Chapter 109 - 15-16

Chapter 15: Rabbit Business

It was a peaceful quiet Sunday morning in U.A. Students were doing their own thing, either sleeping or starting their day. A few of the more driven students were already up and about, working out and preparing for the upcoming Sports Festival. On Ground Omega, however, there was only chaos.

Jumping from tree to tree, blurs of movements shot across the forest area. It was pure mayhem, a battle of speed unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Trees were shaken as blurs would smack or kick against them, never stopping for long, before racing onwards in an unending cycle of disorder and noise. Those blurs were none other than Miruko and Izumi in a frenzied and more violent version of tag.

"Too slow!" Shouted Miruko, finally catching up to the rabbit girl.

Izumi raised her forearms only to be sent flying backwards by a kick. She went straight to a tree, managing to hit it with her feet. However, before she could jump away, Miruko appeared before her, leg ready for a second hit.

There was a deafening crashing sounding.

Miruko looked at the tree in front of her, confused. Her leg had buried into it, and her target was nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, there was a flash of light. From the corner of her eyes, Miruko saw what appeared to be living lightning jumping between the trees. The tables had turned.

"Who's slow now?" Izumi shouted with a grin of satisfaction.

The little bunny girl shot towards Miruko. This time, Izumi felt like she could finally do it: land a hit on the Pro-Hero. Miruko was exposed and surprised. This was it. As it so happened, however, Izumi underestimated Miruko.

The Pro-Hero smirked and braced for the kick. Izumi, her body washed in bolts of lightning, attacked and…

…froze mid-air, with Miruko holding her leg. Izumi could only watch with dawning horror as Miruko's smile stretched to a grin, a smile that promised swift retaliation.

"Sorry, Lil' Bunny, but you lost!"

And that's how Izumi found herself with her face planted on the ground, and with Miruko holding her in a tight immobilizing lock.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, I give up!" Izumi squeaked.

Miruko laughed and got off the rabbit girl, helping Izumi to her feet.

"I was so close…" bemoaned Izumi.

"You did great, Lil' Bunny!" Miruko said, wrapping an arm around the rabbit girl and rubbing her knuckles on Izumi's head. "What in the world was that last bit? It didn't look like your usual power up."

Miruko released Izumi, who proceeded to caress her head.

"Oh, that's new actually," Izumi said. "I call it… Full Cowl. I have to learn to control it, though."

"Full Cowl, huh?" Miruko mused. "Well, keep at it, Lil' Bunny, and you might actually win one of this days… maybe in ten years or more."

Izumi scowled.

"Don't give me that. Where's your determination, Lil' Bunny?" Miruko said, playfully pushing the little rabbit.

"Hey!" Protested Izumi.

The rabbit girl laughed, and nudged the Pro-Hero. Miruko responded with a nudge of her own, which escalated with Izumi shoving the rabbit hero. She immediately started running, and thus a new chase begun around Ground Omega.

A few minutes later, Miruko was once again with a foot stomping on the rabbit girl and looking triumphant.

"You know, you look a lot livelier today," Miruko hummed, as she helped Izumi up. She smirked. "Could it be that… oh, did my niece find a girlfriend?"

"W-what? No!" Squeaked Izumi. "And I am your cousin, not your niece!"

"Nah, I prefer niece," Miruko said, once again rubbing her knuckles on Izumi's head. "So, what gives? Did you and Infinity Girl have some fun last night?"

"No! Nothing like that!" Izumi spluttered. "I just…" she stepped away, free from Miruko's grasp. "I told her about my quirk – the whole boy-to-rabbit girl thingy."

Miruko's eyebrows shot up across her forehead.

"Oh? You did? And how did she react?" She asked, only to frown. "She didn't say anything stupid, did she? Because if she did then I'll-"

"No, no, that's the thing she- she kind of accept me!" Izumi exclaimed.

"That's great, kiddo!" Miruko scratched Izumi's fur, right under an ear.

Izumi immediately reacted by leaning against her hand and enjoying the scratching. Boy did it feel divine…

"Our friendship feels a bit… awkward… but that's kind of expected, right?" Izumi said, reluctantly moving away from Miruko's hand.

"I guess," shrugged Miruko, only to impishly smirk as she continued. "And you didn't confess your little crush on her?"

"I – I – you – no!" Izumi squawked.

"So you do have a crush on her!" Miruko grinned as if Christmas had come early. "Ha, couldn't get any better."

Izumi pulled her ears in frustration.

"It's not like that!" Protested Izumi.

"Right, sure," Miruko rolled her eyes, patting the girl's head.

There was a loud beeping from behind a tree. Miruko hopped over to it, and revealed a hidden backpack. She pulled a cell phone from within, and swore.

"Sorry to break your bubble of joy, Lil' Bunny, but someone came to see you," Miruko muttered.

"See me?" Izumi asked, blinking.

Miruko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yeah… gramps," Miruko said.

Irumi's eyes bulged, promising to pop out from their sockets, and her breath hitched.

"Unfortunately, he might have dragged a few others of my family," said Miruko.

Izumi wasn't sure what to say. What could she say? She hadn't expect to meet that side of her family yet! Couldn't they have given her some preparation?

"Come on, Lil' Bunny, off to meet the family!" Miruko exclaimed.

Before the rabbit girl could do or say anything, the Pro-Hero picked her under her arm and shot off. Izumi held onto Miruko as she sped across the grounds, taking immense leaps, over trees and buildings alike. Finally, they landed outside an apartment complex. Miruko didn't release the rabbit girl, however. She rushed inside, up a flight of stairs jumping on the walls, and straight into one of the apartments.

They were being expected by someone Izumi had yet to meet. It was a redhead of a man, with a mischievous glint in his bright green eyes and crimson fur on his fox ears and tail. His green Hawaiian shirt and loose tie did little to quell Izumi's confusion at the person's presence. Just who was he? And what was up with the chocker and bandages around his wrists?

"Z, where are they?" Asked Miruko, finally letting go of Izumi.

"At the entrance, with the Principal," Z said.

The man's eyes landed on Izumi and a smile stretched on his face. To Izumi's immense shock, the man's form shrunk a bit and his torso morphed. In one smooth transition, the fox man was replaced by an androgynous fox woman.

"You must be Izumi," she said, offering a hand. "I've been meaning to meet with you for a time now."

Izumi numbly nodded, shaking the hand.

She – he – has a quirk like mine? Why did no one tell me?Izumi thought.

The possibilities and questions rushed across her mind. Perhaps she could even get some insight on how best use her form-changing ability.

"I am Miruko's secretary. Call me Z," she said.

"Ehm… ok?" Awkwardly said Izumi.

"You are so adorable, you know that?" Cooed Z.

"Yeah, I kind of get that a lot," mused Izumi.

"Do you know who he brought?" Miruko interrupted, standing between the two. "He didn't bring the entire family, did he?"

"I am not sure," Z said, looking amused. "Please, Fluff, it will be fine!"

"You don't know him," muttered Miruko. "That old buck is as stubborn as a mule, and ten times as crazy." She grabbed Z by the shoulders and shook her a bit. "I am done with scandals, Z. I do not want to hear any crazy news, you hear me?"

Izumi blinked, and the secretary changed forms. Again, the transition was surprisingly smooth and seamless. It made Izumi frown. Just how many forms did she have? Instead of a woman, Miruko held a fox toddler with oversized clothes. As much as it pained Izumi to admit it, it was a very adorable fox toddler.

"Relax, fluff," said the child. "What's the worst that he could do?"

That was when the door to the apartment was slammed open.

"Where is my granddaughter?!"

Izumi, Miruko and Z snapped their heads at the door. There, angrily puffing and huffing, was a petite rabbit man. He truly looked like a male version of Izumi, if only chubbier and with white fur mixed with grey. His eyes were also amethyst, albeit glistened with age and experience. Clad in an overalls, he looked as if he had come straight from a farm… which considering who he was related to, Izumi wouldn't have been surprised if he had.

My biological grandfather, Izumi realized.

The rabbit man, who had just boldly kicked the door open, stood there, dumbfounded. Like Izumi, he stared in disbelief.

"Dad! Damn it dad!"

From behind the rabbit man, a rabbit woman hopped into view, only to freeze much like her father. She was a replica of Izumi, if only older – and a bit fluffier. She did stick out with a colorful summer dress.

My aunt, Izumi thought.

Behind her newly met aunt, three other adults joined in. Differently from the rabbit people, they were human in appearance. One man and woman were like Miruko, with grey rabbit ears, and towering over the elder rabbit man. The third man actually had normal ears, and was the skinniest of the bunch. All of them had tanned skin, evidence of long days under the sun, and white hair, perhaps a trait inherited from their mother.

"Pops?" Miruko called, shocked.

"Hey, Rumi, sorry for dropping in like this, but you know how dad is," sheepishly said the man with rabbit ears.

Miruko took a lot after him, by the looks of it, from the shape of the face to their height. He was rather muscular, yet he did look a bit out of shape. He too wore an overall much like his father. It made Izumi wonder if Miruko hadn't also come from the countryside.

Izumi studied the newcomers, her heart racing like crazy. Her family. These were all related by blood to her one way or another… and she hadn't known until a few days ago. Like her, her family stared at Izumi, studying her from hind paws to rabbit ears.

"Well hello there!" Z chirpily exclaimed, stepping in between the rabbit girl and Usagiyamas. "It is so good to see you all again. Do come in!"

The Usagiyamas did as told, stepping into the room.

"Why in the world did you come here like this, Old geezer?" Asked Miruko.

"Oy, respect your elder, you rascal!" Harrumphed the old rabbit man. "And I came here to meet my granddaughter! How else was I supposed to react?"

"By first giving a call to said granddaughter, maybe?" retorted Miruko.

"Bah, better this way," grunted the old man.

He hopped forward, towards Izumi. The rabbit girl stood there, like a statue, as her newly discovered grandfather took a moment to study her up close.

"Damn, you sure take after me, huh?" Said the old man.

Before Izumi could even formulate a coherent thought, the rabbit man hugged her tightly. Miruko and her uncles exchanged confused faces, shrugging at each other.

"I can't believe I had yet another granddaughter running around all this time!" Said Izumi's grandfather. "Your parent, my child…"

"My mom," Izumi softly squeaked, having a hard time speaking.

"And a daughter too!" said the man with a weary sigh. "A real pity we've just met! I would have loved to have another daughter around at the farm. What's her name?"

"Inko," managed to say Izumi.

"Inko," repeated the rabbit man. "Huh, not a bad name. You'll have to tell me how to find her."

Izumi just nodded.

"Oy, old geezer, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Miruko snorted.

"Have some respect, you runt!" Replied the old rabbit man.

"Make me, old fossil!" Miruko replied with a grin.

"You spunky little troublemaker," harrumphed the old man.

Much to Izumi's surprise, he was smiling, and huffing with mock indignation.

Miruko's uncles and aunts sighed with resignation. Her father, on the other hand, was biting his fist, trying to stop himself from laughing.

"The name is Shin, Shin Usagiyama," said the old rabbit man. "And these are my children."

And that's how Izumi met her uncles and aunts. Before they could speak, however, Z had to make yet another appearance.

"Alright everyone! Here's some tea and cookies!" Exclaimed the secretary.

This time around, though, she wasn't an androgynous woman. Instead, she was a rather well-developed female, one that made Izumi's eyes nearly pop out in surprise. She had not expected another woman form from Z, much less one with such well-endowed features. The pink apron with the words "Kiss the Cook" were an odd thing, however.

"Don't mind her," muttered Miruko. "Slick here loves to play the housewife."

"A girl can dream," giggled Z with faux embarrassment.

"Seriously, you should have gotten hitched already," scoffed Shin. He gave Z an onceover. "She's quite a catch. When are you going to give me great-grandkids?"

"Not gonna happen" "Any day now."

Miruko glared at an innocent looking Z.

"Ehm… Mr. Usagiyama-" Izumi started, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Call me Grandpa, kid," corrected Shin.

"Or old fossil," Miruko cheekily said.

"Hush you," scoffed Shin.

"Yes, Grandpa…" awkwardly continued Izumi. It sounded so weird to call Shin that. "I'm sorry about – ehm – what happened, h-how mom came to be, I mean."

"Oh, forget it, child," Shin huffed. "That's in the past. Yeah, I did not enjoy getting dead drunk and for two women to get their way with me when I get extra horny-"

"Dad!" Protested the other Usagiyamas.

"What? It happens! Geez, they all act as if they don't spend their time in a rut whenever someone isn't watching," harrumphed Shin.

"Dad!" Complained the adults once again.

"Wha'?" Shrugged the old man.

Miruko, by the looks of it, was enjoying her grandfather's presence way more than Izumi had initially expected.

"As I was saying," Shin cleared his throat. "I do not appreciate what your grandmother did. In fact, when I find her, and I will find her, I will give her a piece of my mind. She'll be lucky it has happened way to far ago to press criminal charges. However, you aren't at fault here, though. In fact, your mom, like you, are blessings, no matter the circumstances of her conception."

Izumi smiled. She could only stand there, imagining what it would have been like had she known about the rest of her family. Would they have been more supportive of Izuku? Would they have been a source of comfort? Or would they have added to Izuku's pain? She hated to delve in the past, but she couldn't help pondering on the "what-ifs".

"So, how about we actually learn a bit about you? First, I guess I need to introduce some of my brood," Shin said. He wrapped an arm around Izumi and turned to her aunts and uncles. "Alright, from left to right, they are…"

-.-

Sunday had been weird for Ochaco. Heck, the Monday morning after was still just as weird. With Izumi gone to god-knows-where, Ochaco was left to ponder on recent discoveries. Sadly, not even an entire day after could she make up her mind. How could she?

As Ochaco sat down by the kitchen, food around her, she kept going over that weekend's latest revelation.

Izumi could turn into a boy. That little fact kept repeating and playing in Ochaco's head that Monday morning. Although she smiled, she felt like her emotions were rampaging in her gut, making her queasy and discomforted. How was she even supposed to react? Disgusted? Amused? Perhaps not react at all?

The girl I have a crush on also happens to be a boy,Ochaco thought, only to groan. Why did I have to develop feelings for the most complicated individual in my class?

As if summoned by Ochaco's thoughts, Izumi hopped over to her side. Why did she have to look so damn cute so early in the morning? That happy smile and the way she hopped around didn't help Ochaco with her current debacle.

"Hey, Izumi," Ochaco greeted.

"Hey, Ochaco," replied a rather cheerful Izumi.

The rabbit girl, who hummed a merry tune, jumped onto her seat before giving her friend a bright smile. Ochaco's heart fluttered and she smiled in response, feeling her blood burn hot. Even if she knew the truth of Izumi, Ochaco couldn't stop crushing on the rabbit girl.

The two fell into a silence as they piled food on their plates and got down to eating. They didn't talk, immersed in their own thoughts or perhaps with nothing to say. As it was the ways around the girls' dorm, things rarely stayed silent.

"If it isn't the two lovebirds!"

Ochaco and Izumi couldn't help it. They spew their food and started choking. Opposite them, peeking from the safety of the table and having barely dodged the spewed food, came a pink-skinned demoness. Her Cheshire grin made Ochaco far more flustered than before.

"M-Mina!" Ochaco spluttered, trying to clear her throat.

"What? It is true, isn't it?" Teased Ashido. "I do have to ask, how you got access to the roof?"

"Were you spying me?!" Izumi asked, shocked.

"What? No, of course not," huffed Ashido. "I just have set a few alarms to catch any boys trying to sneak in or out of the dorms. You know, motion sensors, hidden cameras…"

"How in the world did you get all of that?" Izumi asked, only to turn around.

Standing not far from them, an embarrassed Yaoyorozu was twiddling her thumbs, timidly staring at the ceiling. There was a faint blush on her face.

"S-sorry," Yaoyorozu said, averting Izumi's eyes. "We just thought that we needed to put countermeasures against the likes of Mineta."

"You've bugged the dorms?" Izumi squawked.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ochaco asked, indignant.

"Where is the fun on that?" Pouted Ashido.

Behind them, a nervous Jiro cleared her throat. When Izumi and Ochaco glanced at her, she was averting their eyes, embarrassed about something.

"If there is anything you want to tell us you – you know – can tell us," Jiro awkwardly said. "We won't judge."

"Anything?" Izumi and Ochaco repeated, confused. What could they mean by that?

"Yes, we won't judge," Yaoyorozu repeated, equally embarrassed.

The rabbit girl and brunette, though, were at a loss. Just what had they heard? Ochaco wondered if they had actually seen or heard about Izuku. She found it unlikely. The girls would have overreacted had they known, right? Then what could they be alluding to?

Wait, Mina had called them lovebirds, and she had discovered the two had been alone at night. Did they think that Izumi and she went to the roof to- to…?

Ochaco's face lit up.

Oh God, what if they all think we are making out in private and- and that we are an item and… Oh God! Mentally panicked Ochaco.

"It-it wasn't like that!" Ochaco squeaked.

"So what did you do on the roof, huh?" Ashido purred with a smirk. "Go on, tells us! We are all open-minded here. Any secrets you want to share? We won't get mad, I swear!"

"W-we'll tell you if anything comes up," Izumi mumbled.

"Oh, come on," pouted Ashido.

"Mina, enough of that," sighed Jiro.

With another pout, Ashido grumbled and walked away. Izumi and Ochaco were rather surprised by how easy it had been to dissuade Ashido from teasing them further. Jiro and Yaoyorozu shook their heads, but they had yet to meet Izumi and Ochaco's eyes. There was something afoot, and Ochaco had already guessed exactly what (or at least she hoped it was that).

"See you guys later!" Jiro said, dragging Yaoyorozu with her.

The rich girl looked conflicted about something as she was taken away, leaving two confused girls alone. Ochaco and Izumi traded perplexed faces before shrugging and continuing with their meal. Thankfully, there were little to no distractions and, after finishing their breakfast, the two walked out the girls' dorm with a sense of unease.

"Is it just me or are the girls acting different?" Izumi wondered, giving a cute frown. Her eyes widened and she turned to Ochaco, horrified. "Wait, Ashido said hidden cameras. Do you think…?"

"That she saw your – ehm – other face?" Ochaco said, looking around for any eavesdroppers. "I don't think so. She would have said something, right? And so would have the other girls."

"They are acting different, though. I mean, Yaoyorozu didn't try to hug me today," Izumi pointed out.

"Well, yes, but I doubt Mina and Momo managed to put any bugs in the roof. It is usually locked, right?" Ochaco pointed out. "They just think that- that… ehm… y-you see…"

Izumi tilted her head, one rabbit ear raised and the other dropped, in what was without doubt one of Izumi's most adorable faces (or maybe third, in Ochaco's experience; Izumi's placid face when petted was the uncontested number one).

"…they might think we… eh… did stuff?" Ochaco said.

"Stuff as in… wait," Izumi's eyes widened. "They think we made out or- or something?"

The two girls looked at each other, only to look away, flustered.

It was already Monday and the week had already started on the wrong foot, apparently. Sadly, Ochaco got the impression things were about to get worse for her friend. As it so happened, her gut feelings were proven correct.

The way to the school was pretty decent, with a cool breeze and warm sun rays. Ochaco always found their walks to school pleasant enough. That day, though, Ochaco felt rather troubled. She kept glancing at Izumi, who remained worried about her little secret. The brunette wasn't sure how to deal with the latest discovery about Izumi.

Izuku and Izumi… two faces for the same person. One was a timid plain looking boy, the other a cute rabbit girl who was far livelier and, perhaps, bolder. Ochaco had talked with Izuku for a while longer that night, and it felt like she was speaking to an entirely different person. It was so weird…

Izumi's problems began when they approached the school proper. Students of all courses would stop to stare and whisper, openly pointing at Izumi. At first, no one approached them, keeping a weary distance from the pair. Of course, that wouldn't last.

"Hey, is it true? Are you really All Might's daughter?" Someone asked.

"Hey, can I take a picture of you?" another person wondered

"Is Miruko your aunt?" Inquired some random student.

Izumi tried to stay polite. Ochaco wasn't sure how she managed; she knew she would have been overwhelmed had she been in Izumi's shoes. However, they somehow endured the ordeal, and reached 1-A without having to punch anyone. By that point, Izumi's smile had turned strained instead of nervous.

As expected, no sooner had Izumi walked inside the class, some of the boys tried to surrounded her and shoot their own questions. By that point, an annoyed Izumi could only roll her eyes and reply with clear frustration. Yes, she was related to Miruko, no, she wasn't related to All Might and, no, she wasn't related to any other heroes as far as she knew. Luckily for Izumi, a certain someone was ready to put his foot down regarding all the questioning.

"Enough! It is unbecoming of us to trouble a fellow classmate in such a manner!" Bellowed Iida.

"Come on, man, we just want to know," said Sero.

"Understandable. However, we must remain respectful! This is no doubt a hard time for our fellow Class Representative and, thus, we should all be supportive of her!" Proclaimed Iida.

"Thanks, Iida," said Izumi.

Iida gave a smile and a stiff thumbs up. Thankfully, most of her classmates took a hint and tried to treat her as usual. There were, unfortunately, two exceptions: Bakugo and Todoroki.

Bakugo thankfully didn't approach Izumi to do his usual enraged barking. Instead, he fumed and glared at Izumi. Instead of recoiling or remaining hesitant, Izumi actually glared back at the boy. Whatever had happened on Friday, it had managed to drive the wedge between the two even wider. Ochaco couldn't help but feel giddy about it.

That was when a frigid cold teenager decided to stand next to rabbit girl. Izumi looked at Todoroki, frowning, with confusion and somewhat apprehensive.

"Ehm… greetings, Todoroki," Izumi shyly said. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Is it true?" Todoroki coldly asked.

Izumi sighed, exasperated.

"How many times do I have to say it? I am not the daughter of All Might," insisted Izumi.

"That's exactly what the daughter of All Might would claim," Todoroki rebutted, squinting his eyes at her. "Both your quirks are too similar to not be related, and it can't be coincidence he started teaching the same year you joined the school. There are undeniable similarities between the two of you…"

There are? Ochaco wondered.

She studied her crush, trying to spot anything remotely resembling All Might. She was not surprised, nor disappointed, to find nothing like that.

"Believe what you want, Todoroki," Izumi said. "I am not lying. I am not All Might's daughter."

Todoroki remained there, squinting at Izumi. Ochaco held her breath. Should she intervene and help Izumi?

"It matters not," Todoroki finally concluded. "I will defeat you either way..."

The dichromatic teenager, much to Ochaco's (and Izumi's) visible confusion, glared at his left hand. After a few seconds, he unceremoniously turned around and walked away without sparing another word. Izumi groaned and rested her head against her desk.

"Why me?" She bemoaned.

"Don't worry, Izumi. I am sure all this craziness will blow over," Ochaco said.

Izumi gave her a sad smile at her, one which the brunette eagerly returned. Things couldn't stay so crazy for long… right?

Finally, their homeroom teacher made their appearance. At once, every single student of Class 1-A fell silent and sat up straight. They stared dead ahead and waited for Aizawa to reach the teacher's desk.

"Good morning," grumbled the teacher as grumpy and sleep-deprived as ever.

"Good morning, sir," the class chorused.

"Before I begin with roll call, I wanted to take a moment to remind you about tomorrow," Aizawa said, looking exhausted. "Remember, tomorrow we will begin rescue training at the USJ. We might return later than usual, perhaps past six o'clock. I am reminding you in case you had any reservations on battle grounds or plans."

"Why so late?" Asked Kaminari.

"The USJ is a large place, and we will make a quick tour and multiple exercises in each of the areas. You'll understand tomorrow. In the future we will adjust your training to each training zone. Tomorrow, however, we'll have a test that will no doubt consume most of our time,"

"Another test?" Class 1-A groaned in unison.

"Yes, a test," Aizawa testily said. "I expect all of you to behave and go plus ultra, or else..."

…or else, he will expel us, the class thought in unison, shivering with dread.

Aizawa smirked and said no more, moving onto the roll call. After that, classes started without any fanfare and, finally, Ochaco felt a sense of normalcy return. Although she wasn't exactly a fan of schoolwork, she was at least appreciative that Izumi appeared to immerse herself on that rather than all the chaos of school drama.

Classes went by at a steady pace. However, nothing lasted forever and, soon enough, it was lunch time. The weary students of 1-A went to the cafeteria, eager to quell their hunger. It was when they entered the rather noisy place that the former sense of normalcy faltered. Students seemed far more excited and talkative. It was no surprise, really, given how the news of an alleged daughter of All Might was still causing ripples across Japan and would no doubt be the talk of every social circle for weeks to come.

Izumi and Ochaco joined the line to get some food from the school cook. As they did, a nervous Izumi kept glancing at the rest of the cafeteria, hidden behind the brunette. Ochaco suddenly had an idea.

"Hey, how about we go eat somewhere else?" She asked. "Just the two of us."

Her heart skipped a beat at that last bit.

"Somewhere else?" Frowned Izumi. "Can we do that?"

"Yeah, why not?" Ochaco replied. "We'll need to ask Lunch Rush for something that isn't on a plate, though."

"We can't just demand different food," Izumi said.

"It doesn't hurt to try, right?" Ochaco countered with a smile.

Izumi remained unsure, but when they made it to the front of the line, she tried anyway.

"Ehm… L-Lunch Rush, is there any food I could take to eat elsewhere?" Izumi politely asked.

"Whatever for?" The Hero cook wondered.

"You know about the whole article that come out last week? About being All Might's daughter and all that," Izumi said.

Lunch Rush took a few things to understand what Izumi was alluding to and nodded. He glanced at Ochaco and nodded once again, puffing up his chest with pride.

"Don't worry about that! I am not the finest cooking hero for nothing!" Said the cook.

Within mere seconds, and in a blur of hands, he held a picnic basket for Izumi. The rabbit hero took it, unable to comprehend what had just happened. However, with the means of escape in their grasp, Izumi and Ochaco left.

The two found a secluded spot behind the gym and sat down, relieved to be far away from the other students. For a moment there it looked like a handful of students were going to follow them, but the pair managed to give them the slip. Hopefully none had actually managed to follow them there.

In any case, they got down to eating. Somehow, Lunch Rush had managed to conjure delicious sandwiches for the two of them: a vegetarian one for Izumi with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers, and one with beef and meat for Ochaco.

Relishing on their meal, the two remained silent for a moment. Truly, Lunch Rush was one of the best heroes out there, in Ochaco's humble opinion. As their hunger was abated, they started glancing at each other, feeling a strange awkwardness. They wanted to speak, yet it appeared neither was eager to be the first to break the silence between the two. Finally, Ochaco took a deep breath and said the first thing to come to mind.

"It's a nice day," Ochaco commented.

"Yeah," said Izumi.

The two girls glanced at each other and shared sheepish smiles. Without saying a word, they took another bite to their sandwiches.

"Look, Infinity Girl? Sorry for… ehm… dropping the truth like I did," abruptly said Izumi. "I… I didn't mean to make our friendship so awkward."

"Nah, it isn't your fault. I just… didn't see it coming," chuckled Ochaco.

"Who would?" Izumi scoffed. "Imagine my reaction the first time I switched forms."

Now that Ochaco actually thought about it, she couldn't help but giggle.

"That bad?" Ochaco mused.

"Yeah," Izumi remembered with a smile. "It happened right after the written portion of the exam."

"Really?" Ochaco gasped, shocked. "I thought you had more training than that. I mean, when I saw you during the exam you seemed fine to me."

"Fine? I was a nervous wreck. Then again, I might have been more focused on the exam," hummed Izumi, thoughtful. "There was so much going on… robots, other examinees…"

"That last bit, with the Zero Pointer…" Ochaco looked up at the clear sky "…it was epic."

"I wasn't that great," mumbled an embarrassed Izumi.

"Yes, you were," Ochaco insisted. "You went to beat it even if it didn't involve any points. Your Izumi form was a godsend, wasn't it?"

She really wanted to believe she was saying that because of all of Izumi's powers rather than her adorableness and physical qualities. Ochaco blushed none the less.

"I guess. I might have failed had I stuck to my other form," Izumi shared. "I mean, as Izuku I am pretty useless."

Ochaco bit her lower lip. Should she dig deeper? In the end, the question slipped out before she could think better of it.

"D-do you prefer one form over another?" She blurted out.

Ochaco felt awful for asking that, even if deep down she prayed that Izumi had become the dominant personality.

"I don't think so," said the rabbit girl with a shrug. She frowned, lost in thought. "I guess I am kind of inclined towards Izumi, though."

Ochaco's heart promised to jump off the brunette's chest.

"Don't get me wrong, I would never forgo being Izuku," Izumi said with a smile. She studied her fluffy paws. "But I guess I kind of associate such a crappy life as him… it feels nice to be Izumi in the open."

Ochaco grimaced, feeling guilty. Was she wishing this poor guy to ignore a part of him just so she could date the other personality?

"Infinity Girl?" Izumi called, looking worried at her.

"It's nothing. It's just… I guess it must suck, being stuck between two forms," reasoned Ochaco. "I mean, what you can achieve with one is different to what you do with the other."

"Yeah, I wish there was a middle ground, or that my quirk was like Z's," Izumi admitted.

She suddenly frowned, much to Ochaco's confusion.

"Everything alright?" Asked the brunette.

"Yes, just… thinking," hummed a contemplative Izumi.

"About?" Wondered Ochaco.

"Do you remember those weird changes I had last week?" Izumi wondered.

"Oh, you mean how you sometimes looked taller or your ears appeared shorter?" Ochaco asked. "What about that?"

"What if… what if I can mix both forms?" Izumi pondered. "What if… they aren't as separate and clean cut as I – we – first assumed?"

"Is that possible? I mean, both forms seem like a binary thing," Ochaco remarked, only to gasp. "Wait, the eyes!"

"The eyes?"

"Yes! That explains it! Remember the Battle Trail? You had green eyes for a moment!" OChaco recalled.

"And the Entrance Exam," remembered Izumi, slack-jawed at the memory. "I remember that when you helped me, you said that my eyes…"

"…were violet," Ochaco's eyes bulged outward.

The two remained staring at each other, flabbergasted.

"If you could combine both forms…?" Ochaco wondered, frowning. "How could that help?"

"It could help a lot!" Izumi exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

The rabbit girl proceeded to pace in front of Ochaco. The brunette blinked, dumbfounded, as all of a sudden she found herself staring at a skirt-wearing Izuku, hunched over and muttering. He seemed way too lost in his muttering to realize how weird he looked with his current clothing.

"The muscle distribution of the Izuku form can barely withstand my full power, while Izumi's form can take only when applied to the legs… but if I can spread my full power, as well as try to apply some of Izuku's upper body distribution on Izumi, I could reduce some of my speed in order to possess stronger arms… or maybe the opposite with Izuku…" Izuku muttered.

Ochaco couldn't stop herself. She laughed.

"You are such a dork, Izuku," she giggled.

Izuku, blushing, gave a flustered smile.

"I guess we know what we are going to do after school, huh?" OChaco said with a smile.

"Huh?" Izuku replied, confused.

"We are going to get you to unlock the whole Izuku-Izumi combination, silly," laughed Ochaco. "If you can actually control it, I mean."

"Y-you don't have to," spluttered Izuku.

Ochaco got to her feet and went to Izuku. Without even having to think of Izumi, she took his hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"I am your friend, remember? And that's what friends are for!" She said.

Even if means I will have less time with Izumi, at least I will stay true to both forms, Ochaco happily thought.

"I know!" Ochaco said. "If you manage to mix both forms, then you'll become… Kumi!"

Izuku just stared at her.

"I… no," Izuku said, shaking his head. "That… no."

"Come on, it sounds great," Ochaco insisted.

"No," Izuku deadpanned.

"Then how about Miku?" Ochaco tried.

Izuku cringed, shaking his head.

"Izumiku! Or how about Mizuku? O Kuzumi?" Wondered an excited Ochaco. She was actually kind of excited about that.

"We don't even know if I can control any combination at all, Ochaco," said a despondent Izuku.

"Nonsense, I am sure you'll get it down!" Ochaco exclaimed. "Come on, let us finish lunch and maybe we could give it a try before next period!"

Izuku didn't look so convinced, but smiled nonetheless. Ochaco only grinned.

You won't have to worry, be it Izuku or Izumi, Ochaco thought. I'll stick around no matter who!

Unfortunately, Ochaco had come to a realization. One thing was clear, no matter how much of a nice guy Izuku was, Ochaco's heart appeared to flutter only for Izumi.

-.-

Inko Midoriya had never minded her relatively mundane life. She was content, day by day, with her little piece of the world to nurture and care for. However, it seemed fate itself had a few things in store for her. If her discovery the previous weekend hadn't been enough, she actually came face to face with one of the unexpected realities of what she had learned: her extended family. That is to say, the Usagiyamas.

Never before had Inko imagined she would play host to a father different to the one she grew up with, much less a fluffy rabbit man at that. If that wasn't enough, she had met the other children of Shin Usagiyama.

The meeting itself had been more dumbfounding than teary-eyed or emotional. Inko had just heard a knock on the door, thought she was going to deal with her friend Mitsuki (she had yet to visit Inko to interrogate her about her trip) and instead came across versions of her son. Well, her daughter, or her son's alternative form… she still wasn't sure how to call it.

After that, it took little to have her family (Gods, she had a large family now) step in and guide them to the living room. Actually, it took less than a couple of minutes to have them settled, with cups of tea, water or juice, and biscuits. Shin Usagiyama, Inko had discovered, was both sociable and charismatic. That and he was blunt, extremely blunt… as in Mitsuki's levels of bluntness.

What had been bound to be an awkward conversation was instead a rather lively meeting, with Shin doing most of the talking. He regaled Inko about the Usagiyamas, and prodded Inko for questions about her childhood. He seemed clearly angry at Inko's parents, even if he did try to hide it.

"And they treated you right?" Shin asked, squinting at Inko.

The chubby woman offered a sheepish smile and nodded.

"Yes, they were model parents," Inko said.

"Yeah, right," grumbled Shin. "They had no right to hide you from me… from the rest of your family."

Inko wasn't sure what to comment on that. She had a strong feeling that her parents were worried it would go either way if they had told Shin. The old rabbit man could have been furious and caused a ruckus, or he could have been accepting, yet insistent, on being part on Inko's childhood. Either option probably would have only added drama to Inko's life.

"You are welcome at the farm any time," said Shin. "In fact, you should come over for Christmas. We like to throw a big party."

"With a lot of food," added one of Inko's half-sister.

God, half-sisters. It felt so weird for Inko. Her family had always been so small. For a long time, it had been just her parents and her for the most part. Now, Inko appeared to have found entire family tree of its own.

"It must be weird," Shin commented, "suddenly finding that you had another father and an entire brood of siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins. Wish you had met your uncle Shiro. Now that guy was quite the soul of-"

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The Usagiyamas and Inko blinked and turned their heads to the entrance hallway. Tentatively, Inko got to her feet.

"Wait here," Inko said.

She went to the front door and opened it, only for her heart to drop. Oh boy, she knew she had forgotten about something… or rather, someone.

"M-Mitsuki!" Inko squeaked.

"The one and only!" Laughed the blonde.

Oh no, this isn't a good time! Inko thought.

"So how is it going, girl? Sorry I didn't come early, but Masaru and I had a little fun this week," mused Mitsuki. "We actually found this spot in the countryside where we-"

"Too many details!" Squeaked a red-faced Inko.

Mitsuki laughed and wrapped an arm around her friend.

"I missed you!" Declared the blond. "Now tell me, how did it go? Did you have fun? Where did you end up at?"

"Oh, and who are you?" Shin Usagiyama wondered.

Mitsuki blinked in confusion and looked behind her, before lowering her gaze. Inko's blood chilled. Things just couldn't get any better, could they?

"I am Mitsuki Bakugo," said the blonde with a grin. "And who might you be?"

"Shin Usagiyama," harrumphed Shin. "And yes, I am the grandfather of the rabbit hero Miruko."

"Wow, look at the odds! By the way, do you have a daughter or granddaughter in U.A.?" Asked Mitsuki, intrigued.

Oh no, mentally panicked Inko.

She didn't say anything. Instead, she kept snapping her head from her biological father to her friend, spluttering in a pathetic attempt to halt the conversation. It was, unfortunately, too late.

"Yes, Izumi," said Shin, puffing up her chest. "Can't believe I have two granddaughters in the hero business, and fine heroes at that!"

"Ah yes, Izumi!" Mitsuki said with a grin. "So she is actually related to Miruko in the end, huh? Here I was thinking those newspapers were just spreading hearsay."

Inko watched on, feeling like she was witnessing a car crash in the making.

"My son, Katsuki, actually attends with Izumi. He doesn't want to admit it, but he has one hell of a crush on her. It is so adorable," cooed Mitsuki.

"Of course he does," said Shin, extremely proud. "My granddaughter has inherited the Usagiyama cuteness that has been passed down through the generations of Usagiyama rabbit people. Few people can resist our adorableness."

"Ha, I bet you were a lady-killer in your youth?" Mused Mitsuki.

"Not really. My wife is and will always be the one for me," proclaimed Shin.

"Ha, same with me. My husband and I are still at it going strong," confessed Mitsuki. "I don't get how marriages can fail. I mean, with all the sex, how can it lose its luster?"

"I completely agree. I might look a bit worn out by age. However, don't be fooled. I can still make the missus a happy lady," smugly said Shin.

"I bet you get it all the time, but does your quirk translate to sex? You know what they say about rabbits," Mitsuki mischievous asked.

Inko squeaked, face burning.

"Ask my children if they have a libido. Let me tell you, it can get really awkward if you don't keep a good ear and knock on doors," said Shin. "And I believe they inherited less than I did in that department."

"Dad!" Came the cries from within the apartment.

"Enough you! We are all adults here!" Replaced the elderly rabbit man.

"Man, who else is in there?" Mitsuko whistled, amazed. "Did you start a party and forgot to invite me? I'm hurt."

She gave a playful pout to Inko. The green-haired woman, though, was still too flustered over the callousness of Mitsuki and Shin in regards to their love lives. Sadly, that was a mistake, for Shin decided to reply before Inko could even formulate a clear thought.

"Actually, we kind of surprised my daughter here," proclaimed Shin.

"Daughter?" Mitsuki squawked, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Yes! This young woman here is actually my daughter and I had no idea all this time!" Shin announced.

Mitsuki glanced at Inko, only to stare at Shin.

"Hol' up. Little Inko here is… your daughter?" Mitsuki asked.

Inko knew she had to intervene. She had to stop the two before Izuku's secret got out. It was his decision, after all, whether he wanted Mitsuki to know. After all, if Mitsuki knew, Inko feared Katsuki would follow and perhaps that would complicate matters back at school. However, Inko couldn't help but stand there, helpless, as the situation got out of control.

"Yep," Shin said. "I know, pretty crazy, and to think I only learned about it because of that damn piece of fake news on Friday." He rolled his amethyst eyes. "Those damn journos, snooping around when it was none of their business…"

"How does Izumi being related to you have anything to do with…?" Mitsuki wondered, only to trail off.

Inko watched with abject horror as Mitsuki's face morphed from befuddlement, to absolute and utter shock.

"Izumi is your daughter?!" Mitsuki exclaimed, wide-eyed, at Inko.

The housewife, in turn, hid her face behind her hands. How could she have allowed the situation to devolve into this?

"How come you had a daughter all this time and you didn't tell me?! And she's Katsuki's age? We could have done all kind of crazy stuff, like trying to get them to hook up!" Mitsuki bemoaned. She frowned at Inko. "How did you even manage to hide her from me, girl? Was she living with Hisashi?"

"W-well… ehm…" Inko looked at the ground.

What am I supposed to tell her? Inko mentally shouted, unable to think clearly. She had to come up with something, and fast. Sadly, she forgot about a certain rabbit man next to her.

"Izumi can change into a boy at will, actually. I met you know him," Shin said.

Inko snapped her head at her biological father and puller her hair in exasperation and horror.

"Into a boy?" Mitsuko repeated, dumbfounded. "Wait, wait, wait…" she chuckled, shaking her head. "You mean to tell me, little Izu-kun had a quirk all this time that allowed him to change into a rabbit girl? That's ridiculous!"

Mitsuki laughed, all while Inko sighed. Shin, on his part, frowned with confusion. He tilted his head, rising one eyebrow while dropping the other one, much like Izumi would do. Realizing that the other two weren't laughing, Mitsuki slowly sobered up and started shaking her head.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Mitsuki cried out. "Let's go inside, girl, and tell me everything!"

Inko felt ready to cry. Why did things have to go so wrong so quickly? Hopefully, this wasn't going to impact her son's life…

The writer doing most of the work asked me too, and I quote: inquire if anyone wants to see something in particular, like some cute moment they came up with or something before the end.

Chapter 16: USJ

It was the day of the USJ, or Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Technically, that place alone was a marvel of technology. A massive dome which could offer multiple scenarios to train heroes. However, what Izuku truly wanted was to start learning how to rescue people. Although he wanted to beat villains as much as the next guy, it was the thought of saving people just like All Might did during his debut that truly motivated Izuku.

Izuku wasn't just excited for himself, but rather because he knew Ochaco had been looking forward to this day. It was the day, after all, in which Ochaco would meet her idol, Pro-Hero Thirteen, who supervised the USJ.

So yeah, it was an eager Izuku who woke up, a smile in place. He didn't forget to move to the mirror and check himself. Much to his dismay, there hadn't been any changes as of late. In fact, he hadn't managed to actually change anything the previous evening. Izuku wondered how much of his latest changes had been mere adjustments that happened as a result of a newly manifesting power at such a late age.

Such thoughts didn't sour Izuku's mood, though. It was a cheerful Izumi who left the bedroom, happily hopping towards the elevator. Her life might have been a real turmoil of twists, but Izumi remained steadfast. She had a good friend to rely on, after all.

As she had expected, Izumi couldn't help but giggle as she noticed Ochaco at the tables, who sat with a frenzy that screamed excitement. She sure was looking forward to the USJ.

"Hey, Infinity Girl!"

"Hey, Izumi!" Ochaco almost shouted. "Today is the day! We are meeting Thirteen!"

Izumi laughed as she sat next to her friend.

"Ease down, Infinity Girl. Save some of that excitement for after lunch," said Izumi.

"Sorry!" Said a sheepish Ochaco. "It's just… I've always wanted to meet her."

"I know how you feel," remarked Izumi. "I remember the first time I met All Might…"

"Aren't you related?" teased Ochaco.

"Har-har-har," Izumi deadpanned, only to share a grin with her friend.

The two chuckled at the joke before taking a few bites of their breakfast. Sadly, before they could enjoy a quiet uneventful meal, none other than Ashido appeared in front of them, grinning. Izumi didn't need to guess that the excited look on her face had nothing to do about the USJ.

"Hello girls, what a beautiful day!" Ashido started.

Izumi and Ochaco didn't say anything, merely nodding at the pink-skinned demonette. Ashido, in turn, bit her lip and sat there, glancing at the two. Someone was barely containing herself.

"Oh come on, girls, will you throw a bone at me?!" Ashido exclaimed, pulling her hair in exasperation.

"Eh…?" Izumi and Ochaco exchanged confused faces.

"Did something happen, Ashido?" Izumi wondered.

"Not to me, apparently," muttered Ashido. "Come on, Izumi, spill it. Give me the juicy bits."

"Juicy bits?" Izumi frowned. "Mina, what are you talking about?"

Ochaco, however, had a strong gut feeling about what Ashido wanted the two girls to talk about… probably relating to some theory that Izumi and Ochaco might have made out at the rooftops. The mere thought about such… ludicrous… idea made the brunette's face lit up like a burning charcoal.

"So, girls, do you have any secrets to share? You know I won't tell anyone!" Ashido insisted.

Izumi scratched her head, still unsure what Ashido meant. In fact, she was a bit tense and looking worried. Differently from Ochaco, Izumi was more worried that Ashido was trying to get Izumi to confess about her other form.

"I am not sure what you mean," mumbled Izumi, averting her eyes.

"Oh, come on, I can keep any secret just tell me!" Said a near desperate Ashido.

"Oy, Mina!"

Ashido snapped her head and scowled as Jiro hurried over to her table. Izumi and Ochaco stared, dumbfounded, as Jiro aimed a sprayer over the demonette.

"What did we say about pestering Izumi?" Jiro growled.

She proceeded to proceeded to spray Ashido, who comically whined and protested.

"I am just trying to help!" Said Ashido. "Come on, Izumi, just tell-"

"Down girl, down!" Jiro exclaimed.

"Hey! Stop it!" Ashido whined, covering her face with her arms.

Jiro, however, kept spraying Ashido with water, forcing the pink-skinned girl to retreat.

"I'll be back! You haven't seen the last of me, you hear me?!" Ashido swore, before leaving the table.

"Seriously, that girl sure is persistent," muttered Jiro.

Izumi raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know what she expects me to tell her?" Izumi asked.

"Eh… kind of?" Jiro said, making it a point to avoid looking at Izumi in the eye. "Well, if she comes back again just spray her until she leaves."

"Hey, Jiro," called Ochaco, but Jiro didn't listen and kept walking away.

"What was all that about?" Izumi wondered.

Ochaco sighed.

"It's like I said yesterday. They must think we are an item and that we… ehm… when I went to the rooftop that we…" Ochaco said, blushing by the end.

"I think there's more to it," Izumi muttered, squinting at Jiro's retreating back. "Do you think that…?"

"They know about your secret?" Ochaco finished. She bit her lip, unsure. "I don't know. Wouldn't they just say it or throw a fit?"

Izumi grimaced. She sure hope the girls wouldn't try to kick her out. Just the fact Yaoyorozu wasn't trying to squeeze the life out of Izumi at every turn worried Izumi. Something was definitely up.

"Hey, it's fine!" Ochaco said, grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "No matter what, I'll be at your side."

"I know," said Izumi.

The two remained like that, holding hands, and staring at each other. Seconds passed, lost in each other's gazes, until all of a sudden they realized their position. Within an instant, they were blushing and looking away, hands separated and well away from the other, trying to act as if they hadn't just been acting like a pair of girls in love… which wasn't that far from the truth unbeknownst to either of them.

"Don't worry, Izumi," Ochaco said. "I have a good feeling about today."

"If you say so…" Izumi sighed.

"Just wait and see! Today is going to be a great day!" Proclaimed Ochaco.

-.-

That stupid rabbit… She was all that Katsuki Bakugo had been thinking for a while now. Ever since that god-damn article spread like wildfire across the country, and their little spat, Bakugo had gone over what he knew about her over and over again.

There was a connection between the damn bunny and Deku, that useless nerd. He knew it. There had to be. It made sense, in a way. Everything appeared to lead to the obvious idea that Izumi was the stupid nerd. She reeked of the nerd, and not just regarding her knowledge about Katsuki. The way she sometimes behaved and acted around others screamed Deku to him. And yet… she was so damn different at times it was infuriating! Deku would have never dared to retort, much less reply with anger. Yet that was what the stupid bunny had done!

Katsuki wouldn't usually care about useless extras in his class, but there was something about that damn bunny that grated him to no end… clearly the connection with Deku he had yet to figure out.

All in all, he was not enjoying his breakfast in the kitchen. It was clearly a poor way to start his day, but it had become commonplace in the Bakugo household.

"What's keeping you in a foul mood, son?" Asked his father. "You've been kind of grumpy all weekend."

"Nothing," muttered Katsuki.

He silently kept eating his breakfast, lost in his own thoughts. Katsuki scowled and braced himself for the obvious teasing of his mother and instead angrily munched his cereal. Oddly enough, the teasing never came. Both his father and he slowly turned to Mitsuki Bakugo. She was rather subdued, and staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

Alright, now that isn't normal, thought father and son.

"Eh, honey?" Masaru called, worried.

"Huh? What's that?" said Mitsuki, broken out of her reverie.

"You sure you are alright? You look out of it," remarked Masaru.

"Nah, I'm fine. It's just that…"

"Did something happen to Auntie Inko?" Katsuki wondered.

Mitsuki bit her lip.

Shit, it probably has to do with the freaking nerd, Katsuki realized. What a useless idiot…

"You've been really quiet since yesterday," Masaru pointed out, folding arms.

Mitsuki appeared to consider what to say, something that made Katsuki even more curious. Since when did his mother shut up about anything?

"I don't know where to start. It is so screwed up…" Mitsuki shook her head.

"Hold on, did something actually happen? Is Inko alright?" Masaru wondered.

"Oh, yes, she's fine. More than fine… or maybe not," Mitsuki muttered. "She just got to learn something messed up about her family. Well, a lot of weird stuff went down in her family."

"Messed up? Weird?" Katsuki repeated, unsure how to even feel about it all.

Could it be about the damned bunny?

"Yeah," Mitsuki nodded. "Inko apparently… well…"

Masaru and Katsuki exchanged raised eyebrows. Since when did she ever hesitate to share any news? That only rose alarms in their heads.

"She apparently had another biological father all this time," Mitsuki confessed.

"Huh?" Spluttered both men.

"Because as it so happens her parents actually got this one guy drunk to get their way with him, all because he was apparently super cute or something," continued Mitsuki, turning around and shaking her head. Behind her, her husband and son stared with mouths agape.

"Huh?!"

"And now she learned that she is actually related to Miruko! Hell, Inko is Miruko's aunt! It's- it's crazy!" Mitsuki said.

"HUH?!"

"But that isn't all," Mitsuki sighed.

"It isn't?" Katsuki and Masaru chorused in disbelief.

Just how crazier could it actually get? Wait, Miruko? The bunny hero? Katsuki's mind went in overdrive, all pieces falling together. It suddenly all clicked. Of course! The actual connection between the Nerd and the damned bunny was…

"Oh no," sighed Mitsuki. "Little Izuku has a quirk! Can you believe it? Little Izu-Kun! Ha, and what a quirk! It allows him to switch between his normal self and into a little cute bunny girl."

Katsuki blinked, his mind coming to a halt.

"That rabbit you have a crush on? She's actually Izu-kun!" Mitsuki said.

That was not how he thought it all fit together. He had kind of expected to learn that the damned bunny was related to the nerd, maybe close cousins. Katsuki definitely did not expect his first crazy theory, about Deku being some sex-changing weirdo, to be correct. Thus, Katsuki could only react in one way:

"I fucking knew it!" Katsuki exclaimed.

"Oy, watch the language!" Shouted Mitsuki, swatting her son in the head.

Katsuki glared at his mother but said nothing. He should have known better.

"You better don't go tattling, you hear me?" Mitsuki warned. "The whole Izumi-Izuku thing is supposed to be secret."

Katsuki scowled. He had finally learned the god-damn truth and he was supposed to keep a secret? What the hell! This was Deku they were talking about, the blasted useless and creepy nerd, going all transsexual to join U.A.! Heck, he was living with the girls! That's absolutely perverted and sick!

Leave it to fucking Deku to choose to be a girl, mentally growled Katsuki.

"Look, I know you have a crush on Izumi, so don't let the truth change things," stated Mitsuki.

"Blurgh! It's De- that's disgusting!" Katsuki nearly barfed. "And I don't have a crush on that damn bunny!"

"There's nothing wrong with having a crush on a cute little bunny," Mitsuki said, smirking. "And hey, it is your childhood friend!"

"Dear," sighed an amused Masaru. "Don't push Katsuki."

"But they would be so cute together!" Cooed Mitsuki.

"What the hell?! That's sick!" spat Katsuki.

"You can deny it all you want, but a mother knows," Mitsuki with a smug look on her face.

Katsuki grinded his teeth. Clearly, his mother didn't know a thing.

"Mitsuki," warned Masaru.

Mitsuki pouted, but thankfully dropped the subject nonetheless. Instead, they went on to talk about that day's visit to the USJ. Katsuki didn't pay much attention to them, nodding here and there to make it look as if he was following the conversation. However, deep down he was seething.

That god damn nerd… hiding a quirk from me, Katsuki thought, only to scowl.

As much as he wanted to teach the bloody useless nerd a lesson, he was not going to go against his mother's wishes. Mitsuki Bakugo might not have Katsuki's power, but she sure knew how to make her punishments hurt.

It didn't matter. Katsuki would find a way to get his frustration on the nerd. If he had to, he would do so on the stupid bunny.

In any case, he got the distinct feeling that it was going to be a god-awful day.

-.-

Tuesday morning was a rather dull affair. With the growing excitement about leaving the school premises and heading to one of U.A.'s most famous training facility, their departure couldn't come soon enough.

Roll call with Aizawa was as painful and scary as always, with the sleep-deprived teacher being particularly irritable that day. Perhaps he reacted badly to any surrounding happiness and felt the need to squash it. Regardless, after their short time with the homeroom teacher, they had the same boring classes as always.

Truly, it felt like pretty much any other day, were it not for what was in store for Class 1-A.

Eventually, it was time to put on their costumes and were led out of the school by All Might and Miruko. Although they had all expected to find a bus as a means of transportation to the USJ, they were all a bit surprised when they spotted their homeroom teacher of all people waiting for them. Worse, he appeared to be in a foul mood, worse than that morning's.

"You took too long," Aizawa said, squinting at his students.

They all gulped.

"Oh, cut it with that crap," scoffed Miruko. She clasped her hands together, grinning. "Let us get a move on, shall we?"

"Indeed, for time is of the essence!" Exclaimed All Might.

Aizawa sighed, already exasperated by his fellow teachers.

"Just get into the bus…" grumbled the homeroom teacher.

Izumi took a deep breath and addressed her peers. She puffed her chest and, embracing her Izumi persona, grinned at them.

"Alright everyone, let's try to be orderly here," Izumi said.

"Yes, ma'am!" The boys said with playful salutes.

Izumi didn't fail to notice the way Bakugo was glaring at her. She would have claimed he just didn't like having someone ordering him around, but Bakugo had been acting weird that morning. She wasn't sure why. Luckily, he remained quiet and probably wouldn't start barking any time soon.

One by one, 1-A filed into the bus, caught in their own chatter and excitement. Izumi and Yaoyorozu, as class representatives, were the last to head into the vehicle, followed by Aizawa. Izumi stopped halfway up when she realized a certain pair was just standing outside.

"Aren't you coming with us, All Might?" Izumi asked before turning to the Rabbit Hero. "Miruko?"

All Might responded with a boisterous laugh while Miruko smirked.

"Have no fear, for I just prefer to go my own way!" All Might said.

"That's his way of saying he's too big and heavy for a bus," joked Miruko.

"Preposterous!" Squawked All Might. "And I'll have you know, I have lost weight."

"Don't worry guys. We'll go with our feet and get ahead of you," said Miruko.

"Indeed! We still need to discuss a few things with Thirteen," All Might said.

"I do hope it is that and not just last minute paperwork you forgot to fill," Aizawa muttered, glaring at the two.

All Might and Miruko averted their eyes and gave innocent smiles. An eyebrow twitched on Aizawa's forehead, ridden with annoyance.

"See you soon then!" Izumi said, waving at the two Pro-Heroes outside.

She quickly found a spot reserved by Ochaco.

Meanwhile, outside the bus, Aizawa turned around. He was about to enter the bus, only to notice just how noisy it was inside. The teenagers were all laughing and chatting, rising their voices more and more in order to keep their conversations going. It looked rather lively, actually.

From one glance, it was easy to tell no one would be able to catch a nap in the bus to the USJ.

Aizawa sent a murderous glare at the two Pro-Heroes, who casually stood there, smiling innocently. He took a deep breath and ventured into the bus, grumbling all the way about hormonal teenagers.

No sooner had the bus left, both pro-Hero exchanged glances before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, man, did you see the look on his face?" Cackled Miruko.

All Might was laughing too much to answer.

"As much as I like the twerps, I don't think I could be stuck in an enclosed space with the lot of them," remarked Miruko once they stopped laughing.

"Me neither," chuckled All Might. "Now then, shall we head over to the USJ?"

"Hey, how about a race?" Miruko asked with a smirk.

All Might raised an eyebrow before smugly smiling at his colleague.

"You do know who you are talking to, don't you?" All Might asked.

Miruko was about to reply, before she froze and her ears perked up. All Might stiffened.

"What is it?" He asked.

"An emergency! I think there has been an accident over there!" Miruko exclaimed.

She pointed somewhere behind All Might. All Might turned around, and tried to focus. He didn't have super hearing, but he prided himself in being able to hear any person in need within a rather large radius. Thus, he was a bit confused when he heard nothing. All Might listened for a while before scratching his head, confused.

"I do not hear-" All Might said, turning towards Miruko. Or rather, where she had just been standing. "Eh, Miruko, where did-?"

Then it clicked.

"That's cheating!" Exclaimed All Might.

Back in the bus, the teenagers of Class 1-A were up to their usual antics. There was a group of the calmer kids on their own, enjoying their own little bubble of peace, all while surrounded by loud chaos. Tokoyami, Shoji and Koda seemed rather at home in the seats far back in the bus.

Hagakure and Ashido were chatting with Yaoyorozu and Jiro about this or that. Meanwhile, Mineta, Sero and Kaminari whispered to each other, no doubt talking about videos games… or something else. Ochaco hoped the boys were talking about video games. She rather not think about the alternative. Aoyoma, as usual, was just sparkling.

Sato and Ojiro were perhaps the most normal of the bunch, plainly chatting, perhaps about ordinary things. Todoroki sat on his own, staring out the window with his usual stoic face, while Bakugo kept glaring at Izumi. Ochaco wasn't sure what his problem was, but he seemed to have gotten worse that day, glaring even during classes.

Izumi and Ochaco faced Asui and Kirishima, all while they talked about their quirks and how they could be used for rescue missions.

"Man, your quirk really is great for a whole lot of scenarios," Kirishima told Asui. "Look at you: you are a good swimmer, you have mobility over ground and you can reach people with your tongue. You are perfect for rescue missions. What do I have, though?"

He stretched an arm in front of him, and suddenly it shifted into a strange jagged hardened form. It had a rocky appearance.

"Harden," said the redhead. "That's all I can do."

"I guess it depends on the situation and your imagination. There are many scenarios were it is good to harden like you do," Izumi pointed out. "Still, I guess not all quirks have the same capabilities."

"Yeah," Kirishima sighed. "Speaking of quirks, look at yours! You are like a cute All Might."

"Please don't… don't call me cute" mumbled Izumi.

"Sorry!" Kirishima hastily said, only to add. "But I am right, you are like a mini-All Might, with that super speed and power."

"Izumi isn't able to punch like All Might however, ribbit," Asui pointed out.

"She's right," Izumi said with a smile. "If I tried punching I would probably break an arm…"

If only I could draw upon more of Izuku's physique, Izumi thought. I might not punch at full power as Izuku, but in Full Cowl I'm sure I could deliver a lot of damage.

Her musings were cut short by the redhead.

"You know, it really crazy how you have a power that really looks like All Might and you aren't related. What are the odds?" Kirishima commented.

"Is it really that crazy? Quirks rarely make sense, don't they?" countered Ochaco.

"I don't know about that. They tend to all follow rules… the problem is that they can have a few logical leaps at times," said Izumi.

"Your quirk is very similar to All Might's, ribbit," stated Asui. "Are you perhaps related to him other than as his daughter?"

"No, Asui," said Izumi. "There is no blood relationship between us."

"Call me Tsu, and I believe you, ribbit," Asui asked. She looked up and placed a finger over her chin in what was Asui's thinking face. "It is still strange to see you with a power so similar to All Might's, ribbit."

Izumi could only smile and shrug. What in the world was she supposed to say to that?

"Well, I think it's a good thing," interceded Ochaco. "All Might is going to retire eventually, right? And who better to replace him as the Number One Hero than someone with a power like his?"

Kirishima laughed, earning a glare from Ochaco.

"Ha, I'm sorry Izumi, but I just can't see you as the next All Might," chuckled Kirishima, sending an apologetic look to the rabbit girl. "He's way too big, muscular and manly. You're too cute."

The redhead's eyes widened and he panicked, realizing his error.

"Adorable! I meant adorable!" Kirishima corrected himself.

Izumi might have been flustered by being called adorable, but considering that it was a boy, she felt a bit put out instead. However, she quickly found herself smirking as an idea came into mind.

"So you find me adorable, Kirishima?" Izumi teased. "Anything you wish to confess?"

Kirishima spluttered, face exploding into a bright shade of red. The girls laughed at the poor boy's predicament.

All of a sudden, Izumi stopped laughing and her ears perked up. She frowned at Bakugo and Sero's group. Had someone said her name? Apparently, they had. Sero stood over Bakugo, a teasing smile in place. Kaminari and Mineta were behind Bakugo's seat, smug and with a look that promised a lot of annoyance and frustration. Oh boy, that's not going to end well.

I wonder what they are talking about, Izumi thought.

"You've been staring at Izumi for a while now," chuckled Sero.

On second thought, I rather not know, Izumi mentally muttered.

"Yeah, what's that about?" Added Kaminari.

"Do you have a crush on our Class Rep?" Teased Sero.

Bakugo gave a murderous glare at the two boys, but neither was intimidated. The blond raised his hands, ready to burn them, only to realize that his quirk wasn't working. He snapped his head at the front and scowled.

"No quirks allowed in the bus," said Aizawa, his eyes glowing a bright red and his hair standing up straight.

"Yeah, Bakugo, no quirks," snickered Sero.

Ochaco winced as Bakugo bared his teeth, grinding them with ill-intent. Those idiots… didn't they realize that all Bakugo had to do was wait after school or whenever Aizawa wasn't around? Apparently, they didn't.

"There's nothing wrong about little cute girls," Mineta said, barely hiding his smirk.

They were truly trying to grate on Bakugo's rather short temper. Didn't they know he had a short fuse?

"It's a crush, isn't it?" Teased Kaminari. "Damn, who would have guessed."

"Izumi and Bakugo… now that is something I didn't see coming," added Sero.

The boy snickered as Bakugo's face turned into a furious puce. For some reason, he was really holding his tongue. Even Izumi was somewhat dumbfounded by that.

"Come on, Bakugo, spill it," Mineta said, poking at Bakugo. "Admit you have a crush on the Class Rep."

"I – Don't – Have – a – crush on that stupid bunny," growled Bakugo.

And yet, the three boys kept pestering the explosive blond. Izumi might have felt some pity for Bakugo, but at the moment she was more annoyed at being paired up with her childhood bully. That was just gross.

Sadly, the boys really managed to make Bakugo snap. All of a sudden, Bakugo appeared to explode (figuratively) and drew everyone's attention as he stood up, red-faced and murderous.

"I don't have a fucking crush on that god damn Gender-bending nerd!" Shouted Bakugo.

He immediately froze and scowled.

Silence. Everyone in the bus blinked at the explosive blond, confused.

"Wait, gender-bending…?" Mineta said, only to gasp. He snapped his head towards Izumi. "It was YOU. You can turn into a boy?"

"Do not be preposterous!" Iida exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "We are all aware Izumi has a strengthening quirk and no one has two quirks!"

"What about Todoroki?" Asked Ojiro.

"That's actually the same quirk but with two related yet opposed facets," stated Yaoyorozu. "Take Asui-" ("Call me Tsu") "-for example, her one quirk gives her a wide range of abilities that could individually count as a quirk such as tongue extension, sticky skin and stronger hind legs to name a few."

"Yeah, come on guys," laughed Kirishima. "Izumi having a gender-bending ability? Really? Where did that come from, am I right Izumi?"

Unfortunately, that got the opposite effect than he might have intended for everyone turned towards Izumi, who froze under the scrutiny of all of her classmates. She might have been good at misleading or just hiding the truth, but Ochaco could already see her squirming.

"I… eh…" Izumi said, growing more nervous.

It was a down-spiraling circle of self-indictment: the more she panicked because she wasn't saying anything, the less she was able to utter a word and the more she panicked.

"I…" Izuku mumbled, her ears dropping more and more. She actually looked like a cornered animal.

"So it's true?" Ojiro gasped.

"I knew it!" Mineta shouted.

"Enough."

Everyone fell silent and slowly looked upfront.

"You are being too loud," growled the teacher.

"But, sir," Ojiro was saying, only to be stopped by Aizawa's scathing glare.

"Enough," Aizawa said. "You'll keep quiet and stop being so annoying. Am I clear?"

Everyone remained obediently seated and silent. Glaring at them one last time, Aizawa went back to his seat. Izumi, on her part, felt her heart sink. She ignored the curious and questioning looks from everyone around.

Of all the days and moments for her secret to start spilling out, it had to be in that moment. That day sure wasn't looking up for Izumi.

-.-

The USJ could be seen from a far distance. Looking like a gigantic stadium, it was a large seamless steel dome with purple high walls. Everyone at the windows stared at it with amazement. This was it, another step towards their future careers. It was in that moment that they started to understand just how fortunate they were to be part of U.A.'s Hero Course.

The bus stopped right in front the main gate, or rather at the feet of the stairway that led to the main gate. Slowly, the students filed out the bus. They didn't say a thing, mostly due to Aizawa's rather harsh glare over them.

No sooner had they stepped outside, they gazes went to the three people waiting for them. The teenagers were familiar with two of them. Miruko was scowling at a laughing All Might.

"One of these days…" muttered Miruko.

"Keep dreaming, Miruko!" laughed All Might with an air of triumph.

"Enough of that," mused a figure next them.

Ochaco felt her breath hitch. It was her, Pro-Hero Thirteen. Ochaco was by no means a fan girl, but she did see the Pro-Hero as an idol and thus couldn't help but stare and relish on every single live detail. Pro-Hero Thirteen wore what looked like a white space suit-looking puffy jacket, a black helmet with white eyes, and a pair of yellow boots. Ochaco had seen her multiple times through various media, yet nothing compared to the real thing.

"Welcome everyone! It is a pleasure to finally meet another batch of prospective heroes," Thirteen proclaimed with a joyous voice. "Come everyone, let's venture into the USJ."

After making sure everyone was accounted for, Thirteen led the group into the facility. Everyone stared with wide amazed eyes. Ochaco was no different: the place of absolutely massive, and they had yet to enter. The main gate was a tad intimidating up close, not to mention imposing.

Inside, they all gasped in awe. If the USJ looked gigantic from the outside, inside it looked like its own world. From near the main gate and atop a large descending stairway, the students could see the many training zones of the USJ. To a side, there was a map displaying where every zone was at. All in all, the USJ had more of the look of an amusement park than a training facility. Even the central area appeared as more of a tourist park than anything.

"Welcome everyone, to the USJ, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, sometimes confused for Universal Studios Japan!" Announced Thirteen.

Everyone chuckled at the joke. They stopped walking and Thirteen went to the edge of the stairway.

"As you can see, this place has everything you'll need to learn and prepare for various scenarios. In the next years, up until graduation, you'll have the opportunity to experience and witness all zones," Thirteen explained.

"What zones are there?" Someone asked in the back.

Thirteen stretched an arm and pointed at each individual area. Some were plain obvious to Ochaco. Others, not so much.

"There's the Ruins' zone, which simulates a destroyed urban environment," she explained.

The heavily cushioned Hero pointed to their left where there was a small neighborhood worth of ruined skyscrapers and tall buildings. It looked extremely realistic from afar and it made Ochaco curious how they achieved such authenticity. Did they hire someone to trash the area?

"Next to it is Landslide Zone," Thirteen carried on, gesturing to a sloped hill with different debris. She then indicated towards a mountainous rocky area. "That's the Mountain Zone," she pointed at a large dome, "the conflagration zone, a simulation of a burning city if you will…"

Thirteen then described the Flood zone, that was little more than an artificial lake with a waterslide and a boat in its center.

"And finally, the Downpour zone," Thirteen finished.

That zone, like the conflagration zone, consisted of a large dome but instead of being painted red it was covered in blue color.

"Don't worry, you'll get a good look today," Thirteen said.

"What are we going to do, ma'am?" Asked Kirishima.

"Huh, they sure are polite," Thirteen mused. Aizawa merely smirked at that. "For starters you'll have a short tour and see the zones up close. Then, we'll divide you into two groups and give demonstrations on how you are supposed to respond in each scenario."

"We won't do anything then?" Wondered a disappointed Ojiro.

"You'll have your chance to have fun later on," said Miruko.

"Yes. Today will be a first glance of rescue training," All Might added. "Have no fear, for we have a lot to teach you in regards to rescuing civilians."

Ochaco glanced at Izumi and grinned. The bunny girl was lost on the Number One Hero. Even so, Ochaco could pretty much read what Izumi was thinking. Izumi had already shown the one video that had inspired Izuku (and by extension Izumi) to be Pro-Heros. It had been a recording of All Might's debut, saving dozens upon dozens of people nonstop from a terrible accident. Admittedly, it had been quite a thing to watch. All Might, for all of his goofiness, could be a really inspiring and comforting figure.

"Eh… is that a gift-shop?" Kaminari asked, dumbfounded.

And indeed, to a side, they saw what appeared to be a gift shop. Aizawa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, while Pro-Hero thirteen sheepishly chuckled.

"That was the Principal's idea," replied the rescue hero. "Why don't we begin the tour?"

All the teenagers forgot about the ludicrous gift shop and smiled with excitement at the hero. Even if they weren't going to do anything, thus far this was as close as they could get to living the hero life and experiencing what it would be like to work in all sorts of harsh conditions. It was thus with certain apprehension and nerves that they followed Thirteen down the flight stairs to the central Plaza.

Differently from her peers, Izumi's attention was elsewhere, mostly lost in her own thoughts. Her classmates kept glancing at her, especially the boys, and it hurt. She could already picture what they would say. Izumi hoped her fellow prospective heroes were far better people than her former classmates of Aldera, yet she worried nonetheless.

Useless… creep… pathetic… words started echoing back in Izumi's mind.

A gentle squeeze of her hand broke her out of her stupor. She looked to the source, only to find a smiling Ochaco. Izumi smiled back. There was hope still, after all.

Taking a deep breath, Izumi pushed the thoughts of her classmates and puffed up her chest. She pulled a brave smile and, with some effort, soldiered on. Izumi would not allow the opinion of others to affect her. She just couldn't allow it. A lot of people had put their trust on her, after all: her parents, All Might, Miruko… even Ochaco.

Izumi clenched her fists. Perhaps it was time to come out and finally confess the truth. Perhaps it has been delayed too long. With such notions, she nodded to herself with a resolute face. Yes, after they returned, she would tell them all the truth, no matter the reaction.

I am no longer the same person that suffered in middle school, Izumi thought.

As Izumi finally got her attention back on her teachers, she realized that Pro-Hero Thirteen had been talking. Izumi blushed, feeling rather ashamed for having missed most of what appeared to be a passionate speech.

To a side, All Might stood with his trademarked smile next to a bored looking Miruko. Aizawa looked ready to materialize a sleeping bag and just get a much needed nap. Class 1-A attentively listened to Thirteen, none daring to do anything other than pay attention.

That was when it all went to hell.

All of a sudden, a massive vortex of pitch black mist formed in the Central Plaza, fifty feet away from Thriteen's back. The students all gasped and stepped back, while the Pro-Heroes immediately turned towards the threat and stared in shock. Before they could react, people – no, monsters - started pouring out of the swirling darkness.

"Villains!" Declared All Might.

The teenagers didn't respond, too shocked to say or do anything.

"Everyone, head back to the stairs," Aizawa hissed. "Now!"

Ochaco, who had remained frozen, felt a furred hand squeeze her own. She blinked, only to find a smiling Izumi. She too was afraid, but kept that reassuring smile regardless.

"Follow me!" Thirteen called, taking the lead back towards the stairs.

"Come on guys, you heard Aizawa!" Izumi called.

They didn't need to be told twice. They all hurried back to where they came, glancing back as the large vortex of black mist rippled with each new villain marching out. Although they were a wide variety of them, she couldn't stop glancing to the first villain to walk out of the black mist.

Gigantic, perhaps as tall as All Might, and maybe just as muscular, he looked like some kind of dark-skinned man with a beak filled with serrated teeth… and an exposed brain. His eyes lacked any intelligence to them, yet the thing exuded an air of danger that made her shiver. From a glance, Ochaco could tell he was perhaps the most dangerous of the villain horde.

"Hurry!" Thirteen called as they started climbing up the stairs.

Behind them, All Might, Miruko and Aizawa slowly stepped back. More villains marched out of the black mist in what appeared to be a near endless army. They came in all shapes and forms: from average looking thug, to the ugly looking mutant-types. They all shared one thing, however: a distinct hateful look on their faces and a glint of vindictiveness in their eyes. The Pro-Heroes, however, were far more concerned by the big one that had appeared first. There was something about that one villain that had them all in alert, more so than the horde of villains surrounding them.

"So… you take the hundred to the left and I take the hundred to the right, All Might?" Miruko asked. "Eraserhead gets to do the clean-up."

"I don't think it will be that easy," Aizawa muttered, squinting at bird-man in the middle.

Finally, villains stopped walking out of the vortex and the dark void closed, right as a man, clad with a mask in the form of a white hand over his face, stepped out. Red-eyed, white-haired and outright creepy looking, he had a barely hidden nasty toothy grin that screamed of mentally unstable.

"Ah, All Might, so good you could join us!" Cackled the man.

"And who might you be?" Asked All Might.

"It doesn't matter who I am. All that matters is that today, you'll die!" Laughed the weirdo.

Behind him, the black mist coalesced into the shape of a man, clad in a strange bartender-looking attire and with golden glowing eyes.

"All you need to know that we are the League of Villains and we are here to kill you, All Might," the shadow-man said.

"Oh? I think I have heard that a few times," All Might cheekily replied.

Aizawa glanced at the students climbing up the stairs.

"They appear to be about to make it out," he whispered to his fellow heroes.

"Kurogiri, why don't you take care about our secondary quests?" The white-haired weirdo said.

"It will be done," the mist-man, Kurogiri, replied, bowing his head.

Aizawa stepped forward, between All Might and Miruko.

"Not so fast," Aizawa spat.

His eyes shone and his hair stood up on end. Kurogiri and the leader of the so-called League of Villains merely watched the Eraser hero.

"How annoying," sighed the weirdo in charge with his raspy voice. "Nomu, get rid of that nuisance."

A massive shadow suddenly blocked Aizawa's path. The Pro-Hero barely had time to look up before he realized the giant bird-man was standing before him, an arm rearing back for what without doubt a powerful punch. Aizawa knew he wouldn't survive the attack.

Luckily, All Might intervened, blocking the punch and pushing Aizawa backwards.

"No!" Aizawa hissed, realizing what had just happened.

The leader of the League of Villains giggled maliciously as Kurogiri vanished.

"Take this, villain!" All Might shouted and delivered a mighty punch of his own against Nomu.

Miruko and Aizawa, as well as the surrounding villains, had to cover their faces as a strong gust of wind blew out from the mere shockwave produced by the punch. All Might smiled, already expecting the results of his attack. His smile fell, however, as he noticed that the Nomu thing hadn't moved an inch.

"What the-?"

PUNCH.

All Might gasped for air, a hand moving to his old injury, just as he was sent flying towards the stairway. He crashed into it, burying deep into the stonework. Lying there, he wheezed in pain and felt a familiar metallic taste in his mouth. Aizawa and Miruko watched, momentarily confused, before their faces were replaced with looks of dawning horror.

"I told you, All Might!" Laughed the weirdo in charge. "Today you die!"

Miruko and Aizawa both retreated to All Might's side, their eyes set on Nomu. The creature remained standing, hand outstretched from the punch. He kept that empty smile of his and looked untroubled. There was something just wrong with that guy.

"Did that thing-?" Miruko asked.

"Apparently," Aizawa said. He looked up the stairway where, unfortunately, the students could still be seen.

"You alright old man?" Miruko asked.

"Yes," lied All Might.

He stood up and brushed his shoulder, acting as if his old injury wasn't flaring and he wasn't in pain. Just how did that Nomu thing know where to hit?

"I have a bad feeling about this," All Might told them.

"Well shit," Miruko said. She grinned, sadistic eyes focused on the villains. "I guess today will be loads of fun after all."

-.-

"Hurry!" Thirteen shouted.

The students didn't need to be pushed. They were all rushing up the stairs. However, the teenagers couldn't help but glance back and slow down as they saw what was happening down below.

"That bird thing… he actually stopped All Might's punch!" Someone exclaimed.

And that did it. Immediately, everyone stopped sprinting and snapped their heads back to the Central Plaza. To their horror, it was worse than what they had imagine. All Might hadn't just been blocked, he had been punched back.

"Don't stop!" Thirteen said, snapping them out of their shock. "Do not worry about them! They are professionals and will deal with the situation. It will take a lot more than that to beat the likes of All Might."

"Ma'am, shouldn't there be emergency protocols?" Yaoyorozu immediately asked.

"First we need to evacuate you!" Thriteen said. "So let's hurry!"

No one protested and instead followed after the Pro-Hero. They managed to make it up the long way to the main gate. At first, they were relieved. They had made it after all. Then, there was a loud alarm, and the massive entrance roared. Class 1-A froze dead on their feet as thick and near impregnable blast doors dropped down, blocking their path.

"No!" Thirteen exclaimed.

Izumi and the others stared in disbelief. The very same mechanisms installed to keep villains out had now trapped them in. And of course, just when things looked bad, the situation worsened.

The black void from before materialized right in front of the main gate. This time around, only the mist man walked out. Even so, the students stared with apprehension. The villain's eyes swept before them, before he spoke.

"Good, you are all accounted for," said the mist-man.

"Everyone, stand behind me!" Shouted Thirteen.

She stepped in front of the class and aimed her fingers towards the mist man. The fingertips of her suit snapped open and, in the matter of an instant, a powerful gust of wind started sucking the air in front. It was Thirteen's quirk in action: Black Hole.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," mused Kurogiri, raising a hand.

From his limb, a shield of black void formed. Before anyone could react, a powerful wind started to drag the students behind them. They all looked back and, to their horror, a small black hole promised to swallow them whole.

"Damn it," swore Thirteen as she deactivated her quirk.

"I suggest you surrender peacefully," Kurogiri said. "There is no need to-"

BOOM.

Everyone shuddered just as a blur of something shot towards Kurogiri. It was none other than Bakugo. Kurogiri didn't flinch and raised a hand. Before he did anything, Bakugo raised a hand and produced a bright light, which monetarily blinded the villain. Taking his opportunity, Bakugo exploded forward and punched Kurogiri… or at least, the black mist that used to be the villain.

"What the…?" Bakugo mumbled, only to be swallowed inside a black void.

"Bakugo!" Shouted Izumi in horror.

But there was no time to worry about Bakugo as he vanished. Kurogiri's form exploded outwards and dropped onto the ground. He looked like one large shadow for a moment. In an instant, there was black mist at their feet… and they were falling.

"Shit!" Someone shouted.

Izumi watched as a feeling of free fall took over. Like the others, she was falling… only to feel her weight disappear and float. She snapped her head to a side just to see a terrified Ochaco using her quirk to keep Izumi and Iida floating upwards. The look of fear awoke something within Izumi.

"Ochaco!" Izumi shouted.

She tried to roll midair towards her friend. A hand reached out. Ochaco raised a hand, her brown eyes filled with desperation as her lower half sunk into the darkness. Their fingers touched, hope swelled in Izumi's gut and… Ochaco was swallowed by the pitch blackness.

Izumi felt gravity return. Her body dropped down, but instead of the void of the villain, it was firm ground. Next to him, Iida dropped on his knees, staring at where Ochaco had been.

"No…" whispered Izumi.

Kurogiri reformed back in front of the main gate.

"As I was saying, there was no need to make this more difficult," said the villain. "Now, I suggest you-"

SLAM.

It came as lighting, and punched ten times as hard. Kurogiri felt a wave of pain take over as his body broke in multiple parts. He couldn't comprehend what had happened. One moment he had been standing, the next there was a bright of light and…

"Where did you take the others?" Izumi shouted, standing over the injured villain.

How? Thought Kurogiri, his body unresponsive.

His attention was drawn to the rabbit girl's eyes. They were no longer purple. Instead, they were twin glowing green suns of unlimited fury and, for once, Kurogiri worried about his master's plan.

Izumi raised Kurogiri with her hand, lighting bolts racing around her glowing body. The air almost cracked with Izumi's rage.

"Where did you send them?!" She roared.

Kurogiri groaned as Izumi slammed him against the ground and shouted once again.

"Where did you send Ochaco?!"