, murmuring a 'thank you' to Recovery Girl as he grabbed his orange undershirt.

"Sorry, Shouta, but you know that I do these sorts of things when I feel like my friends are in danger."

"That is no excuse." Aizawa groused back. "...How bad was the situation you were in?"

Rene grimaced as he tugged a hand through a sleeve.

"......" He looked down at his injured side, placing a hand on it thoughtfully as he shoved his other through the remaining sleeve. "...This group...they have rather sharp people in there."

The brunet carefully buttoned up his undershirt, gaze narrowed.

"...Their target is All Might."  He reached for his blazer once he was done buttoning his undershirt. "So far, the enemy is simply gathering masses of criminals." He slipped his balzer on, brown eyes drifting to connect with Aizawa's calculating onyx ones. "I am not sure of their plans--what time and what place remain unknown for now.  But All Might is their objective for sure."

Shouta furrowed his eyebrows together slightly before sighing, standing up to walk over to Rene.  The ravenet stuffed his hands into his pockets, gaze shifting to the bloody bandages in the trashcan before looking back over at Rene.

"...I'll make sure to tell the others about it." Rene was about to stand up, but Aizawa firmly placed a hand on the brunet's shoulder and pushed the brunet onto the infirmary bed. "You, on the other hand, you dunderhead, will rest.  I don't care if you don't sleep--I at least want you to relax."

His eyes glowed red and his hair drifted up slightly, bandages swirling in the air for a moment.  He then sighed, blinking as everything settled back down, the bandages and his bangs falling back into place.

"...I won't hesitate to call Hizashi to watch you."

Rene chuckled softly at that, head falling back against the pillow.

"Heh, alright then." He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I give in."

Aizawa watched the other for a long moment, taking in the gentle rise and fall of the brunet's chest--he was still alive; he was safe, breathing and living.  The ravenet moved his gaze up to connect with Rene's.

"...Why do you support that kid so much?  Midoriya Izuku, I mean."

Rene blinked in idle surprise at that, making himself more comfortable on the bed.  The brunet huffed, leaning his head back against the pillows before raising one of his hands up to look at it.

"I suppose......he reminded me of my younger self." He sighed tiredly as he dropped his hand. "Perhaps...I don't want him to...fall...like I did."

Shouta blinked at that.  The ravenet lowered his gaze, eyebrows furrowing for a moment before he nodded.

"....I understand." He then narrowed his gaze. "But that doesn't mean I'll be giving him special treatment.  He's--"

"A student.  Like all of the other kids in your new class." Rene cut in softly. "I know.  Just...give him a chance.  Right now...he's on shaky feet," The brunet let a warm smile spread across his lips. "But his potential is blinding."

Aizawa stared at Rene for a long moment before scoffing.  Shouta then bowed his head slightly before looking over at Recovery Girl, walking backwards toward the door, grabbing a spare bottle of eyedrops along the way.

"If he so much moves an inch off of the bed to do something other than eating, drinking and using the bathroom, call Hizashi immediately."

The elderly woman giggled softly as Aizawa finally left, door shutting behind himself.  She then turned to put away her healing kit.

"Hmm~you have such wonderful friends, Rene." She threw the rest of the bloody cotton swabs away. "They're always looking out for you."

Rene sighed and nodded, reaching distractedly to his earring, gaze lost for a moment as he rubbed a finger over one of the mini-daggers there.

"...Yeah..."

~~
//(7:00 AM)//
<<(At the Midoriya Residence)>>

"Izuku, you have all of your supplies?"

"Hai."

"Handkerchief?"

"Er, yup!"

"Extra supplies?"

"Pfft--!" Izuku smiled amusedly at his mother, who was standing near the entrance with him. "Mom."

Inko smiled sheepishly, watching as Izuku tied on his shoes.  She bit her lower lip, hands moving down to the hem of her shirt, worried for her son...

"Have more faith in your son, Inko-san.  Sure, it is the job of a mother to care for their offspring, but you cannot always shield them from the world." Rene sighed softly. "It's nice that you care so much for Izuku-kun.  But sometimes, you need to trust in your son's ability to take care of himself and others."

Inko took in a deep breath, blinking back her tears at the memory.  She then lifted her gaze, watching her son get up to exit the house.

"Izuku."

The said teen perked up and swiveled his head around, his green eyes attentive as he waited for what his mother wanted to say.

'Be safe', was on the tip of Inko's tongue before she mentally shook her head, smiling softly at Izuku, her son.

"I think you're mega cool."

When she saw the way his eyes lit up, his features less nervous, she knew she made the right choice in not saying her former words.  Izuku opened the front door, backpack on as he waved back at her.

"Bye mom!  See you and after school!"

"Bye, Izuku!"

~~

Izuku frowned thoughtfully and worriedly as he made his way to U.A.  Rene does disappear from the house often, but the brunet was always tired and worn out when returning home.  He prayed the brunet hadn't fallen asleep while walking across the street midway.

'And there's All Might too...' Midoriya furrowed his eyebrows as he walked. '...Rene-san...is he a hero I don't know about?  Maybe an underground one like Eraserhead?' Izuku widened his eyes in wonder. 'What if Rene-san knows other heroes?  But...that also wouldn't make any sense?'

Izuku entered the school gates and started to make his way to class.  However, while doing so, he realized that he could possibly be classmates with Katsuki and that...robot guy at the exams.  Midoriya groaned mentally as he looked carefully at the number-plate for his room, Class 1-A.

'Maybe I'll be lucky.' He thought to himself nervously as he found a massive door with a big '1-A' on it. 'Maybe they'll be in Class 1-B.  There are two classes, after all, since 36 people passed the test....so maybe I'll be lucky...?'

Midoriya carefully opened the door before wincing, smiling anxiously at the different students that were there--oh, one of them had a tail, and is that girl pink?--before his gaze zeroed in on the sight of a certain blonde and robot guy, sweatdropping.  He closed the door as quietly as possible behind himself.

"Please take your feet off of the desk!  It is not polite to do that in the presence of others!" 'Robot-Guy' sternly scolded, square glasses glinting, raven-blue hair neatly brushed in place. "It could possibly offend the teacher!"

"Ha!  What kind of stuck up a**hole school did you come from, huh!?" One Bakugou Katsuki jeered back. "I bet you're from one of those f**king private ones!"

'Robot-Guy' looked offended by Katsuki's coarse language.

"Private sch--?" The bluenet shook his head, sighing softly before he held a hand out, his other hand pressed to his chest. "Apologies, I should introduce myself.  Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot.  I'm Iida Tenya from the Soumei Junior High School.  And your nam--?"

"None of your God d**n business you insufferable f**king pr**k!" Bakugou sneered. "Go and sit your a** down at your own seat, private school little sh**."

'Robot-Guy', Iida Tenya, gasped, scandalized by Katsuki's behavior.  Meanwhile, Izuku was smiling nervously, sweat beading on the side of his head.

'Just my luck...' Suddenly, Iida's gaze was set on Midoriya. 'Uh-oh!'

The bluenet quickly marched forward, eyes on Izuku.

"Hello!  I am Iida Teny--"

"U-Um, I," Midoriya cut in nervously. "H-Heard from earlier.  It's...nice to meet you, Iida-kun.  I'm Midoriya Izuku..."

Tenya nodded his head, mouth set in a thin line, but there was no aggressive look in his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you too, Midoriya." The bluenet's expression then became ashamed, arms moving in a chopping motion as he bowed his head towards Izuku. "I must apologize for my behavior at the exams!  I was blind to the true meaning of the exam, yet you were the one that knew all along!"

Izuku sweatdropped.

'Actually, I didn't know either...until I got my envelope.' "A-Ah, but you were very cool out there, Iida-kun!  Your Quirk looks really strong!"

Iida smiled a little at this, eyes warming slightly at the compliment and praise.

"Thank you, Midoriya.  You yourself was also impressive in saving that other examinee!"

Rattle.

"Ah!  Curly-Hair-kun!"

Izuku was startled at the feminine voice behind himself, moving out of the way of the door before noticing who was there.

"O-Oh!  H-Hi!" 'It's the girl from the exam!'

The brunette grinned brightly at Midoriya, almost bouncing on the balls of her feet as she studied the green-haired teen.

"Yay!  You're really here!  Present Mic told me that you passed--and now you're here!" Her bright eyes were bright before realization flashed across her face before she smiled again. "Ah!  You probably don't know my name.  My name is Uraraka Ochako!  It's nice to meet you!"

Izuku couldn't really respond back, flustered by the fact that a girl was talking to him again.

"Alright.  That's enough of your chitchat.  Get into your seats." An unfamiliar, rough voice drawled.

Ochako blinked, moving out of the doorway.  Everyone expected to see some sort of adult standing behind her, but no one was present....until they lowered their gazes.

'A....caterpillar?' Izuku thought dumbly. 'No, wait.  It's just a yellow sleeping bag...with a...guy inside of it?  Is he a Pro-Hero?  Wow, he looks really...tired...' The green-haired teen frowned thoughtfully for a moment. '...Kinda reminds me of Rene-san...'

The long-haired ravenet sighed deeply as he moved a hand out slightly from his sleeping bag, placing a juice pouch to his lips.

"This is the Department--" He sucked the life out of the pouch. "--Of Heroics."

(O.D.D.- Oh, R.I.P. Juice Pouch.  You will be missed. (⊙ω⊙))

The human-caterpillar sat up.  There was a sound of a zipper before the ravenet stepped out of his cocoon-like sleeping bag.  The ravenet had shaggy, shoulder-length hair, his face looked like it could need a shave, and his eyes were the color of onyx stone, slightly bloodshot around the edges.  His clothes were a simple, black sweater, baggy pants and a strange scarf...

The man huffed as he dragged his sleeping bag with him into the classroom as everyone settled in their seats--Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida had to rush a bit to find their desks.  The ravenet settled at the front of the class, shoulders slumped as he lazily surveyed the group, and Izuku could've sworn that the man's eyes settled on him longer than the others.

"Huh.  It took you guys eight seconds to settle." He drawled boredly. "My name is Aizawa Shouta.  I'll be your homeroom teacher."

Everyone kept silent as they gazed curiously at their teacher.  Aizawa then moved to his yellow caterpillar-suit--his sleeping bag--pulling out a duffle bag.  He dragged it out and opened it, tugging out some sort of uniform.

"These are your P.E. uniforms." He said bluntly. "Get dressed and meet up outside."

The ravenet then exited the room, stuffing his right into his pockets, adjusting the strange scarf around his neck with his left.  The students were left mildly baffled by the intro before they moved out of their seats, doing what they were instructed to do.

~~
***

"I am amazed by your ability to heal yourself so quickly, _______-kun." A raspy voice murmured with delight.  A scalpel in his hand glinted red in the light above, stained with blood. "Your Sun flames are impressive......hmm...what would happen if we got rid of them?  Would you keep bleeding?"

I choked out a shaky breath, gritting my teeth.  My gaze was blinded by the light above as I clenched my hands into fists, yanking them uselessly against the restraints on my wrists.

"You...!" Blood bubbled past my lips as I looked up at the black mask above me. "Shut...the f**k...up..."

There was simply a dark chuckle in return.

"Are you mad about me nearly killing your tutor?  Don't worry, I heard he was doing quite well lately." I could hear the smirk in this b*****d's voice. "I heard your entire family is falling apart without you.  I wonder if they'll be able to find you..."

I cough, feeling the cuts across my torso heal quickly.  I then glared viciously at him, a smirk on my lips.

"Even if...they don't find me...they'll...kick your a**."

The man above me merely huffed in amusement.

"...Such a strong Dying Will..." His hand dropped the scalpel onto a tray before he moved to pick up a pair of scissors. "I'll have fun breaking it."

***
~~

"A Quirk Apprehension Test!?" Ochako piped up in surprise as she gazed at her teacher's back, dressed in the U.A. P.E. uniform. "What about the ceremony?  And the guidance counselor meetings?"

Aizawa scoffed silently as he walked across the school grounds.  The school grounds they were currently on was an open, wide expanse of dirt ground with a large running track painted in white on the side.  The students noticed that there were also some sort of equipment on the side of the track.

"You don't need some ceremony to greet you all into the school." Shouta said flippantly. "And your Counselor..." Onyx eyes narrowed with annoyance. "He got himself injured and he needs some rest."

Midoriya could've sworn that Aizawa muttered 'Coffee-loving b*****d' to himself after he reported the health of their Counselor.

Immediately, thoughts of Rene flashed across Izuku's mind.  Afterall, Rene was the only person that Midoriya knew who drank coffee like water.  The green-haired teen's eyebrows raised and he bit his lower lip with concern.

'Rene-san is injured?  Since when?  Maybe during the week he was gone?' Green eyes narrowed slightly in thought as Midoriya studied the ground beneath his feet. '...Rene-san left to school earlier than me...because he was injured?'

He felt a sharp gaze on him once again.  Izuku froze and carefully lifted his head to see Aizawa gazing at him with bored looking eyes, but the teen knew better.  There was something in his new teacher's gaze that made the teen feel like he was being judged harshly.  But the onyx gaze moved on, looking at the other students carefully.

"You guys are here to be heroes, right?  So be quiet and listen." Onyx eyes went over to scan the rest of the group. "You all understand the school's reputation for freedom on campus.  Well, that 'freedom' goes for us Sensei's too."

The students stared at their new teacher with bafflement before Aizawa continued.

"Softball pitch, standing long jump, 50 meter dash, endurance running, grip strength test, upper body exercises, seated toe-touch," The ravenet listed off. "These are all activities you know from middle school naturally--physical tests where you were barred from using your Quirks."

Aizawa then shrugged nonchalantly before turning his attention to a certain, explosive teen.

"Bakugou, how far can you pitch a softball?"

The ash-blonde was surprisingly more docile, but that didn't hold him back from glaring at Aizawa as he responded.

"67 meters."

Aizawa nodded to himself before picking up some nearby equipment.  He tossed a ball towards Katsuki as he spoke up once more.

"Try using your Quirk this time.  As long as you don't exit this circle," Aizawa lead Bakugou to the mentioned circle.  Beyond the circle was a measured field that went by meters. "Anything you do is fine.  Don't hold back."

Katsuki clicked his tongue, stretching his arms for a moment before taking a step into the circle.  The blonde tossed the ball in his hand for a bit, testing its weight before turning his gaze towards the expanse of empty ground before him.

"You got it."

A bloodthirsty smirk spread across his lips as his gaze narrowed into slits.  He cocked his right arm back, ball in hand as smoke leaked from his palms.

FA-BOOOOOM!

"DIIIIIEEEEE!"

The ball was thrown, followed by a trail of explosions.  The students watched the event unfold with shock as the wind whipped across their faces.  Meanwhile, Izuku was watching with wide eyes, sweatdropping slightly.

'...'Die'...?'

Beep, beep.

Everyone turned their gaze to the soft sound and saw Aizawa holding some sort of device that was the size of the average calculator.  He showed the screen to the group, which displayed a number for them.

705.2 m.

"Before anything else, one must know what they're capable of." Aizawa droned boredly as he looked at the class. "This is a rational metric that will form the basis of your 'Hero Foundation'."

Midoriya distantly heard one of his fellow students whoop in surprise and happiness.  He turned to see a spiky, red-haired teen with a sharp-toothed grin.

"Awesome!  That looks like so much fun!"

Another student pipes up, eyes wide with disbelief.

"705 meters!?  Unreal!"

"We can use our Quirks now!  That's so cool!"

"...'Fun', you say..." Aizawa suddenly spoke up, voice still drawing, but the tone was cold and harsh. "You think signing up to be a hero is about having fun?  Well then.  How about this?" The Pro-Hero's voice got colder and colder as he continued. "The person with the lowest score in this test will be..."

Aizawa gazed blankly at them.

"...Expelled."

Midoriya felt like ice had been injected into his veins while everyone cried out in alarm.  Bakugou had a wide smirk on his face, Iida pushed his glasses up and Uraraka clenched her hands into fists.  Izuku chewed on his bottom lip nervously.

'Oh no.  Oh no, no, no, no, no, no!  I still haven't learned to control my Quirk yet!' He felt sweat drip down the side of his face. 'This is bad.  This is really, really bad!'

Aizawa smirked at the group, brushing his bangs out of the way as his sharp eyes bored holes into each and every student.

"Our 'freedom' as teachers mean we can expel whoever we want." His gaze flickered to red for a moment. "Welcome...to the Department of Heroics."

Ochako finally stepped forward, eyebrows pinched together with disbelief.

"This is only our first day here!  This is too unreasonable!"

Aizawa stared at the brunette for a long moment before scoffing, brushing his bangs back into place.

"...How naive." He gazed at every single student, making sure they were paying attention to him. "Natural disasters, massive incidents, villains--all kinds of calamities can happen when we least expect them.  Japan is drenched in 'unreasonable'.  And it's our jobs as heroes to reverse it all and restore reason."

He smirked at all of the teens before raising his right hand up to crook a finger at them.

"If you were counting on a friendly chat at the local McDonald's after school--that's too bad.  From now on, for the next three years, all you can expect from your life at U.A. is one hardship after the next." He let a sigh breeze past his lips as his onyx eyes drifted around. "This...is 'Plus Ultra'.  I expect you to overcome these trials...and climb to the top."

Aizawa's voice was firm despite the lazy drawl.  The students could only watch him with surprise.

"Now then...that was just the demonstration." Aizawa yawned slightly as he walked over to their first trial. "Time to step up to plate."

~~
***

"...Night flames are so interesting, aren't they, ______-kun?"

"Hhff...hh...urk....hhh...!"

"Ah.  That's right.  You can't speak anymore." There was a low chuckle. "Should I give you back your Sun flames so you can regenerate your tongue?"

"Hhh...!"

"Don't worry...just a few more tests...and I might give you back your ability to speak.  But that wouldn't be fun...it's too simple..."

There was the clanking of metal on metal.

"...How about I take away your eyes this time?  That should be fun, no?  I've always have been interested in how they turn from orange to brown..."

***
~~

Izuku panted as he finished his 50-meter dash, limbs shaking as panic flooded his mind.  He tried his best to adjust.

'Think about the egg in the microwave...!  Don't let it explode!'

But every time he went to the next trial, he got flashbacks of the excruciating pain his arm went through the last time he used his new power.

As he went through the other trials, watching everyone else seemingly breeze through them, he noticed that he was falling behind drastically.

Ochako was before Izuku in the next trial, which was the softball pitch.  She giggled with glee when she got an 'infinity' score since she erased the gravity on the ball she threw into the air.

Midoriya took a breath as he stepped into the circle, ball in hand.

'I...I need to do this.  I need to do this for Mom...Rene-san...All Might...!'

He felt energy burn in his arm as he prepared to pitch the ball.  Taking another deep breath, Izuku cocked his arm back and--

...

There was no pain in his arm.  Did he finally gain control over his pow--!?

"46 meters."

Izuku felt his heart drop to his stomach, staring at the ball bouncing 46 meters away from him, despair filling his gaze.

"Wh-Wha--?  But...I...I tried using my Quirk for sure just no--?"

"I erased your Quirk."

All gazes turned to the ravenet that spoke, bandages swirling around his body as he stood up straighter, slouch gone.  A pair of unusual, yellow goggles were revealed as his bandages unraveled in the air.  Red eyes burned into green ones, the latter quailing at the aura the older was emitting.

"How did somebody like you...manage to enter this academy?"

~~
<<(At the U.A. Infirmary)>>

"Rene, I got you a small meal from the cafeteria.  Lunch Rush made it special for you, so you should be able to keep the food down." Recovery girl sighed, a small frown on her face as she closed the door before turning around to look at the room. "Honestly, dear, I thought your eating and...sleeping problems were getting...better...."

The elderly lady took in the empty infirmary bed before her as she walked further into her room.  Slowly, she took a deep breath and sighed exasperatedly. 

Her patient was missing.

Chiyo sighed deeply again, walking towards her desk, setting the plate of food down before grabbing her phone, dialing a certain number.  The person picked up after two rings.

"Ah!  Recovery Girl!  What's up you miracle worke--!?"

"Rene is not in his bed, Hizashi-kun."

Present Mic was silent for the longest time before he responded, voice set in a serious, stern way.

"...Say what?"

~~
<<(Back with Izuku)>>

Izuku stared with wide eyes at his new teachers, brain helping him click things together.

"You...'erased' it...!  And those goggles--oh my God!  You're--You're the Erasing-Hero, Eraserhead!" 'The underground hero that can erase a Quirk with just a look!'

The other students in the back muttered to each other in confusion while Aizawa kept his attention solely on Izuku.  Unknown to everyone, except Eraserhead, one All Might was hiding behind a nearby building, watching the ongoings with worry.

'Midoriya, my boy...!  I should've warned you about him...' He sighed mentally. 'He and I don't really get along well with each other...'

"From what I observed," Aizawa started coolly. "You can't even reign in your Quirk's full power, meaning you can't use it efficiently at all."  His red eyes narrowed sharply. "Did you believe someone would come save you after you crippled yourself again?"

Izuku raised his eyebrows in surprise, turning to look at the teacher fully with wide eyes.

"N-No!  I didn't--I just--!"

Fwip!

Izuku yelped in surprise when bandages wrapped around his body, dragging his towards Aizawa.  Eraserhead kept his freezing gaze on the green-haired teen.

"...Whatever hopes you may have nursed on your imminent rescue are garbage.  As you can see, nobody is in a position to come to your aid." Red eyes narrowed into near slits. "There's a certain insufferable hero who made a name for himself--he rescued a thousand innocents from a disaster by himself."

Midoriya widened his eyes as his mind flashed to All Might.  Seeing the recognition dart through green eyes, Aizawa continued.

"You have his brute courage...but all you'll manage to do is run around like a blockhead who needs saving himself.  Face it." He barked sharply. "Your 'power' won't help you become a hero, Midoriya Izuku."

Aizawa gave one last glare before his bangs fell into place, his bandages swirling right back around his neck, releasing Izuku.

"I gave you back your Quirk." The ravenet murmured quietly. "Try the ball pitch a second time.  Let's get this over with."

Izuku pursed his lips at this before walking over to the ball on the ground meters away from them.  He swiped it off of the ground before walking back towards the circle, muttering to himself.  Aizawa sighed as he tilted his head back to put a few eyedrops in his bloodshot eyes.

'His probability in becoming a hero...' Lazy eyes watched Midoriya ready his arm back, dry gaze adjusting. 'Is zero--'

Aizawa then blinked in mild surprise when Izuku hadn't exactly thrown the ball yet despite his stance.  Midoriya himself was gritting his teeth, his focus pushed to the max as the ball was about to leave his hand.

'Not yet!  Not yet, not yet, not yet...!'  He felt One For All course through his right arm before it focused to his index finger.  His green eyes flashed as he looked up to his hand, the ball on the tip of his finger. 'NOW!'

BANG!

A shockwave of air blasted from Midoriya's position as the ball shot through the air with a whistle, like a falling bomb.

Beep, beep.

Aizawa blinked and glanced down at the device in his hand. 

705.3 m.

Midoriya Izuku had beaten Bakugou's score by 0.1 meters.  Bloodshot eyes widened in mild surprise as he then glanced at Izuku, noticing that the teen's entire arm wasn't broken this time--it was only his finger.

Izuku took a stuttering breath, flexing his unbroken fingers.  Tears pricked the corners of his eyes at the pain of his index finger.  However...

'...I-It's different this time...' Midoriya grinned through his blurry, tear-filled gaze. 'It doesn't hurt as much.'

Izuku took in another deep breath, straightening himself as he turned his gaze to the side to look at his teacher, a shaky grin still present on his lips, hand cradled near his chest.

"I..." Midoriya muttered out before raising his voice slightly, his grin widening as he gazed into bloodshot, onyx eyes. "...I...can still move, Sensei!"

Bright amusement and pleasent surprise filled Aizawa's features at the Izuku's response as he studied the teen, a small grin on his lips.

"O-ho~!" 'Now I see...' He huffed to himself. 'So this is what you saw in him.'

"Right now...he's on shaky feet," The brunet let a warm smile spread across his lips. "But his potential is blinding."

While everyone else started chattering at the new development, one Bakugou Katsuki was watching with wide, disbelieving eyes.

'...This...what...wHAT THE F**KING HE**!?'

A snarl twisted Bakugou's features as explosions burst in his hands.

"DEKUUUU!"

Said green-haired teen was dazed at the call before he snapped to attention, eyes popping out of their sockets when he saw Katsuki literally blasting towards him at a frightening speed.

"DEKU, TELL ME HOW YOU DID THAT OR YOU'RE F**KING DEAD!"

Midoriya stepped back slightly, arms flailing as the blonde got closer.

"GYAAAAEEEEEH!?"

Fwip!

When Bakugou's head jerked back, Midoriya was relieved that the blonde was restrained in his assault, but he worried that the other teen got whiplash.  Katsuki himself was gritting his teeth as he tried to push against the material of the bandages wrapped around his face and arm.

"What...the he**...is this cloth...made of!?" He gritted out.

The blonde strained his gaze to looked over at Aizawa, whose hair was floating up, his onyx eyes now glowing red.

"This is a special 'capturing weapon'.  It's a steel wire alloy woven with carbon nanofibers." The ravenet then clicked his tongue, irritation lacing into his voice. "And stop making me use my Quirk so much...!  I've got dry eye, d**n it!"

'That's quite...unfortunate...' Everyone else thought as they sweatdropped.

Aizawa glowered at Bakugou for a moment longer.  When the ravenet found that the blonde's will to pummel Izuku into the ground diminished slightly, he retracted his capture weapon.  Eraserhead's hair fell back into place and his onyx eyes stopped glowing red.

"Let's finish the other trials.  We're wasting time."

~~

"So...here are the results." Aizawa let a hologram pop up to show the students their places in the trials. "Also.  The expulsion thing was a lie."

The students froze and stared at the teacher with bewilderment.  Slowly, a satisfied, amused smirk spread across Aizawa's lips as he looked at the students who were shocked and relieved.

"It was just a logical ruse to bring out your best efforts."

The students could practically just hear the evil cackle that Aizawa was holding back in his voice.  A little more than half of the class exploded in shock and relief as Aizawa dispelled the results, tucking the tablet into his pocket.

Izuku was jittering so much that he almost looked like a blur of blue and green.  Ochako and Tenya were also in slight hysterics with the green-haired teen.  On the side, a ravenette girl sighed with exasperated amusement.

"Of course it was a lie.  Honestly, I thought that was obvious to you all."

A blonde with a black lightning bolt in his hair gaped at her from behind, eyebrows raised before he muttered to a classmate beside him.

"You could've told us that earlier..."

Bzzt...bzzt...

Everyone perked up at the noise, glancing around before their gaze fell on their teacher.

Bzzt...bzzt...

Aizawa blinked and looked down at himself before reaching into his left pocket to pull out his phone.  He grimaced at who was calling him before accepting his fate.

"Hel--?"

"H-HE'S GOOOOOOONE!"

Aizawa paused for a moment, gaze calculating before things seemed to click into place.  The ravenet narrowed his gaze.

"What.  What do you mean he's gone--?" Aizawa sucked in a sharp breath, eyes glowing red as he glared at one point in the ground, lips nearly twisted into a snarl as he clenched his phone tightly. "That--fff--idiot...!  You better find him quickly or your head is going to be strapped to the U.A. gate."

Aizawa then locked his phone and darted towards the school building.  The students watched with confusion and surprise.  They didn't think their lazy-looking teacher could move that fast...

And then the Erasing-Hero was gone, leaving the students to look at each other with confused eyes.

"Wow, he's certainly mad."

Everyone turned their heads to the new voice--only two teens recognized the face.  One teen let explosions pop in his hands while the other smiled brightly, ignoring the throbbing pain of his finger.

"R-Rene-san!" Izuku called out in surprise. "You're here!"

The brunet smiled crookedly at the teen, waving awkwardly at the teen.  Rene, dressed in a black blazer, slacks and an orange undershirt, got closer, one hand stuffed in his pockets, fedora set in place.

"Well, I do work here."

"F**KING WEIRDO!"

Rene turned his head and smiled amusedly at Bakugou, fedora shadowing his gaze.

"Hey there, BB."

"F**K YOU!"

"Oh my, watch your blood pressure, kid."

Bakugou looked positively murderous, plans bursting with explosions, looking a millimeter away from blasting towards the newcomer.

"GRAAAAAAHJAISUDJWIWI!"

Iida then intervened, hand moving in a chopping motion as he bowed in front of Rene.  The blue-haired teen was confused of this new development, but that did not mean he would allow his classmate to badmouth a seemingly kind stranger.

"I apologize for my classmate's behavior!  But who might you be, sir?"

"Rene.  Sinclair Rene.  It's nice to meet you, Iida-kun."

Tenya seemed surprised that the brunet knew his name, which should be expected actually since the teen had never seen the adult before.  One of the girl's stepped forward, her hair up in a high ponytail, a strand of hair hanging in front of her face as she studied Rene sharply.

"'Sinclair Rene'?  That name does not sound of Japanese descent."

Rene smiled gently, taking the observation in stride.

"Correct, Yaoyorozu-chan.  My last name is Italian while my first name is of French descent."

"'Rene' means 'reborn', no?" She murmured, studying the brunet's face closely. "Actually...I can see some of the Italian...so you're not fully Japanese?"

"No.  I'm a mix." He then turned his gaze back to Izuku, brown eyes studying the teen's managed finger. "Again, Izuku-kun?"

Midoriya laughed shyly in response, wincing when a throb of pain shot up his finger, reminding the teen that it was still there.  The rest of the students on the other hand, except Bakugou, noticed how Rene used Midoriya's first name in a familiar sort of way.

Suddenly, there was slight wailing noise.  The students perked up in surprise and turned around.  Rene, on the other hand, grimaced and sweatdropped at the sound of pounding feet coming closer.

"---eeeEEEEEAAAAAAAACH!"

Everyone turned their heads to see the hero Present Mic dashing towards them, arms pumping as he got closer and closer.

"WHY MUST YOU DO THIIIIIIIS TO ME AND EVERYONE, TEEEEEAAAACH!?"

No one had time to react before Present Mic swooped in, looking like he was going to tackle Rene, but the blonde restrained himself at the last second and simply screeched to a halt in front of the brunet, who was a few inches shorter than the loud hero.

Present Mic quickly walked around the brunet, lifting an arm, poking Rene's knees, lifting his fedora to lightly knock his head.

"I know your stomach was injured, but does anything else hurt!?  Don't lie!  Your arm seems to bend alright, and your joints look okay--!"

"Present Mic, I'm alright for goodness sake." Rene pushed a poking finger to the side, protecting his cheek from further abuse. "I needed a breath of fresh air.  I couldn't really nap so I--"

"Rene."

Bandages shot through the air and wrapped around Rene's raised wrist.  The brunet sighed and sagged as he turned a sheepish smile to a certain ravenet teacher.

"Ah, Eraserhead, what brings you he--?"

"I followed the screeching of that idiot right next to you.  Now," Glowing, red eyes burned into Rene's head. "You are going back to the room you came from and you're going to stay there--forever."

Rene chuckled softly at that, raising an eyebrow at Aizawa, who had walked forward and grasped the brunet's wrist with his hand instead of the bandages.

"'Forever'?" Rene muttered with amusement. "C'mon now.  I rested like you said and I feel better already."

"Nope." Was all Aizawa said before he started to drag Rene away like prying a child away from a candy shop. "Nope."

Rene sighed as he walked with the ravenet so his arm wouldn't get pulled out of its socket.  The brunet managed to wave at the group of baffled students as he was dragged away.

"Bye, kiddos.  It was nice meeting you.  I'm your Counselor by the way."

Present Mic flashed a grin--though it looked a little exasperated and grim--at the students before following after the two adults.  The blonde grabbed Rene's free arm and helped Aizawa drag the brunet away.  Aizawa then seemed to pause, calling over his shoulder.

"Midoriya, follow us.  You need to get your finger fixed."

The teen blinked in surprise before nodding his head nervously, quickly jogging forward to catch up with his new teacher.  Aizawa then let his gaze drift to the other teens.

"You guys go back to class and get changed into your original uniforms.  There's just a little bit more I need to debrief you over before sending you guys home."

~~

"Rene-san..."

Midoriya fiddled with his thumbs, studying the white bandages around his right index finger before lifting his gaze to look at the brunet on the infirmary bed before him.  Aizawa had went back to his new class and Present Mic went to his own, so it was only Rene and Izuku.  Midoriya wanted to ask how Rene knew three Pro-Heros, but he knew that question wasn't currently important.  The teen took in a deep breath before sighing, eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"H-How did you get injured...?  I-I mean, excuse my prying, but I'm worried and--!"

Izuku cut himself off, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts as he gazed into brown irises.

"...Sorry.  It's not my business...but...I...y-you're one of the people I respect most, and I-I'm concerned for your health."

Rene merely lifted a corner of his lips up into a crooked smile, reaching a hand over to ruffle Midoriya's hair.

"It's nothing to worry about.  I just had a little scuffle with a few baddies.  Nothing I couldn't handle though."

Izuku bit his lip, wanting more information--but that would be rude of him.  So, instead, Midoriya smiled nervously at the brunet, nodding in slight understanding.

"Alright you two." Recovery Girl shuffled forward, entering their conversation. "I just need to check you guys one more time before sending you home."

Chiyo calmly checked Izuku's hand and finger, bending the joints lightly and turning the hand this way and that.  Satisfied with what she saw, the elderly lady then moved on to Rene.

Izuku watched as Chiyo lifted Rene's undershirt up.  The teen flinched slightly at the sight of the large gash in the brunet's torso, but he saw that it was already starting to scar over.

"Good, good..." Recovery Girl muttered as she brushed her fingers around the scarred tissue. "Rene, I don't want you doing anymore 'looking around' without the permission of others, alright?  At least let them know where you're heading."

She then sighed and tugged the shirt back down, looking sternly at Rene, eyebrows furrowing.

"...And at least finish a small meal and drink 32 ounces of water by the end of today.  You do not need to eat quickly, but at least have something in your stomach.  I do not want your stomach acids to end up burning holes into yourself just because you refused to get a quick bite."

Rene smiled at this, and Izuku couldn't help but notice how the bags under the brunet's eyes were deeper today.  Midoriya fidgeted in his seat slightly, left hand curling into a fist out of worry.

'Rene-san has a eating disorder?'

"I'll do my best, ma'am." Rene responded softly. "Besides, I live with two mother-hens.  They always watch out for me."

Izuku blinked.  Two mother he--

The teen then sent a slight pout in Rene's direction.

"I-I'm not a mother-hen, Rene-san!  I j-just care a lot about you!"

Rene merely smiled cheekily, the shadows that usually lurked in his eyes disappeared for a moment.  Recovery giggled softly at this before reaching for a candy dispenser on her desk, ejecting a few into Izuku's palm when she moved his hand up.

"Thank you, Midoriya-kun, for watching him.  I hope you will take care of yourself too, hmmm?"

Izuku nodded his head vigorously at the stern look he was given by her.

~~

"Geez...it's only the first day and I'm already tired..."

Izuku, shoulders slumped, walked beside Rene out of the U.A. academy.  Rene chuckled softly at this, side-eyeing the teen as his fedora shadowed his gaze.

"Recovery Girl's kisses actually uses the energy of the injured person to speed up the healing process.  It would make sense that you're tired, Izuku-kun."

Suddenly, a voice called out to them.  Well, more specifically Midoriya Izuku.

"Hey, Dekuuuu-kun!"

Midoriya jolted, instinctively moving closer to Rene at the sound of the taunting nickname.  However, when he turned around, he was surprised to see a bubbly, familiar brunette and a bluenet jogging beside her.

"U-Uraraka-chan!  Iida-kun!" When the two got closer, Izuku raised an eyebrow with genuine curiosity at the Ochako. "U-Um...why did you call me D-Deku?"

For a brief moment, Uraraka seemed to be studying Rene with awe, curiosity, and a bit of concern before turning her gaze to Izuku, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Eh?  Isn't it your name?" She giggled nervously. "I mean, that explosive guy was yelling it, so I thought..."

Izuku hid a wince and smiled anxiously at her.

"Uh, it's, um...it's actually an...insult...yeah..." He trailed off awkwardly before moving his hands in a nervous matter when he saw the stunned and guilty look on Iida's and Uraraka's faces. "B-But it's alright!  I'm used to it!"

Tenya frowned slightly, glancing at Rene, who was simply watching the ongoings with silence and mild amusement, before looking at Izuku.

"That is unacceptable, Midoriya.  I cannot tolerate any bullying!"

Ochako's guilty expression melted away with a thoughtful look.  She then grinned brightly, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Ah, but wait!  'Deku' doesn't exactly sound insulting to me, you know?" She widened her smile. "I feel like the name has a 'you can do it' vibe!"

There was a surprised silence from Izuku's end before--

"I-I'm Deku!"

"Midoriya!" Tenya nearly said in a scolding tone, but there was a touch of amusement in it.

On the side, Rene was smiling at the scarlet blush that was encompassing Izuku's face.  He let the teens chat with each other, let them exchange numbers before he reminded Midoriya that there was some grocery shopping that had to be done.

Tenya apologized profusely to Izuku for taking up his time before turning to Rene, saying sorry for not engaging the elder in any sort of conversation.  Rene merely smiled lazily in response, saying that it was fine.

Rene and Midoriya parted from Ochako and Tenya after a few more minutes of chatter.

~~

Inko cooked up a storm to celebrate Izuku's first day at school.  While she fretted about her son's finger, Rene reassured her that the teen was doing fine.

The day ended with a warm meal, happy smiles and small talks.

~~
***

"...und him!  He's in here--!  Oh, f**K THERE'S A LOT OF BLOOD!  GET A SUN-USER OVER HERE!"

It's cold.  Really, really cold.  I can't feel my flames...

...

Now there's something warm touching my face.  Someone's calling my name?  I don't like how they sound so afraid.  I should open my eyes...

Someone is holding me closely, murmuring softly.  It's getting warmer.  I can feel energy thrumming around and inside of the person holding--carrying me?  I can't feel the cold, metal table I was on.

I open my eyes blearily at the call of my name, only able to see watery, emerald eyes.  The man holding me had silver bangs matted to his forehead because of sweat and blood.

He has a red aura.

He's a Storm.

"_____-sama...!  You're safe now--y-you're safe," He nearly babbled as tears started to leak out of his emerald eyes. "We're going home.  W-We'll patch you up and you'll be fine...!"

I smiled tiredly and fondly at this, but it pained me to hear the cracks in his voice.

"...I'll...be fine..." I parroted softly. "I'll be...home..."

As consciousness slipped from my grasp, I could hear familiar voices shouting, calling my name. 

It was nice and warm now.  I no longer felt cold anymore. 

I had my first good sleep in months.

(O.D.D.- Yikes!  This chapter was long.  Sorry that All Might wasn't in here that much.  I love him too.  Until next time!  Also, I'm interested in your theories of Rene's backstory!  Have fun with your imagination while I try to beat my homework into submission! (ㅎㅁㅎ; ))