A Hero's World
CH 043 - The New Routine
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- HEIGHTS ALLIANCE 1-A, U.A. UNIVERSITY, MONDAY -

[Morning! Today's forecast calls for blue skies.]

The sound of a keyboard filled the air of the Heights Alliance kitchen, followed by a steady drumbeat which quickly shifted to an upbeat rhythm as a chorus of strings, a guitar and a bass joined in.

Izuku bobbed to the music, lip syncing as he rolled up the sleeves of his school uniform and started a new brew of coffee. It was one of those songs that Mr. H felt the need to play whenever it seemed like people needed a little bit of happiness to start their day. Turning to look over his shoulder, Izuku certainly agreed with his mentor's sentiment.

Sitting at the island was Eri, who was situated in Shoka's lap. While the little horned-girl couldn't understand the lyrics, the beat -as well as Izuku's infectious attitude and upbeat movements- helped convey the feelings of the song. Even BK and RK, who had accompanied their humans this morning, joined in with their own addition to the song whenever they could, a sure sign of their familiarity with the song.

[-And don't you know, it's a beautiful new day? Hey~]

Izuku swore Eri had the faintest hints of happiness flashing through her ruby red eyes. She was even bobbing her head along with the music, even if she was off rhythm. The song was working its magic.

Moving down the counter, Izuku took two trays of food, filled with his, Shoka, Momo, and Eri's breakfast, and placed them on the island right as Momo herself came down the stairs with SK in her arms. She let out a melodious giggle as she watched Izuku continue to move with the music as he set down everyone's meal before going to fill several bowls for the Kats.

[Mr. Blue Sky is living here today, hey~]

"Sing it, Izzy," Shoka called out with a playful smirk.

Izuku, seeing the curious and pleading look on Eri's, broke down what little argument he had against his gray-eyed girlfriend's request and broke out with the chorus, all with a bright smile on his face.

"Mr. Blue sky, please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long [so long]. Where did we go wrong?" Seeing the pleased grin and beaming smile on Shoka and Momo's faces respectively, Izuku let the song continue on without him, moving to repeat the chorus as he went over to the fridge to take out the jug of apple juice that Lunch Rush had sent over to them last night. The guitar soon strummed an upbeat riff, causing Izuku to mime its actions as he got lost in the rhythm. Knowing what the next verse was, Izuku brought over a now-filled glass he made for Eri, his green eyes focusing on her as he placed the drink in front of her.

"Hey you with the pretty face, welcome to the human race!" With a quick boop to Eri's nose, Izuku returned to his coffee detail, going through his mental list to prepare for the inevitable flux of his course mates coming down for their brews.

Eri kept watching Izuku move to the rhythm of the song, unconsciously mimicking his movements in Shoka's lap. Eri looked up at the raven-haired young woman, feeling Shoka's arms wrap around her as she hummed along.

Momo had let SK join BK and RK on the island and moved over to the counter, grabbing their bowls as Izuku continued to work. She moved with graceful, measured steps as even she was getting into the swing of things.

As the next chorus arrived, the throuple treated Eri to a pleasant combination of their voices, with each of them taking their own line to sing.

"Hey there, Mr. Blue."

"We're so pleased to be with you~"

Look around, see what you do."

[Everybody smiles at you.]

Shoka saw that Eri wanted to join the song in her own way. So Shoka held out her hands in front of the little girl and clapped. Eri stared at Shoka in confusion at first, looking for guidance from the gray-eyed student. Shoka simply clapped again at a steady pace with the song, prompting Eri to follow her example.

Izuku caught the sight of Momo joining Shoka and Eri out of the corner of his eye, causing him to smile at the scene. He was glad he started the day this way. Eri had difficulty sleeping in her new room, which, due to her dependency on him, was in the room right next to his. His on-suite bathroom was expanded a bit to allow for easier means to reach Eri, in case she ever needed him.

Last night, she had grown too afraid of sleeping on her own and immediately moved over to his room. He took the spot on the floor while he had Eri take his bed. She had checked on him several times, poking her head over the mattress' edge to make sure he was still there before finally succumbing to the call of the night and finally drifted to sleep.

[Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why, you had to hide away for so long] Meow~

The freckled hero student chuckled as BK, RK, and SK had their own moment of stardom, as Eri turned her attention to them as the final chorus of the song picked up. Izuku shared a look with Shoka and Momo, an unspoken agreement forming between the throuple as the ending lyrics came.

"Hey there Mr. Blue."

"We're so pleased to be with you."

"Look around, see what you do."

"""Everybody smiles at you."""

While the lyrics had ceased, the song continued, filling the air with faint ‘Ahs’ and hums as the instruments continued to work in concert with each other while the guitar took the lead. As it did, Izuku pulled the finished pot of coffee out of the maker and filled the cups with the Café Wildkat house blend, making them specifically to the desires and tastes of himself and his girlfriends.

As the song slowed down, Eri continued to listen, growing a little saddened that it was almost over. Even then, the song ended on what she could only think was a cheerful note.

[Mr. Blue Sky~]

Izuku set down Shoka and Momo's drinks and took his place at the island as another song played through his phone's speakers. The group of four dug into their breakfast, enjoying the comfortable atmosphere of the quiet dorm.

Taking another sip from his cup, Izuku tasted the warm brew as it rushed over his taste buds.

And apparently, he wasn't the only one who enjoyed it.

"Holy shit... How the hell does it taste that good?" Banjo asked.

"I think we should be more concerned with how we each have a cup of coffee now," Two remarked dryly.

There was a loud sipping sound ringing through Izuku's mind, causing him to freeze in place at his spot at the island.

"Who cares!?" Nana exclaimed. Izuku could practically feel her beaming smile as she spoke. "Izuku! More coffee, please!"

Momo, noticing that Izuku was staring off into space, grew worried. "Zuzu? What's wrong?"

Izuku blinked several times as he tried to make sense of everything. Ignoring the existential thoughts for later, he shook his head and tapped a finger against his chest, right over his heart. "Nothing. Just learning that Mr. H's brew is apparently good for the soul."

Momo and Shoka's eyes widened at that, their minds short-circuiting at the realization. After several seconds of silence, Shoka finally found her voice. "You know, I shouldn't be surprised..."

Wanting to push past any existential thoughts, and ignoring the constant sipping sounds coming from the vestiges, Izuku wanted to gauge how Eri was feeling about the first half of her day. "So, Eri," he said after taking a bite of his eggs, getting the little girl's attention. "Are you ready to meet with Nezu here in a bit?"

Eri gave him a tentative nod. She understood she was meeting the chimera to see where she was education-wise, something that Aizawa and Nemuri explained to her yesterday after her meeting with Hound Dog. She would be away from Izuku for a while, and the initial thought terrified her, but she remembered how she had to be brave while meeting Hound Dog. This was a similar circumstance.

At least she liked Nezu. His fur was really soft looking, and she had wanted to pet him like she did with BK.

Shoka took a sip of her coffee and added her own input. "Ayano texted me earlier. She'll walk us to Nezu's office and help keep an eye on Eri here, while Nezu does his thing."

"Who's Ayano?" Eri asked.

"My big sis," Shoka replied with a smile.

A look of surprise flashed across Eri's face. "You have a sister?"

Shoka bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, I call her my sister, just like she calls me hers. We aren't related, but that doesn't matter to us."

Eri released a soft ‘Oh’, taking a moment to ponder the gray-eyed beauty's words.

"Did she say when they should be done?" Izuku asked, sparing a concerned glance at Eri.

Shoka shrugged in response. "She said it could take a few hours at least, but she wasn't too sure. She thinks Nezu is going to be pretty thorough with his testing, though." Shoka held up her hand and pointed to her boyfriend and girlfriend. "Which, based on what you two have told me, tracks."

Izuku and Momo slowly nodded, a far off look in their eyes as they remembered their last session with the white-furred dean. Thankfully, Eri missed the looks, being more focused on her breakfast rather than them.

“I’ll be sure to make her a cup of her usual before we meet up with her then,” Izuku stated, after shaking off the memories of his and Momo’s lessons under Nezu. He took a few more bites of his breakfast before going back to the coffeemaker, starting the first round of coffee for the early risers.

"On that point," Momo said, drawing everyone's eyes to her. Her own onyx orbs gazed softly at Eri, giving the little girl a soft smile as she spoke, "If you have any extra work that Dean Nezu assigns you, I am more than willing to assist you with it, Eri."

Eri was unsure on what Momo meant, though she still nodded. Seeing the confusion on her face, Shoka leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Momo means that she'll help you out with any homework Nezu gives you. She's real smart. Her and Izzy both are."

"Oh," Eri simply replied.

"I don't think Nezu will give you any homework today," Izuku stated. "I bet he just wants to see where to start on your education."

With his piece said, Izuku returned to his brewing. Eri seemed to have a better understanding about her upcoming meeting with the university dean, and that's what mattered to him.

Wanting to know more, Eri asked Izuku and Momo a series of questions about Nezu and what they thought she might be learning. Momo, ever the scholar, grew excited and happily answered all of Eri’s questions, with Izuku adding his own input now and then.

Shoka just smiled at the conversation happening, though her mind was elsewhere. She absentmindedly poked at her meal, trying to gather her thoughts about how to bring up a certain blonde engineer to her boyfriend and girlfriend.

Shoka knew Momo had an inkling of what was going on. Momo was rather observant, a trait the heiress said she gained from the many times her parents took her to their company, wanting to show her the ropes in case she ever wanted to take over at some point. Momo had learned to pick up on certain subtleties regarding a person's expressions and demeanor through that.

Add on her love of romance novels, both general and adult, and Momo had a good understanding of when someone was attracted to another person.

Izuku, however, while observant as Momo in some ways, still had issues getting a read on people. Shoka knew that was mostly because of his previous interactions with others and how they affected his mindset. She and Momo still caught moments of him wondering when the other shoe would drop.

Both she and Momo made sure to reinforce the fact that they do, in fact, love him whenever those moments happened. It helped, and those moments were diminishing to a rarity rather than an uncommon event, but Shoka still hated seeing those moments of doubt in him.

A part of her even blamed herself to a degree. She still hadn't forgiven herself for dropping out of contact with him during her time away from Ayano and the people they hung around.

Even if Izuku had.

Outside of that, Izuku had other worries. Ever since the sports festival, Izuku had his focus on other things like a math-obsessed villain taking over Shibuya, inheriting a haunted Quirk and legacy, and now an adorable little unicorn he rescued from the streets that had latched on to him. Shoka couldn't exactly blame her boyfriend for missing the fact that Melissa was crushing on them -him in particular- hard.

Shoka paused her thoughts to look down at said unicorn still sitting in her lap. Eri continued to eat her breakfast, though she was thoroughly distracted by Izuku making coffee while softly singing along with his music. Shoka found it impossible to not smile at the scene. The fact that Eri seemed comfortable enough to let Shoka hold her made the gray-eyed student feel increasingly warm inside.

Despite Eri being a complete surprise, just the brief interactions Shoka had with Eri made her glad Izuku found the little girl. She was adorable, and she would fight anyone who said otherwise.

Turning her eyes away from Eri, who was slowly trying to match Izuku's movements, Shoka looked at her phone, her mind going back to Melissa. She thought of when would be a good time for her, Izuku, and Momo to talk about it and just what their shared mindset would be. Her mind went back to what she and Izuku had just discussed regarding Eri and her sister.

'That could work. Take the scenic route to the classroom after dropping Eri off,' Shoka thought.

"Sup people." Came Kyoka's voice as she descended the stairs. The throuple gave her a wave and their own form of greeting. As Kyoka entered the kitchen area, she spotted Eri and gave the little girl a small wave with her ear jacks. one that Eri returned, albeit tentatively. Kyoka held out a hand as a cup of coffee slid across the island's counter and into her waiting palm. Taking her first sip of the brew, Kyoka let out a pleased hum and raised the cup, toasting Izuku. "Thanks, Greenie."

"No problem, Kyoka," Izuku said as he returned to prepping the next cup.

Kyoka perked up at the music coming from Izuku's phone, bobbing her head to the rhythm with a pleased grin on her face. She spotted Eri doing the same and looked from her to Izuku, going back and forth several times before a plan formed in her head.

It was time to influence the bet.

"I see someone's enjoying her first step into music," Kyoka stated, before taking a sip of her coffee. "Are you liking your pop's taste so far, Little E?"

Eri seemed startled by Kyoka's question and curled in on herself, unconsciously moving closer to Shoka and hiding half of her face in the raven-haired student's modest bust. Kyoka scratched her cheek, unsure of what to say or do to make the little horned-girl feel comfortable. She wasn't used to being around little kids.

Yesterday's introduction to Eri really hammered home the point about how scared and out of her element she was. While everyone in 1-A kept a respectable distance from her, only giving her a smile and wave after a brief introduction, Eri mainly stayed by Izuku, and occasionally, Shoka and Momo. After Izuku explained who Kyoka, Shinso, Shoto, Iida, and Himiko were, Eri seemed to relax, though she still had moments where she seemed ready to hide from them if she needed to.

Shoka gave Eri a comforting hug with her one arm, coaxing Eri to relax. It took a few seconds, but Eri relaxed enough to finally answer Kyoka’s question. “Mhm. I liked the first song, though.”

"I can replay it if you want," Izuku said, already tapping his phone's screen and restarting the first song.

Eri perked up ever so slightly as the opening to the song started. Kyoka snorted, though the smirk on her face said it all.

"Yeah, already started her on the good stuff. Nice work, Pops," she said, taking her cup of coffee over to one of the dining room tables.

Izuku, Shoka, and Momo saw Kyoka was quietly singing along, rapping her fingers to the beat of the drum before strumming an air guitar. Eri mulled over Kyoka’s word choice, staring intently at the punkette as she repeated the word Kyoka used for Izuku in her mind.

As Kyoka enjoyed her coffee, the sounds of their coursemates coming down the stairs, signaling the true start to the day for Izuku.

With a fond smile, Izuku took one last sip of his coffee before he started pouring the cups for his friends. "Well, time to get back into the routine."

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After finishing their breakfast, Izuku, Shoka, and Momo left the dorms with Eri and BK in tow, intent on making it to Nezu's office before the rest of the student body entered the main university building. There were a few students out and about, namely those in the Business Course or the General Education Course, and the ones that saw Eri walking closely alongside Izuku while holding his hand simply cooed at the sight and moved along or they ignored the small group all together.

As they reached the main entrance of the campus building, they saw Ayano waiting for them. Her usual stony expression softened at the sight of Shoka and grew even softer when she laid eyes on Eri.

"It's good to see you all," Ayano said, greeting the throuple and Eri. "And this must be the darling little Eri I've been hearing about."

Eri poked her head past Izuku's leg, getting a good look at Ayano, studying the dark-haired woman in front of her. "A-are you really Ms. Shoka's sister?"

Ayano’s lips curled into a proud smile, though she understood what was really on the little girl’s mind. “Yes,” she said. “Shoka is my darling little sister, even if we aren’t related by blood.”

Despite the answer, Eri was still hesitant. That is until BK moved over to Ayano and perched himself on her shoulders. The action caught her off guard, as the only other Kat that interacted with her was RK, but a look from Izuku told her all she needed to know.

Eri saw Ayano had BK’s approval and slowly inched her way out from behind Izuku’s legs, though she still held on tightly to Izuku’s hand.

Ayano gave the little girl one last smile before adopting a more business-like demeanor. "Now then, Dean Nezu is waiting for us." She moved closer to the main campus building's doors, causing them to open automatically for her. "We shouldn't keep him waiting. He's been quite eager to see Eri."

“That I have!” The sudden appearance of the chimera caused everyone but BK and Eri to jump in surprise. “It’s not every day I get to use my other qualifications to help shape a young and open mind.”

Shoka tilted her head to the side after hearing that statement and voiced her surprise and confusion. "You're qualified to teach elementary kids?"

Nezu smiled as a playful glint flashed in his beady eyes. "Indeed, Ms. Sakurane. I'm highly qualified to teach all grades, as well as several highly advanced placement courses for both middle and high school level students. I'm quite proud of my educational capabilities."

Clapping his furry paws together, Nezu moved to stand in front of Eri, looking her in the eye. “Now then. Eri, would you be alright with being away from Mr. Midoriya for the time being? Today I simply want to see what all you know, as well as formulate an appropriate lesson plan for you while you are our ward.”

Seeing the little girl grow worried at the prospect of separating from Izuku, Nezu was quick to assuage her fears. “Not to worry, little one. You will get to rejoin Mr. Midoriya, Ms. Sakurane, and Ms. Yaoyorozu around lunchtime.” He craned his head up to look at Izuku. “That is when I’ll be done with my assessment. I’ll have Lunch Rush send your lunches to the lounge area so Eri doesn’t have to deal with the crowd of students in the cafeteria, or, if you would like, you have permission to eat in your classroom if your friends wish to join you.”

Izuku nodded, grateful for the dean's foresight. "Understood, sir."

"Now, Eri." Hearing her name, Eri focused on Nezu. "Would you kindly join Ms. Komachi, BK, and I as we head to my office?" Nezu shot a knowing look towards the throuple. "I believe that these three have something rather important to talk about with each other."

Izuku sent a curious glance to Shoka and Momo as they all shared an understanding look. It was scary how much Nezu seemed to know most days.

"Well then! You three better get to it," Nezu chirped happily. "By the way." Nezu pulled out an envelope from behind his back, a knowing smile on his face as he handed it to Izuku. "This is for you. I doubt you'll need it, but your performance has gained the favor of some influential people. Do with it what you will."

Izuku stared at the envelope, both curious and concerned about its contents. Nezu's smile didn't help matters, but Izuku took it anyway, at the very to be polite. He then crouched down to Eri's level and focused on her. "Alright, Eri. Just like Nezu-sensei said, it's only going to be for a few hours. They'll pass by in a flash and then you'll see us again. I promise."

Eri gave the freckled hero student a tentative nod. "O-okay." She slowly reached out and wrapped her tiny arms around Izuku. She found herself in his warm, comforting embrace, and each passing second made it harder for her to let go.

After a moment of hugging, Eri pulled away and stepped back towards Nezu. She gave Izuku, Shokas and Momo a small wave as she followed Nezu and Ayano into the building.

As they disappeared down into the entryway, Izuku turned to face Shoka and Momo. "So, what do we need to talk about?"

----------

Melissa stared at her phone screen, waiting for someone to speak up. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, enough so that she could hear it in her ears. Melissa was undoubtedly nervous when she got the video call from Izuku, and when Shoka and Momo appeared alongside him.

She was honestly expecting to get a call from them at some point. If not today, then sometime later this week. The fact that they called her this early made her worry about how quickly they must have discussed the situation and already decided on what to do.

And she was terrified at what their answer would be.

So, imagine her shock when her worries were essentially tossed aside by the three.

"Well, we're all flattered, really," Izuku said. "I guess I just didn't see it happening at all." Melissa heard Shoka snort at his words while Momo giggled. "That explains you calling me Izu, at least."

Melissa groaned, burying her face in her free hand. "In my defense, I didn't think I would slip that easily." She leaned back in her chair and stared at her lab's ceiling. "And, I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this to happen. Last relationship I was in was pretty vanilla, so I'm out of my depth with," she absentmindedly waved her arm around in the air, "all this."

"Welcome to the club," Shoka remarked amusedly. "We're kinda going with the flow here."

The engineer smiled meekly at Shoka's words. "So... You all are really open to another joining?"

"Someone else? No," Momo replied. "You yourself, however, very much so. We just worry about the fairness of it all. After all, you are a video call away, and I know while I enjoy our calls, I would enjoy seeing you every day in person much more."

""Same."" Izuku and Shoka said as one

Melissa let out a light chuckle. The heavy feeling pressing down on her was slowly being lifted away. Soon, a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Melissa. Are you okay with this?" Izuku asked.

The blonde smiled at his concern, her body warming ever so slightly at his words and consideration. It was an important question to ask. After all, she was about to jump into something that was already established. Levels of trust and care that had grown and flourished between three people.

And Melissa was willing to dive in headfirst.

"Yeah. I am," she answered resolutely. "Call me crazy-"

"We all are," Shoka remarked with some added snark

Melissa shook her head and rolled her eyes, but still smiled. "But I'm willing to see where this goes. If you all will have me, that is."

The line went silent. Melissa bit her lip as she waited for any kind of response from the three on the other end. She imagined that Izuku, Shoka and Momo were having their own little discussion, coming to a final consensus on the matter. Her nerves were getting to her as she anxiously waited for their answer.

“Well then,” Izuku said, “we must be pretty lucky to have a beautiful brain like yours wants to mix in with us, Melissa. Let's give it a shot”

"Same, Izu," Melissa replied with a bright smile on her face. "I guess that makes this next decision a bit easier to figure out."

"And what would that be?" Momo asked, arching a curious brow at Melissa's words.

“Well... I got an offer from Nezu a couple of days ago,” Melissa explained. “He said that if I wanted to transfer, I can work towards becoming a Support Hero. I would get a chance to take classes with you all while also getting more lab work done. He’s also going to make sure all my credits transfer over so I can still get my master’s.”

After her explanation, Melissa saw that her three new lovers -a thought that caused quite a reaction in her- all seemed to have varying expressions on their faces, though they all had something in common. Utter, begrudging acceptance.

"So that's his plan," Izuku muttered.

"It's scary how much that fits him," Shoka added.

"Indeed. Purely a Nezu move," Momo remarked.

Melissa blinked owlishly at them, unsure what to make of their words. "Um, you guys? Everything alright?"

Izuku shook his head to clear his mind before answering her. "Yeah. Sorry. Just Nezu being Nezu, apparently."

“Ah.” Melissa nodded at that, not yet fully understanding them, but rolling with it for now.

She was soon caught off guard by bearing witness to Izuku's 'Hero Nerd Mode,' as he began gushing over her. "Still, I can't believe he sent you an offer like that! It's amazing, Melissa! With all the gear you can make, you'd be an amazing hero!"

"I would have to agree. It's quite the offer," Momo said with a demure nod. "I look forward to you joining us."

"It is pretty sweet," Shoka said. She then followed up with an important series of questions. "You'll be actually joining us, right? Like joining our group, or are you skipping ahead?"

Melissa couldn’t help but smile at their acceptance of her joining them if she took up Nezu’s offer. It made the decision that much easier to make, knowing that the three people she had grown attracted to and trusted believed in her, never once questioning if she could even handle it without a Quirk.

She looked at her desktop computer and pulled up the email Nezu sent and reread it, making sure she didn’t miss any important information. “The offer is to join you guys in 1-A, though I’ll have to take remedial training classes to catch up to you all. After that, my time will be divided. Monday I will join you guys for Heroics and then Wednesday I’ll be in the Support Labs, and then Friday will be back to training with you all again.”

Her eyes went over the email once more, finding one line that stood out. "Nezu wants me to undergo a performance exam when I arrive, though." She shrugged her shoulders, finding the request understandable. "It says that the exam is divided up into three parts. One focusing on my physicality, one on my skills as a support engineer, and one testing my martial abilities. Funnily enough, no written exam."

“Didn’t you say you already have a bachelor’s? Nezu probably thought it might be a waste of time, but who knows with him?” Remarked Shoka.

"You're not too worried?" Momo asked the blonde.

Melissa shook her head. "No. I have a decent enough workout routine I stick to. I can probably ask Uncle Might to help me plan something a bit more intensive to make sure I pass the physical, and I know I'll pass the one showcasing my engineering. The last one might be tricky, though. I mean, I do have some training in karate and kick-boxing under my belt. I even have some firearms training, too."

Shoka quirked a brow at that. "How did that happen?" She asked.

“Since some heroes use firearm-based support gear, Dad wanted me to have a thorough understanding of how they worked and to gain a level of respect for them,” Melissa explained. She reached for her bag at the edge of her desk, dug through it, and pulled out her wallet. She produced a lamented card and held it to the camera. “I’m even licensed to carry back in the States.”

"At least you have a varied skill set," Izuku said with an impressed nod. "I'll say it's possible that Nezu may have you go up against the faux-villains he fought against during our entrance exam."

"It could also be similar to my experience in the Recommendation Exams," Momo remarked thoughtfully. "They focused more on the individual first and then tested us all together at the end."

Izuku gave Momo's suggestion some thought, giving her a slight nod. "Either way, we can at least try and help you figure things out, Melissa. If anything, he's probably expecting either Momo or I to fish for information."

Melissa gave the brainy pair a grateful smile. "Thanks, you two. I appreciate it."

"Speaking of our future rodent overlord, what did he give you, Izzy?" Shoka asked her freckled boyfriend.

"Oh, right. He said I earned it for my performance during the sports festival." Izuku dug through his pocket, producing the envelope Nezu gave him earlier. He quickly tore along the top edge and pulled out two tickets. "Huh... tickets for the I-Island Expo."

"I didn't even realize they gave those out that freely," Melissa remarked, honestly confused by Izuku having the tickets.

"But Nezu said you wouldn't need them." Momo brought a finger to her chin, lightly tapping it as she mulled over the chimera's words and actions. "He could mean that another opportunity would come along. I know my parents receive tickets every year, one for the both of them and then an extra for me should I want it. I don't believe they are planning on attending this year, so I might be able to convince them to pass their tickets along to me."

"Nezu does seem like the type to know who’s who in things like this," Shoka sagely remarked.

Melissa, while only having a limited interaction with the Hero University dean, found herself believing the trio’s offhanded remarks about him. And if she were honest, it was terrifying how much he seemed to know. She shook her head, banishing the terrifying thoughts about a possibly omniscient white furred chimera.

Right now, she wanted to think about how she would have the chance to spend time with Izuku, Shoka, and Momo and show them around I-Island in a few weeks.

"Well, I'm just glad I'll get to see you all sooner than expected," Melissa chirped happily. "I guess this can kind of count as a first group date for us."

Momo nodded with an excited smile on her face. "And there is, of course, the formal dinner on the first night of the expo." There was a bright gleam in her eye as she faced Izuku and Shoka. "We'll need to go shopping for dresses and a suit for you, Zuzu."

Izuku slumped his shoulders. "But I have a suit."

Momo and Shoka gave him unamused stares, which caused Melissa to chuckle at the by-play happening on her screen.

"Yes, you do, but if I'm honest, Zuzu, it's rather... dated. The one I purchase for you will replace it soon enough. It does little to bring out your shining emerald eyes and clashes with your fluffy locks," Momo continued.

"Sooooo." The trio turned their attention to Melissa. "Should we coordinate, or can I still use the dress I bought earlier? My dad is one of the key speakers this year, so I had to be prepared."

"We'll coordinate with you," Shoka said. "No reason to throw away your look when we can adjust ours to work with yours. Just send me or Momo a pic and we'll figure it out"

Melissa shot the gray-eyed hero student a thumbs-up. "You got it."

Izuku shook his head fondly, accepting the situation for what it was and rolling with it. "We'll get back to you later, Melissa. We only have a few minutes to get to class and we don't want Aizawa-sensei to get on our case."

"No worries, Izu." Melissa shooed her hand at the camera. "Go on, shoo! Go and be good students."

"Yeah, yeah, senpai," Shoka remarked with a playful smirk. "Later, Melissa."

"We will speak again soon," Momo added with a friendly wave goodbye.

Melissa's phone returned to the home screen as her friends-turned-significant others, ended the call. She just stared at the background image of her and her father, taking in everything that had happened in the last ten minutes. As she leaned back into her lab chair, Melissa let out a long sigh.

"They said yes." A bright, beaming smile broke out on her face. "They accepted me."

Her mind then went to Nezu's offer. It was rather generous, and one that meant he put his faith in her. Not many Hero Schools would be willing to accept someone who is Quirkless into a Hero Program. Getting into the Support and Business Courses? Yes, easy enough.

Most schools were just hesitant to give a Quirkless individual the chance. Even back in the States, it was rare to hear about a Quirkless Hero, but they did appear every so often and did good work, even if they weren’t well known.

They just had to work harder and smarter.

Something Melissa was willing to do.

"Uncle Might said it would be difficult," Melissa said aloud. "But he believes in me, and so do Izu, Shoka, and Momo."

Melissa sat up straight and turned to her computer. She opened a folder named 'Open Projects' and scrolled through her files before finding another folder. The mouse cursor hovered over the file as Melissa took a moment to gather her thoughts. Soon, blueprints appeared on the screen, each one a small piece to a larger puzzle.

She smiled at the thought that these plans would come to life. Years spent developing a dream, countless hours dedicated to redesigning every aspect when new materials were made available, many sleepless nights running numbers and simulations while making rudimentary versions of the support gear to make sure everything worked to scale. All of that work would now come to fruition.

‘I’ll need to let Dad know,’ Melissa thought as she closed the project folder. It made sense to tell him as soon as possible, but then she remembered that recently, he had been coming rather stressed. At first, Melissa thought it was because he was a key speaker for the expo and also presenting several projects alongside his partner and team, but things like that rarely bothered her father.

No, there was something else on his mind that seemed to weigh heavily on his mind. Melissa thought back to when he started showing signs of something being wrong. The earliest that came to mind was about a few days after he talked with Uncle Might.

She had noticed that his partner, Sam, hadn't visited since then either.

Deciding to tell him tomorrow when he had a day off from the lab and preparations for the expo, Melissa turned her attention to another project she had on her mind. Looking through her files, she found what she was looking for. Clicking the folder, she brought up a blueprint of Izuku's headset, followed by an amplifier she designed based on old notes made by her and Izuku's father.

“It’s possible to overclock his Quirk, utilizing its energy. The issue is giving it a way to release that boosted energy safely.” Melissa looked through the readings Izuku provided her, both before and after gaining One for All. With the extra boost One for All provided him, her idea was to break through his Quirk’s limits and provide more power to his Psychs should he need it.

The issue was, as she said, a safe way to release that energy without it blowing up in Izuku's face.

“He’ll probably only use this boost for a select few of his Psychs, like Excalibur and Orbit, based on how frequently he uses them.” As she verbalized her thoughts, the blonde realized where to start. “A glove that can take the amplified energy and act as the conductor and release point!”

Something else came to her mind just then. Moving over to one of her lockers, Melissa took out a small metal box, cradling it in her hands like precious cargo. She moved back to her central workbench and set the box down, undoing the latch to reveal a red, twisted bracelet tucked inside a black cushion.

Melissa took out a small hairband from her pocket and pulled her long, wavy hair into a ponytail. She then took the bracelet out of its box and examined it with a critical eye as her thoughts ran a mile a minute. "The Condenium can handle a good deal of recoil, but Izu isn't going to be throwing hard hitting punches like Uncle Might just yet." Moving back to her computer, she brought up a design program and got to work.

The image of a specialized gauntlet formed in her head, one that would fit Izuku's needs while giving him an edge. While she could only make one gauntlet for him for now, it was a start.

----------

A set of white-furred paws lept off the docked ship within one of I-Island's docks. The unexpected passenger of the ship watched the workers as they moved crates and supplies off of the ship. After a moment of watching the back and forth, the furry passenger left the docks, drawing the eyes of one dock worker who noticed its presence.

"Hey! Who let a cat down here?"

Ignoring the confused workers, the cat slipped past an open gate and ran up a ramp leading to the city-proper. The scent of the ocean assaulted its nose as the evening sun shined down from the bright blue, open skies, bathing its cream-colored fur in a warm light.

The cat looked at its surroundings, taking in the sight of the sleek, advanced city. A cacophony of sounds grabbed its attention down the street. Several citizens of the island were directing another group of workers, setting up for the upcoming expo. While the cream-colored cat didn't know why they were working, its attention shifted as the scent of freshly cooked food wafted in the air.

Moving down the street, the cat came across a small ramen stall. Sniffing the air, the cat took several careful steps closer as it picked up the scent of freshly cooked meat.

"Hey! How is Melissa's order coming along?" Came the voice of one of the cooks working in the stall's tiny kitchen.

"Almost done. Finishing up her noodles now," answered the other. "Been a while since she ordered this."

The first cook shrugged. "You know her. She must be holed up in her lab working on something."

The cat listened in on them, mostly to keep track of them as it inched closer to a piece of chicken sitting on the counter. When one of the cooks turned their back, the cat lunged for the chicken and darted off behind the stall.

It happily ate its meal, devouring the piece of meat with gusto, when a man on a scooter drove up to the stall. The cat bit down into its meal and darted behind a pile of trash as the scooter's rider called out to the cooks, "I'm here for the order!"

"Comin' up!" One cook emerged from the stall and handed the rider a tightly sealed container.

Even then, the cat could smell a delectable aroma. It lapped out its tongue, tasting the air as the deliveryman tucked the container safely into a bag on the back of his scooter. Once the food was secured, the deliveryman kicked up his stand, revved his engine and began making his way down the street.

Along with an extra passenger as the cream-colored cat had leaped onto the bag as soon as he left. A rush of wind ran through the cat's fur as the scooter raced down the streets. At the pace the scooter was going, the cat and deliveryman found themselves at the laboratories of I-Island's university.

The deliveryman set his stand and turned to grab the container of food when he finally noticed his passenger. He moved his hands in a shooing motion, though the cat barely reacted. "Hey. You can't be bumming a ride off me. Shoo!"

The cat stared at the man, making him feel rather small. As the doors to the labs opened, the cat hopped off the bag and darted under some bushes near the entrance. The deliveryman rubbed the back of his head, but put the cat out of his mind as Melissa exited the building, now in a pair of navy-blue coveralls with the top half worn and wrapped around her waist, revealing a slightly dirty shirt.

She quickly handed the deliveryman the payment for her meal, plus a generous tip, and took her food back inside within seconds.

"Thank you!" She popped her head back out the doors, remembering her manners before disappearing back inside.

With the cream-colored cat trailing after her.

Dumbfounded at how fast everything moved in the last minute, the deliveryman shook his head, choosing to focus on his next job, instead.

Inside the building, Melissa had returned to her personal lab and made her way to her central workbench, with her unintended furry companion slipping past the closing door. As Melissa switched between working and eating, the cat found itself a perch, watching the blonde engineer with keen, blue eyes.

An hour had passed since it began its observations. The cat made note of several tools that Melissa used and where she put them. It grew more and more interested the more it watched, even leaving its initial out of the way perch to get a closer look as Melissa assembled several components together, making the frame of a piece of gear.

Melissa held two ends of the emerging frame together in her gloved hands and looked around her desk. “Where did I put the soldering gun?” With her free hand, she shifted around several notes, hoping to find the tool she needed without having to let go of her grip on the frame.

A muffled meow came from her right, and Melissa turned her head to it. The cream-colored cat was sitting on her desk, its extremely fluffy tail waving excitedly as it held the soldering gun by the grip in his mouth.

Melissa couldn't help but smile at her surprise assistant and accepted the soldering gun with an appreciative smile. "Thanks for that."

She took a second to get a good look at the cat. Its cream-colored fur was a little dirty, indicating that it might have been a stray. Despite that, it was fluffy, mostly around its tail, collar and the sides of its jowls. Inquisitive blue eyes stared into hers with Melissa, noting a unique detail with the cat’s fur. Around its eyes were patches of white, with a small strip across the bridge of its muzzle connecting the two patches, making it seem like the cat was wearing a pair of glasses.

Melissa turned her attention back to her work and quickly soldered the pieces of the frame together. Nodding her approval, Melissa turned back to the cat who studied the project. Seeing that the cat appeared to be rather thin, Melissa looked at her half-full bowl of ramen as an idea struck her.

"I know it's not cat food, but I'm sure there's something I can give you while you're here." Looking around, Melissa found a clean bowl she was using to keep a bunch of nuts and bolts together. Dumping the contents into another container, she then scooped out a couple of noodles and a generous helping of pork and placed it into the bowl.

"Here you go," she said, placing the bowl in front of the cat, who accepted the meal with an enthusiastic meow.

Melissa smiled as she watched the cat devour its small meal. Still feeling a bit peckish herself, Melissa took her bowl into her hands. While her ramen had grown cold, it was still warm enough for her to enjoy it with her new companion.

Once the two finished their meals, Melissa moved the bowls out of the way and gave the cat an inquisitive look. "Want to stick around?"

The cat moved over to the blonde engineer, rubbing its head against her body. Melissa responded by gently petting the cat with a smile on her face.

"Alright then," she said as she sat back down at the workbench. Looking over her project, she sent the cat another curious look. "Think you can be my assistant for a bit, too?"

The cat displayed another sign of intelligence and gave Melissa an affirmative meow, ready to aid her.

- MELISSA'S LAB, I-ISLAND, TUESDAY -

Melissa slept soundly at her desk, her light snores filling the air as the cream-colored cat laid next to her, releasing a series of soft purrs. Books and single page notes littered the engineer’s central workbench, with bare bone components scattered across the room. A pair of bowls teetered near the edge of Melissa’s workbench, remnants of yesterday’s dinner sitting in a small, cold pool of broth at the bottom of one while the other appeared thoroughly licked clean.

This was the sight that David Shield stumbled upon when he came to check up on his daughter. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight as it reminded him too much of his early days starting out at Toshinori's support tech.

He carefully stepped across the room, not wanting to ruin any of the various notes and blueprints that covered the floor as he made his way over to his daughter. Once he was close enough, he gently nudged her shoulder, causing her to rouse from her slumber.

"Rise and shine, Melissa," he said softly.

The blonde engineer stared groggily at her father, her brain taking several seconds to note his presence. "Oh. Morning, Dad." Her eyes scanned her desk, looking for her glasses, which she set aside before laying her head down. The cream-colored cat woke up during the search, causing Melissa to apologize. The cat didn't seem bothered, and even went to fetch Melissa her glasses, which she took gratefully. "Thanks, girl."

David huffed in amusement. "It's been a while since you've pulled an all-nighter," he said. "I also don't remember you getting a cat."

Melissa turned to the cat in question and gave it a soft pat. "It just sorta happened. I don't think she belongs to anyone, and she's been a rather helpful assistant."

David let out a hum and took another look around the room. His eyes landed on the skeletal frame of a gauntlet resting on the middle of her workbench, and he grew curious about it. "So, what's the project this time?"

Melissa raised her arms and stretched, releasing a satisfied sigh as her bones popped. "I finally have a good idea for that support gear for Izu. Him, Shoka, and Momo are going to be coming to the expo, so I wanted to have this ready to surprise him."

As David studied the frame, he latched on to one thing in particular that his daughter said. "Izu, huh?" He turned to look at her and saw that she froze up. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Um... Well.” Melissa twirled a lock of her hair with her finger, struggling to not make eye-contact with her father. She knew this would be slightly awkward to explain to him, on top of telling him about Nezu’s offer. “I may have kinda sorta startedarelationshipwithIzuku,Shoka,andMomo.”

David stared at his daughter, waiting for his brain to process what he heard. “Oh.”

Melissa gave him a sheepish smile while waiting for the rest of his response.

“And… This is something you want?” David asked.

Melissa gave him a firm, confident nod. “Yes.”

The elder Shield didn’t reply right away. Instead, he stared at his daughter’s expression with a critical eye. Melissa didn’t falter. With a hum, David just smiled and turned his attention back to her project. “Alright, then.”

Melissa blinked owlishly at her father, her mouth agape as she tried to respond to his complete acceptance on the matter. “Just like that?”

David nodded. “Yep. Just like that. Toshi vouches for him, plus I remember all the stories Hisashi shared about him when he was a kid. That, and you’ve been smiling more ever since you started talking to him again.” David turned around, looking his daughter in the eye as a fond smile formed on his face. “It’s the same smile you had when the two of you were pen-pals. Shoka and Momo seem like a pair of nice young women too, and you seem to enjoy”

Hearing his explanation caused Melissa to sigh in relief. “Although…” She tensed up as she realized he hadn’t finished saying his piece. “I do find it odd. I honestly didn’t think you would be open to a relationship like that.”

David turned back around to look at Melissa. "But you are an adult and you can make your own decisions." He brought his daughter into a hug. "As long as you are happy, then so am I."

Melissa wrapped her arms around David, squeezing him tightly as an elated smile appeared on her face. "Thanks, Dad." The blonde engineer decided that there was no better time than now to bring up Nezu's offer. "There is something else..."

David pulled back, holding on to Melissa's shoulders as he looked her in the eye, a knowing smile on his face. "Nezu sent you an offer."

Melissa blinked at that, the gears in her mind turning. Suddenly, she remembered her earlier talk with Izuku, Shoka, and Momo. "Alright. That tracks. I take it he sent you an email, too?"

"Yeah. I read it last night. Took some time to think about it before coming here to talk to you about it," David answered. He gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze. "Again, you're an adult, Melissa. You can make your own decisions."

He stepped back and moved over to her desk, gesturing to her computer. "So, how about you show me this suit you've been working on?"

"Of course you know about that, too," Melissa grumbled. She moved over to the desk and sat down, tapping away at her keyboard and bringing up her personal project file as her furry assistant climbed onto her shoulder. "How long?" She asked, curious about her father's answer.

"For a while. You've had the habit of falling asleep at your workbench with your notes scattered around for years." David turned and gestured around the messy laboratory, while giving his daughter a cheeky smirk. "I was curious what you were working on one day and saw the notes in your personal work journal."

He turned his attention back to the computer, pointing to the blueprint for a pair of sleek, armored boots. "And I recognize these designs. I remember when you would come to me with the most random engineering questions some days, asking me about certain applications or references to work with."

Melissa hummed in thought, tilting her head at her father's words.

David looked fondly at her. "You weren't exactly subtle about it. Your mom was the same."

"I vaguely remember her saying that she just didn't have time for bullshit," Melissa replied. She also remembered her mother saying that if she didn't make the first move, she might have lost out on the chance to be with her father.

Granted, it was only a week after her parents met that her mother asked her father out, so blunt would probably be the best word to describe her. That, and determined, but mostly blunt.

David broke out into a fit of laughter. "Yeah. That was her, alright."

Melissa felt her father place a hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Even though it had been six years since her passing, both of them still felt the loss that the Shield matriarch left in their hearts when she passed.

It was one reason Melissa was hesitant to bring up the offer to become a Support Hero. She didn’t want to cause her father any more worry. She didn’t want to leave him alone. But his words echoed through her mind. He accepted she was her own person. In fact, he easily accepted everything.

She smiled, relief washing over her as she pulled up more of her blueprints for her and her father to look over.

David let out an impressed hum as he scanned over every little detail behind Melissa's blueprints. The suit itself was well designed, though he concluded that was mostly due to his daughter spending years refining every aspect. The suit itself was a high-end bodysuit, designed in a way to provide light protection with maximum mobility. To offset the low defense, there were a pair of gauntlets, boots, hip and back plating, a chest piece with two pauldrons connected to it, and a helmet added to its design. Each piece was sleek in its design, with features included that would ensure Melissa was on par with low to mid-tier Quirks, at the least.

"What sort of offensive or capture capabilities do you have?" He asked, still studying the blueprints.

Melissa moved to another folder, bringing up a new file, which displayed a unique-looking handgun. David didn't show any sort of reaction to it, having designed a few firearms himself for several heroes state-side. It made sense to him that his daughter would design something to give her even the slightest edge.

He read through her notes and ran over every detail of its mechanics and inner-workings. The weapon itself was capable of several firing modes, though none were inherently lethal. Even the Pro Hero, Snipe, saved lethal rounds for situations that desperately required them. His other rounds were similar to what Melissa had designed her hers, ways to capture, wear out, or incapacitate villains.

David gave his daughter a proud nod. "Nice work, Melissa." He peered at her out of the corner of his eyes. "How much testing have you done with some of these?"

"Everything has been tested thoroughly, at least individually. I used a lot of them for several projects for my classes, but I made them in a way that they can be used in conjunction with one another without major overlap or conflict," Melissa explained seriously.

David turned his attention back to the screen, bringing a hand up to his bearded chin. After studying each blueprint one last time, he turned back to Melissa with an eager smile on his face. "Well. We better get started. We should be able to finish this before you have to leave."

Melissa smiled but hesitated. "But what about the expo? You're still pretty busy with that, right?"

The elder Shield sighed as his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "It'll be fine. Everything is going well."

"And what about Sam?" Melissa asked. "He hasn't visited in a while. Is everything alright?"

David winced at the mention of his partner. “We had a minor disagreement a while back. We’ve worked through it...” He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about their last argument a week ago. “At least I hope we did. We’re fine, though. I just had a realization about an old project and Sam didn’t want to let it go.”

Melissa's lips formed a thin line, but she nodded, accepting his answer. She could tell there was still tension between the two and hoped that they worked it all out before the expo.

Clapping his hands, David moved over to the workbench. He took out his credentials and slid it into the scanner. “Now, let’s get started,” he said as he pulled up an extensive list of materials at their disposal. “You have everything measured correctly, yes?”

Melissa's smile brightened as she joined him at her main workbench. "Yeah. Everything is correct on that end. So, you saw in my blueprints, I was thinking of using a kinetic weave for the bodysuit. What do you think?"

"Well, the weave is an excellent base to work with. I see no issues with it, but what were you thinking of the denser areas you noted?"

"Ah, that I did have trouble deciding on. There are plenty of harder materials I could use, but it comes down to cost and trade off. Ablative ceramic plating for the hard-suit is what I’m leaning towards."

Meow~

"Good point, assistant."

It would be several hours before the father-daughter engineering pair and feline would leave Melissa's laboratory, but both would have a bright smile on their faces when they did. It was the beginning of a new direction in Melissa's life, and she had a little over five weeks to have her project ready to take her first steps forward.

- IZUKU'S ROOM, WEDNESDAY -

"Alright. How do you usually make a Psych?" Yoichi asked.

Music filled the air as Izuku sat on the floor next to Eri with a sketchbook in his lap. BK had joined them, taking his place on Izuku’s bed so he could watch them draw.

Tapping the eraser-end of his pencil against his chin, Izuku considered his words carefully, wanting to make sure that the past wielders understood his process.

'Well, first I need to have a good idea of the Psych I am making. Like, for Vitali-Tea, I needed to have something that could heal me if I ever needed it,' he explained. 'The Psychs themselves have a baseline, but even then, some take that baseline and change it. Vitali-Tea heals me, but it gave me two uses and has a set requirement of recharging fully at midnight.' He paused, still trying to make sense of his Psych setting such a limit.

If Izuku was being honest, it was probably because he never initially set a limit to what the Psych could do, and so his Quirk may have applied a safe-guard for him.

"Got it!" Banjo said excitedly. "Well then, let Uncle Banjo tell you how Black Whip works."

As Izuku listened to Banjo's explanation, Eri stared at her own sketchbook. She was deep in her own thoughts, trying to figure out what she wanted to draw. After her lessons with Nezu and watching Izuku and the others trained with All Might, Izuku told Shoka and Momo that he was going to work on a new Psych. When he had explained to Eri what he was going to do, she opted to join it.

Now, she coming up as blank as the page in front of her.

The sounds of light scratching came from her right, prompting her to look towards the noise. Izuku's pencil glided across the page, filling it with sketches of a freckled rabbit wearing goggles on its head in different poses, with black tendrils of energy emerging from its paws. Eri's eyes sparkled at the sight of the little stylized rabbit, and she found herself watching Izuku as he worked.

Several minutes had passed as Eri sat perfectly still, her eyes following every movement of Izuku's pencil as it moved across the page. Izuku saw it out of the corner of his eye as the corners of his lips slowly tugged into a smile when she turned back to her sketchbook and attempted to draw her own little rabbit.

As it now his turn to watch another artist at work, the vestiges added their own commentary.

"So, if anything happens to the bunnicorn, we will riot," Nana stated. "This is just too cute."

Banjo huffed, almost as if disbelieving that Nana’s statement even needed to be said. “Yep. I’m willin' to fight the world if something happens to her.”

"Fourthed. It will be the only time I will accept a life of villainy," Hikage added.

"Did you just say, 'fourthed'? Don't you mean seconded?" En asked.

"No." Izuku could just imagine a ghostly hand pointed to someone else at the moment. His imaginings were proven true as Hikage continued to speak. "Because Two is over there."

All was quiet within Izuku's mindscape. Even he had to take a moment to let Hikage's joke settle.

"Booooooooo," Banjo and En cried out together, their voices amplified within Izuku's mind.

The Izuku just shook his head at the antics of his spiritual latch-ons and turned his attention to the little girl on his left. “What are you drawing, Eri?”

Eri didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stared at the sketchbook on the floor. Her red eyes darted from it to Izuku before landing on his sketchbook. Her tiny hand moved and pointed to the rabbit on the page as she spoke. “I wanted to draw a rabbit like yours.”

Izuku smiled as he looked at her sketchbook. The rabbits were crude, with messy lines that were slightly smudged in spots, but each had the child-like charm he expected to see. After all, he didn’t think Eri was going to be a master artist. He sure wasn’t when he was a kid drawing all kinds of heroes.

Mostly All Might.

One rabbit had a fluffy tail than the others, while some had larger ears, with some being lopsided. Some were alone while others were in pairs, with one rabbit being bigger than the other. There was one that even had a very fluffy collar that took up most of its body.

None of them were completed, though, as Eri seemed dissatisfied with her work.

There was one rabbit pair that caught Izuku’s attention. It was a scene with a freckled rabbit handing a smaller rabbit with a tiny horn on its head an apple. The freckles on the larger rabbit were askew and one set was missing a freckle, but it was obvious she tried to replicate his rabbit.

“I think I like this one the best, so far,” Izuku said, pointing to the drawing.

He swore that the corner of Eri’s lips tried to curl upward after hearing him. Her mouth was wobbly, her cheeks resistant to the movements. Her failed attempt at a smile faded quickly though, as her voice went quiet, tentatively speaking just above a whisper. “R-really?”

“Yeah. I really do, Eri,” Izuku replied.

“But it’s not as good as yours,” she weakly argued.

“And that’s fine.” Eri looked up at him, her eyes wide as she listened to him intently. “I wasn’t really good when I was a kid.”

Izuku looked at her, his emerald green eyes going soft as he patted her head. “It just takes time and practice.” Eri gave him a slow nod, understanding what he meant. “If you want, I can show you some tricks I learned to make it easy to draw rabbits like me,” he offered.

Eri’s mouth opened, her red eyes sparkling as she nodded furiously.

Izuku chuckled. He looked back at his sketches, eyeing each one before he focused on one in particular. He tapped Ego with a finger and Banjo's ethereal form was soon floating behind him. ‘Banjo?’ He asked?

“Yeah. I dig it,” Banjo said after considering it for a few seconds, a beaming smile on his face.

Izuku nodded, marked the sketch with a check-mark, and turned to a fresh page.

“So,” he said, bringing the tip of his pencil to the page. “First, you want to draw a circle for the rabbit’s head.”

Eri followed along, taking in his instructions as she copied his movements. Every line he drew, she replicated to a degree. His instructions were simple, though, and her drawing came out cleaner than her other ones. After several minutes, she was staring proudly at a still rough drawing of two rabbits, one freckled and one with a horn, with an apple in their paws.

- 1-A's CLASSROOM, THURSDAY -

The air was tense.

Shoto stared blankly at Shoka, who maintained a hard glare with narrowed eyes. Shoto ignored her and instead shifted his focus onto Izuku and Momo, who tried to avoid looking him in the eye.

Watching on with rapt attention was Kyoka, Iida, Shinso, and Himiko, who joined them for their lunch in the classroom after finishing up the first half of her remedial lessons for the day. The group had been meeting in the classroom to eat together to keep Eri company, as they didn't want to overwhelm her with the noisy, crowded cafeteria.

"So, I was right, yes?" Shoto asked as he ate his cold soba.

Shoka's face scrunched up into an annoyed glare, while Izuku and Momo both turned to look at the same wall that was suddenly very interesting. Eri sat on Momo's lap this time, right next to Izuku at his desk, and munched on an apple as she tried to understand what was happening.

"Ugh! Fine!" Shoka groused. "Yes, you were right, you freakin' conspiracy nut."

Himiko looked back and forth between Shoka and Shoto before leaning in close to Shinso. "What's going on?"

Shinso pointed at Izuku and answered her dryly. "Izuku and them now have another girlfriend."

Himiko mouth a silent 'Oh'. Once she was caught up, a wide, fanged smile broke out on her face as she now could enjoy the show with her meal.

Kyoka grumbled into her bottled drink. "I knew we should have taken bets."

There was a minuscule, triumphant smile on Shoto's face at Shoka's admittance, which earned a pout from the gray-eyed young woman.

"Honestly, based on the evidence, it was only a matter of time," said Shoto. "She fits the pattern."

"You know," Kyoka said, getting the group's attention. "I don't think we've actually met Melissa. You guys talk about her all the time and I know she helps with some stuff for Greenie and Shoka, but that's about it."

"I've met her," Shinso stated while drinking coffee from his thermos.

Kyoka gave him a deadpan stare before pointing her fork at him. "Correction. Indy's met her. Not us, though. Feels like we're missing out."

Izuku, Shoka, and Momo stared at Kyoka, comprehending her correct statement.

Iida chimed in next. "I would be more worried about the logistics of the matter. After all, I recognize her name. Her father is a renowned engineer on I-Island, correct?" Izuku nodded. "Then I am correct in assuming that she is there as well? How would you all cope with the distance?"

Shoka waved off his concern. "That's a non-issue. She told us on Tuesday that she accepted Nezu's offer to bring her here to be a Support Hero."

"So we're getting two new coursemates?" Shinso asked.

Himiko had the decency to blush while giving him a mad grin. "Aw~, you believe in me that much, Hitoshi?"

Shinso just stared blankly at her. "Obviously."

Himiko immediately jumped into his lap and glomped onto him, cackling wildly as she did.

Ignoring the dynamics of the energetic blood-sucker and her caffeine-filled food bank, Kyoka, Iida, and Shoto turned their attention back to the throuple. Shoto was the one to speak up first. "So, when should we expect her?"

Momo was the one to answer him. “Sometime after our summer break. We will be meeting with her during the I-Island Expo, though. Speaking of...” She turned to look at Kyoka. “Kyoka, I happen to have a spare ticket to the event. Obviously, I am taking Shoka along and I thought to offer you the chance to join us.”

The punkette considered the offer, but paused and pointed one of her jacks at Izuku. "Shouldn't you be taking that spot?"

Izuku shook his head. “I actually have an offer to join All Might on the way. Since Mr. Shield was his first sidekick, All Might is close to Melissa. She calls him Uncle Might, after all. Since he was the one to reintroduce us, he thought he might as well extend the offer since he’ll be going to the expo as well.”

"Speaking of." Izuku dug through his backpack and pulled out the envelope with the tickets he earned for the sports festival. "Shinso? Do you and Himiko want these? I don't really need them anymore."

Shinso and Himiko stared at the envelope before sharing a look. Shaking their heads, Shinso spoke for the both of them, "Nah. It's fine. Himiko and I are going to spend a week to ourselves before the actual break to work out anything she may need for her exams to join our class."

Izuku nodded with a smile on his face, happy to hear that Himiko was working as hard as she was. With Shinso and Himiko's answer set, he turned to his other two friends. "Shoto? Iida?"

"I appreciate the offer, Midoriya, but I will actually be going to the expo my own way," Iida answered with a grateful smile on his face.

"My father is sending me in his place," Shoto replied, his voice much more monotone than usual.

"Ah..." Izuku sent his friend an understanding look. "Well, I guess I'll offer these up to the others and let them figure it out."

Eri tugged on Izuku's sleeve, drawing his attention to her. "I-Izuku? What will I do?"

There was a desperate plea in her voice that caused Izuku’s heart to ache. He pushed past that and gave her a smile as he gently rubbed her head. “That’s up to you, Eri. All Might-sensei told me that you’re more than welcomed to join us. Or, if you want, my mom has been asking me when she’ll get to meet you.”

Shoka picked things up from there. "You'll get finally meet Mamadoriya, Eri."

"Wouldn't it be Grandmadoriya, now?" Kyoka asked. "After all, Izuku's pretty much been acting like her pops since he rescued her."

Himiko's amber eyes narrowed on the punkette. She knew what Kyoka's game was, and she wasn't about to let her win. "Yeah. He's been a real papa bear."

Kyoka entered a stare down with Himiko, neither of them giving the other an inch. A loud slurp broke them out of their contest as Shoto finished eating a string of noodles. His mix-matched eyes locking on to theirs as he spoke. "Yes. Izuku is a rather perfect example of a good father. Granted, I only have experience with a bad one."

As the three entered into a three-way stare down, Izuku, Shoka, and Momo looked between Iida and Shinso, who both ignored the trio's inquisitive looks and focused on eating their lunch.

In her seat, Eri stared up at Izuku, her eyes wide as she thought about what Kyoka, Himiko, and Shoto had said. Something in her heart stirred as the words echoed through her mind. Father. Papa.

She then remembered how Chisaki often made her call him her father whenever he came to take her away from the police, who listened to her when she first asked for help during her escape attempts.

The word seemed hollow to her, same as the word mother.

But something was different now. Eri looked at Izuku, then to Shoka and Momo. She remembered meeting Melissa yesterday and even she came to Eri’s mind now as the words ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ popped up. Her eyes lingered on Izuku, watching him smile and laugh at something one of his friends had said. The word ‘papa’ rang through her head as she stared at him, finding that same feeling in her heart growing each time.

Izuku seemed to feel her eyes on him, and he turned to look at her. He gave her that same bright smile he had the day he rescued her.

Eri felt another warmth envelop her as the corners of her lips tugged upward, and while she still couldn't smile, she found the movement easier now.

----------

As the day ended and Aizawa left the classroom, Izuku quickly stood up from his desk and made his way to the front of the room. His actions grabbed the attention of his coursemates, who were now curious about what he had to say.

When Izuku reached the teacher’s podium, he cleared his throat and spoke. “I just wanted you all to know that I have a pair of tickets to the I-Island Expo happening in a few weeks. I’m already going to it, so I don’t really need these and the ones I offered them to don’t need them either.”

Shoka, Momo, and the others stood up from their desks, gathered their things and made their way out of the classroom, ready to head off to their electives or back to the dorms. This left the rest of their coursemates paying full attention to Izuku as he set the envelope with the tickets on the podium as he followed them, but not before saying one last thing as he clapped his hands together. "So, I'll leave it to you all to figure out who gets them. Please don't fight, though."

The class was eerily silent as soon as he left. No one dared to make a move. Each and everyone's eyes bounced around the room. One could hear a pin drop if they were in the room.

And then, without a word, nearly everyone erupted from their chairs and raced towards the front of the class. Those in the front believed that victory was assured, as the tickets were easily within their reach.

That was until an actual explosion rang throughout the room and Bakugo soared over everyone and stole that victory with little issue. Everyone froze mid-step, disbelief on their faces as their jaws hung open.

Bakugo ignored them, taking out the tickets to look over them. With a pleased huff, he looked directly at Kirishima, giving him a wild grin. "Oi! Rocky! You're gonna be my extra to this."

Kirishima stared at the ash-blonde before breaking out into a sharp-toothed smile and a cheer. "Hell yeah! Thanks, Bakubro!"

The two quickly strode out of the classroom, leaving the others in their shock.

- TRAINING GROUND BETA OBSERVATION ROOM, FRIDAY -

Eri kicked her feet as she sat in a rather comfortable chair as she waited for the video call to connect. While she waited, she looked around the dim room. 1-A were all dressed in their hero costumes, ready to tackle their next Heroics-101 lesson. Aizawa had called Izuku and Momo over to discuss something, leaving Eri alone with BK sitting on her lap. She had asked Izuku if she could talk with Melissa for a bit, and the rabbit-themed hero student obliged her.

As Eri was busy looking around the room, Izuku's phone chimed, letting Eri knew that the call connected. Melissa's visage appeared on the screen, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail, her face covered in grease and dirt but with a bright smile on her face as she recognize who was on the other side of the call. "H-hi, Ms. Melissa," Eri said with a friendly yet shy wave at Izuku's phone.

"Hey, Eri. How are you doing?" Melissa asked.

Eri nodded her head. "I-I'm doing good. Is TK with you?"

"Yeah." Right as Melissa replied, the cream-colored cat leaped onto her shoulder. "She's right here."

BK let out a pleased meow, raising its paw once he spotted its new distant friend, with TK mirroring his actions.

"And how is your little assistant?" Shoka asked as she joined Eri.

“Helpful as always.” Melissa answered as she affectionately scratched TK’s chin. “The best assistant I could have ever asked for.” She shot Shoka an amused look. “I will say she seems just as excited about these calls as I am. I think she really likes seeing BK, RK, and SK.”

"Well, they say animals resemble their humans," Shoka replied with a shrug. "Our Kats were pretty much setting the example for Izuku, Momo, and me. I guess Tinker is picking up on what's going on with us."

"Huh. Go figure." Melissa looked at her furry assistant with a contemplative look on her face. She turned her attention back to the little girl holding the phone. "So, Eri. Have your classes been?"

Eri's lips formed a thin, warbly line at the question. "U-um. They're good. Mr. Nezu, the nice mouse man, helps me with my numbers and my letters." Eri turned more animated as she spoke, a sliver of excitement growing with each word. "He even helped me learn to write my name! A-and Izuku's and BK's!"

Melissa listened to the little girl with rapt attention. "That's awesome, Eri," she said. "You'll have to show me next time."

Eri nodded excitedly at the idea. "O-oh! Then, after my lessons, Izuku and me draw together. He even showed me how to draw a rabbit like he does!" She lost a little of that spark just then. "I don't have the picture with me, though. But!" Her excitement returned as she remembered an offer Izuku made. "Izuku says we're going to hang it up in my room after we paint it. He said he asked Nezu if we could paint a wall like his later."

As Eri and Melissa chatted, with Shoka adding her own commentary, the rest of their friend group watched from across the room.

Himiko, who joined the class to watch today’s lesson and exercise to gain some experience, brought her hands to her cheeks, pushing them upward as a fanged smile broke out on her face. “Aw~ I want just want to hug her. She’s so cute!” She squeed happily.

Shinso nodded along. "It's nice to see her be a bit more open."

That was something everyone had noticed. Eri was much more open about talking with others than she had been earlier in the week, mostly those that were close to Izuku or who BK vetted. Shoka, Momo, and now Melissa, were close seconds, with the rest of the Wildkat friend group being third, along with Aizawa, surprisingly. Everyone else in 1-A came last in that last, though Eri still flinched whenever she saw Tokoyami, but the bird-headed hero student accepted her hesitance with quiet grace and kept his interactions with her brief.

Izuku had come to his aid with the reminder that Eri liked apples, and Tokoyami, along with Dark Shadow, made sure that they had an apple on hand to give to her to help put her at ease whenever he was near.

"Has Izuku learned anything else about her case?" Shoto asked.

Shinso shook his head. "No. He's being kept on a very limited need-to-know basis. Aizawa-sensei told him that someone in charge of the investigation made it that way."

Kyoka quirked a brow at that. "Shouldn't Greenie at least know a bit more because of how attached to him Eri is? Like, he obviously cares about her safety. Wouldn't keeping him out of the loop make it harder to protect her?"

"You'd think," Shinso replied. "But you have to remember that Eri is technically a ward of U.A., Izuku's just someone Eri feels the most comfortable around."

Shoto spared a glance at Shinso. "Who's the person in charge of the investigation?"

"Sir Nighteye," the Mind Controller stated. "The problem is, Eri is a part of something much bigger."

Iida looked over at Izuku and Momo, who were still discussing things with Aizawa. "How do you know that?"

"Aizawa told him, obviously," Shinso said with a flippant wave of his hand. "Sakurane, Yaoyorozu and I happened to be with him at the time, so we learned about it too."

That was a half-truth. They only knew because they know the distant connection Izuku shared with Sir Nighteye.

Shoka thought it was just Nighteye being a dick about things. They had learned from All Might that Nighteye pushed forward his own candidate to receive One for All, but All Might denied him, though he still met with the student out of courtesy.

Momo tried arguing for the hero's case, stating that operational security in a case this large was important. She still voiced her displeasure that Izuku would only be given the bare minimum of information to work with, however.

Shinso didn't have much of an opinion on the matter. He understood both sides, but thought there might be something else to it.

Izuku, surprisingly, was accepting of the situation, albeit hesitantly. He had said that he would save his opinion on the matter until after he met Sir Nighteye face to face. Apparently, Aizawa had told Izuku something Nighteye wanted to be shared with him, and that caused Izuku to be more willing to accept what was happening.

All Izuku said on that matter was that Nighteye cared for Eri's safety and that was enough for Izuku to trust him, even if things between them might be tense because of extenuating circumstances.

"Hey guys. Are you ready for our lesson?" Izuku's voice cut through the air, breaking Shinso from his thoughts as his friend and his owl-themed girlfriend joined them.

Shinso and Kyoka shrugged while Iida gave an enthusiastic nod. "Indeed, I am, Midoriya. What exactly are we doing today? Sensei has been rather quiet about it, hasn't he?"

Izuku bobbed his head. "You'll see." He looked over to Shoka and Eri, seeing the little girl notice him and give him a wave. Izuku returned it and gave his friends a smile. "We'll be starting soon, so get ready."

He dismissed himself and made his way over to Eri, joining in her talk with Melissa. The others turned to Momo, hoping to learn a little more from her.

The Yaoyorozu heiress simply gave them a demure smile. "It will be rather an interesting lesson, though. Even Izuku and I were not told everything by Aizawa-sensei."

The doors to the observation room opened as a loud clamoring followed. 1-A all turned their attention to the doors as their sister class of 1-B entered, lead by their instructor, Vlad King. The excitement in the air was now palpable as several members from each class came together, chatting happily as the others looked on.

Vald King joined Aizawa at the console, giving Eri a curious look before turning his head to his co-worker. "Where's All Might?" He asked.

Aizawa gave him a tired stare. "Going to make a 'memorable' entrance, he said."

Vlad opened his mouth to respond, but then shook his head with an exaggerated sigh. "Of course..."

Aizawa's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of a hard landing outside the room. "Speaking of..."

"I AM HERE!" All Might suddenly burst through the door with a blinding smile on his face. "Ready to teach the first joint-training between our future heroes!"

Even though they were used to No.1 Hero's antics, both classes were just as excited as when he first appeared in their classrooms. He even wore the same costume he did when he first showed up as their instructor. Cape fluttering in the mysterious breeze and everything.

What was different this time, however. Eri watched on with a wonder-filled expression, her eyes sparkling as she clapped her hands in applause.

All Might's blinding smile seemed to shine as bright as the sun when he saw that.

----------

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