"You didn't have to do that, you know." Dabi broke the silence in the back of the discreet vehicle they were being transported back to UA in. "I would've been fine."

Izuku stared at his friend for a second before responding. "Dabi, you were stuttering."

"So?"

"The only time I hear you stutter is when you are close to a panic attack. I figured having less people know would lessen your anxiety. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."

Dabi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No, no. You're fine. And you're right. About having less people know making my anxiety less." He gave the smaller teen a smile. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me. Like I said, I would lay my life down for you guys."

"You just might've." Shigaraki spoke up, turning away from the window he was looking out to glance at his friends. "You may not have been the ones to contact the League but someone certainly did. And if Rabid is correct about Eraser and the police showing our interviews to 1-A for some sort of training exercise..." Shigaraki made eye contact with the freckled teen. "You'll have a major target on your back when the UA mole tells master that you tattled."

Izuku leaned back in his seat, staring out the window next to his head at the passing cityscape as he thought over his predicament. Dabi, Shigaraki, and Toga gave him the time he needed to process and plan, knowing that's what his analytical mind needed.

"Then we'll let the mole know we're onto them."

"But we have no idea who they are." Toga pointed out, ignoring the way her heart squeezed at the thought of innocent Uraraka being as villainous as she was.

"Yes, but the mole doesn't have to know that." Dabi caught on to what Izuku was planning. "We make them nervous and if they are an amateur they'll slip up and we'll turn them into UA."

"Exactly." Izuku gave his friends finger guns, a smirk on his face. "Knew I could count on you, Dabi." Toga pouted, crossing her arms over the fresh UA uniform she was given. Izuku snickered. "You too, Himiko."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll cut you later, when you least expect it."

"No cutting each other." Aizawa called dryly from the seat in front of them. "Or yourselves. Or anyone. You know the rules. No violence outside of training."

The quartet protested and whined, knowing full well they had agreed to those terms plus others when presented with the opportunity to return to UA.

They just felt like annoying their homeroom teacher, and from the look they were receiving in the rear view mirror, it was working.

"Yo, Eraser, will we be allowed to participate this time? In combat training, I mean." Dabi yawned, slouching down slightly in the seat. "Or will you and the rest of the staff just be using us as examples again?"

"You are students in my class, therefore you will participate in all class activities, plus the additional curriculum of the rehabilitation program."

"Right, that."

Part of the agreement for their return to UA had been twice weekly individual therapy sessions with a licensed counselor, plus group sessions between the four of them to work through and 'deprogram their criminal thought patterns' as the counselor had put it.

They were all offered family counseling but all four declined it with varying degrees of anger and disgust.

"My family hates me, why would they care for my rehabilitation?"

"Fuck that shit, All Blight wasn't there to stop me from killing my mom. No way would I be able to sit through therapy with him."

"You know the gist of my story, therapy isn't going to help my family. Plus, they all believe I'm dead. Can't do therapy with a ghost, now can you?"

"My family is dead. Like Dabi said, can't do therapy with ghosts."

Izuku looked at Dabi. "Does that include the Sports Festival?"

The UA Sports Festival was arguably the biggest athletic event of the year, even beating out the Olympics. It was where students could showcase their quirks and abilities to agencies for potential future internships which may lead to work after graduation. Heroes also came to watch and scout for possible sidekicks. Or to watch their children.

Heroes like Endeavor.

Aizawa seemed to get what Izuku was trying to convey as he also glanced at the fire user before responding. "I'd have to talk with Nedzu about that. As of right now, the only people who know of Dabi's past are the five of us, Detective Tsukauchi, and Nedzu." He eyed the quartet once more before continuing. "It would be relatively easy to keep it that way even during the Sports Festival due to Dabi's appearance and how different it is from a few years ago. The only issue there would be making sure a certain pro doesn't cross paths with you. He is known to wander despite being told countless times to stay out of the backstage areas."

The car quieted down as the five contemplated the idea of the teens participating in the Sports Festival, the sound of the engine and the outside traffic keeping it from being completely silent within the vehicle.

On one hand, it would be a great way to gain the trust and bond with the class once more, not to mention the rest of the first years by showing they truly no longer meant anyone any harm. It would also present a good opportunity for Dabi and Izuku to say 'fuck you' to their dads if they ended up winning. Plus, it would be a good way to scout for the mole.

On the other hand, none of them intended on being heroes after completing the rehab program so it was kind of unfair for them to take this chance away from the students who were taking the school seriously and actually giving it their all at the Festival, hoping to be scouted by pros.

...but life was unfair and it was better for the heroes in training to learn that sooner rather than later.

And it wasn't even a guarantee that they would be allowed to participate in the Festival yet, let alone win it or even get past the first round.

Dabi grabbed both Shigaraki and Toga's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze while nodding at Izuku to let them know his decision. They squeezed and nodded back, letting him know they agreed with him.

"If we can participate, we'd like to." Dabi made eye contact with Aizawa in the mirror, getting a nod from the teacher.

"Alright. I'll let Nedzu know." Aizawa pulled into the back entrance of UA reserved for teachers and faculty, driving towards the staff parking lot. "Right now, we have a meeting with him to get everything settled. After that, you four will be heading to the dorms seeing as classes will be over by the time the meeting ends."

"Got it."

The quartet nodded, exiting the car once it was parked. They stared up at the hero producing school just soaking in the moment before scurrying after the homeroom teacher, entering the building to take less populated routes to the principal's office.

Soon finding themselves standing outside the vaguely familiar office, their reality just now setting in, the friends squeezed one another's hands one last time before letting go and entering the office after Aizawa, ready to take on the world together.

Nedzu sat behind his desk, a smile on his face when he saw his four rehab students. "Good to have you back with us, and welcome, Shigaraki Tomura. Please, take a seat." Listening to the principal, they all sat in front of his desk, Aizawa leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "This meeting shouldn't take too long."

"Longer than you might think." Izuku admitted, getting nods of encouragement from his friends.

"Oh? Why is that?" Nedzu was thoroughly intrigued.

"We believe you have a mole within your ranks here. More specifically, in Class 1-A." Dabi took over, his voice solemn. "And no, we aren't saying this as some sort of revenge."

"Then why do you believe that?" Nedzu was more curious than accusatory. "Do you have some proof?"

"Kind of." Shigaraki spoke at the prompting of his friends. "My master knows details about UA that only someone within the school could know. I don't know who the mole is or if they are a student or anything, really. I just know my master knows a lot about the school."

Izuku nodded. "Besides, we may not have had access to technology but the true hero course students sure did. What with their phones, computers, watches, you name it. They could easily get in contact with Tomura's master or whoever their contact is." He glanced at the two pros. "It may not be true, but if we're correct, you plug a leak."

Nedzu looked at Aizawa, the two having a silent conversation with their eyes. "We'll take this into consideration. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. Now, onto the finer details of your re enrollment at UA..."

After the four had told Aizawa and Nedzu about the potential mole in 1-A the meeting hadn't taken long, true to Nedzu's word.

Dabi, Izuku, Shigaraki, and Toga soon found themselves being escorted by Aizawa to the 1-A dorms, their stomachs filling with anxiety the closer they got to the building. They had no idea how the students were going to react to them being back, especially after seeing their interviews.

It could go any number of ways, most of the ones they imagined not being too pretty.

Unfortunately, they didn't have too much time to prepare themselves before they were ascending the stairs and the door was looming in front of them. Exchanging looks, none of them made a move to open it.

Shigaraki gulped, eyeing his three friends. Izuku caught his look and gave him a small smile. "Don't worry, Tomura. They aren't too bad."

"Didn't you say the asshole who used to bully you is in this class?" Izuku broke eye contact. Shigaraki turned to Dabi. "And your...you know who is in this class."

"Yup."

"What if I mess up and let your secret slip?"

Apparently, Aizawa was not in the mood after spending all day with the four in meetings and sorting out their paperwork because he brushed past them and yanked the door open, an immediate hush coming over the common room when he did so. The teacher just grunted. "You know where your rooms are, same as they were a few days ago. Shigaraki's is next to Dabi's. Play nice. I'm going to sleep."

He left the teens to stare at each other, nobody making a move for what felt like an eternity.

Until Izuku stepped in front of the other three, doing jazz hands. "Surprise, shawty!"