Replies to reviews incoming. I've been on vacation (still on vacation, actually) and haven't had the time until now to reply to all of you kind people 3

Midoriya had always been an observant person. As one of the few who couldn't perform alchemy, he had to be observant; that was the only way for him to ensure he'd prove himself useful enough to not be canon fodder. The non-alchemists, or "Quirkless," were one of the most marginalized Amestrian minorities, after all.

Most people in the world could perform alchemy of some sort. Everyone, from the lady down the street who created soap bubbles to help her do the laundry to the old man with an astounding disposition towards making little origami cranes to cheer up hospital patients, had at least some kind of mundane alchemy knowledge and skill that they passed on to their children.

Midoriya had been one of the few unlucky enough to be born with the inability to perform any alchemy. He remembered the day he discovered he was Quirkless as if it was yesterday; his mother had fallen to her knees, weeping at his feet. After all, he had aspired more than anyone (well, almost anyone) to become a State Alchemist to protect the people: Midoriya could still recite all of the elements in the periodic table without hesitation. He probably knew more theoretical knowledge about alchemy than some alchemists themselves.

Midoriya knew for a fact that he could've been a great alchemist had he been born with the ability to perform alchemy.

But he was Quirkless...and while there was a point in his life that Midoriya might have cursed himself for it, he had opened his eyes and observed.

There...there were other ways of protecting civilians rather than alchemy. He could be a hero without alchemy, even if being an alchemist was more ostentatious.

And so, Midoriya decided to use his observational skills for the betterment of society. After Kacchan, his next-door-neighbor and (perhaps?) childhood friend, had left to study alchemy and become a State Alchemist, Midoriya signed himself up for the military academy. To his delight, his instructors had agreed with Midoriya's assessments of himself and his potential.

Izuku Midoriya became a cavalry scout.

Admittedly, it was a risky job: cavalry scouts were tasked with not only reporting information on the terrain, weather, and enemy, but also navigating battlezones during combat to collect data and discover possible routes. As Brigadier-General Aizawa had told him when he first arrived on the Ishvalan front, he was essentially the eyes and ears of the commander.

Aizawa had assigned Midoriya to a small group of soldiers, citing that they were highly skilled and wouldn't slow him down in the slightest while he was scouting. Apparently, Midoriya's accurate field analysis skills had reached the top; he was valued enough to be assigned what essentially amounted to guards.

Midoriya was glad that he didn't protest Aizawa's assignment: within weeks, Iida and Uraraka had become his closest friends. Though he was a captain and surely could have used his authority to ensure his own safety more, Iida prioritized the safety of those under his command. Both he and Uraraka had a strong sense of justice; rather than prioritizing killing the enemy, their unit often ended up performing what amounted to "search and rescue" missions. Iida's nearly god-like agility and Uraraka's Gravity Alchemy were perfect for saving civilians from the rubble, and the unit was small and close-knit enough to turn a blind eye to Uraraka's extraordinary alchemy usage.

Although there wasn't a rule banning soldiers from using their measly alchemy skills, using large and powerful alchemy was generally frowned upon because of its potential to wreak havoc on allies. Only State Alchemists were allowed to use flashy, powerful shows of alchemy.

From the data that he had extrapolated, Midoriya concluded that Uraraka probably could have made State Alchemist if her family had enough money to ship her off to one of the prestigious alchemy academies or even to simply cover her State Alchemist exam fee. It was such a shame...then again, if she had become a State Alchemist, he probably never would have met her.

"Oi, shitty Deku," Kacchan barked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"Kacchan…" Midoriya searched for the correct words to say. Once upon a time, they had been close friends because of their similar aspirations to become State Alchemists. After he had discovered his inability to perform alchemy, though, the two had drifted apart; luckily (or perhaps, unluckily), Kacchan had transferred to an academy specializing in alchemy soon after. Although Midoriya had heard whispers of the infamous Explosions Alchemist with the motor mouth, this was the first time he had seen Kacchan in years.

Kacchan seemed the same as he was back then, although perhaps he was a little more weary and a little more rough. It seemed as if the war had taken its toll on all of them.

"That's...well…you see, um…" Midoriya mumbled, averting his gaze.

"You're fucking Quirkless!" Kacchan hissed, as if Quirkless amounted to useless; it probably did in his eyes.

Midoriya stared at his feet for a second too long before steeling himself. He looked up, his eyes blazing with resolve.

"I may be Quirkless," he replied quietly, his body involuntarily tensing as he and Kacchan engaged in a long staring contest. The alchemist's scarlet eyes were narrowed, disbelieving, and skeptical, nothing that Midoriya had not faced before. "But that doesn't mean I can't help."

Something flickered in Kacchan's eyes — surprise, perhaps? Whatever it was didn't matter; it was quickly replaced with thinly veiled (hah, more like blatant) annoyance. "Yeah, whatever. Go off and fucking die if you want. Who gives a damn?" the alchemist muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Midoriya could practically feel the probing gazes of Uraraka and Iida on him. "Um...do those two...know each other, Kacchan?" he asked nervously, attempting to change the subject. He gestured towards Colonel Todoroki and the raven-haired sniper in slight awe: Midoriya had followed both of their rising careers with extreme interest. To be able to stand alongside the renown Freezing Alchemist and Hawk's Eyes...frankly, Midoriya was honored.

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu had stepped away from the group to engage in a hushed, private conversation. None of them had dared to interrupt the two: they both exuded auras of leadership and power that were slightly intimidating.

"Probably. I don't know; not surprised the icy bastard knows her. Rich kids…" Kacchan grumbled.

"Well...how do you know them, then?" Iida asked, easily segueing into the conversation.

Kacchan sent him a disbelieving look. "That icy bastard's my partner for most missions."

Uraraka couldn't help but roll her eyes, clarifying, "He meant Lieutenant Yaoyorozu: the sniper unit hardly interacts with State Alchemists since they can handle themselves."

Kacchan adopted an almost contemplative look. "Most of the snipers are whiny bitches, but Hawk's Eyes is alright. She knows what she's doing, at the very least. She goes off on her own a lot, though; the fucking idiots like to send her off on higher-stakes missions by herself. I teamed up with her once or twice when we met on patrol."

Midoriya wasn't sure what was most concerning: the fact that the explosions-user called their higher-ups fucking idiots or the fact that he called the snipers whiny bitches. Neither prospect spoke well for Amestris' future.

"If she's that skilled...then why isn't she a higher rank?" Uraraka questioned, tilting her head.

Footsteps resounded. Midoriya couldn't help but jump when he realized that somebody was standing beside him. Ebony hair fell to her waist, having been released from the confines of her ponytail, while onyx eyes seemed to pierce through Midoriya's very soul. Even without her sharp eyes, nobody could mistake the lithe figure and assured posture of the military's greatest sniper.

"Because I already view my status as a lieutenant to be a great honor, and I don't need a higher rank," answered a cool and collected Momo Yaoyorozu. She gave them all a strained smile. "Pardon me for my rudeness earlier: I forgot to introduce myself. I am First Lieutenant Momo Yaoyorozu. Although I am a sniper, I've been trained in a few hand-to-hand combat techniques."

"Yaoyorozu…" Iida mumbled. Suddenly, realization dawned on his features as he snapped his fingers. "That's right, Yaoyorozu! I knew I heard that name from somewhere. You're the daughter of Major General Yaoyorozu, aren't you?"

"She is my mother," Yaoyorozu confirmed, nodding approvingly. "I assume you're Tensei Iida's brother? He was a very skilled commander; I was fortunate enough to work with him twice before his passing."

Iida's smile became a little more strained, but nonetheless, he powered through. "Thank you. He spoke highly of you in his last letter: I always hoped that I would be able to meet you one day."

The sniper returned his smile, but the conversation slowly trickled away until only an awkward silence remained. Midoriya shifted his weight from his left to right foot, attempting to find any sort of conversation starter to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

Uraraka, surprisingly, was the first to break the silence. "How interesting…" she mumbled to herself.

"Speak up, Round Cheeks."

Uraraka squeaked, caught. "Y-you heard that?"

"Pretty easy to hear you with all of these fuckers lost in their memories," Kacchan snorted, ever the eloquent one. Despite his tone, something about his posture seemed to relax ever so slightly. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets, scowling as he demanded, "Well?"

"It's just that...erm, three of us six have ties to the military," Uraraka explained, pink dusting her cheeks. "I just...well, I never knew that I would make such high-profile friends, you know?"

"It doesn't mean that you all need military backgrounds, though," Iida countered, flashing Uraraka and Midoriya a bright smile. Warmth filled Midoriya's chest, his lips curling upwards and gaze softening. "You two...and Lieutenant-Colonel Bakugou, evidently, are strong and skilled without outside help. It's very admirable."

Midoriya searched Iida's eyes for any sign of deceit or dishonesty, but could only find sincere admiration. "You know, Iida, you got this far through your own efforts and abilities, too," he replied quietly. "Background can only bring you so far."

"Everyone here thinks you're an amazing commander," Uraraka agreed, nudging the captain playfully. "And an even more amazing person."

Pink blossomed on Iida's cheeks as his smile grew wider. "Thank you, Midoriya, Uraraka."

"Although I am not opposed to speaking of such sentimentalities," Yaoyorozu cut in, her voice stern. Her voice was quiet, but held an indisputable authority; unconsciously, Midoriya straightened his posture. "I believe the wisest course of action would be to discuss such matters once we return to camp. Please refrain from such gratuitous talk until then."

"Talking fancy, much?" Kacchan scoffed.

To Midoriya's surprise, Todoroki sent Kacchan a sharp look. "Bakugou," he warned darkly. The real shocker was the fact that the blonde obeyed, backing down with a "tch." It seemed as if, despite their differing personalities, Kacchan and Todoroki respected each other.

Yaoyorozu hesitated, something akin to embarrassment flickering in her eyes before she adopted her serious, commanding expression once more. "Let's hurry," she said curtly, whipping around. Midoriya observed Todoroki pause for a second before following the sniper; Bakugou quickly followed the Freezing Alchemist's lead.

Uraraka, Iida, and Midoriya exchanged glances. Then, Iida signalled for the remnants of the squadron's attention. Immediately, the troops halted whatever idle tasks they had partaken in, snapping to attention and turning to face their captain.

"We're heading back to camp!" he commanded, motioning for them to follow. "Stay on your guard."

...they didn't make it back to camp. Instead, their procession quite literally stumbled upon the heavily injured body of an Amestrian soldier. Immediately, Momo motioned for the other soldiers to be on their guard, approaching the soldier cautiously before kneeling to speak with him. Already, she could tell that the soldier wouldn't make it; the rational side of her mind categorized his uniform as a scout's.

The soldier in her wanted to interrogate the scout for answers. The leader side of her — the one that cared deeply for others, the one buried deep underneath her tougher layers to keep herself sane — wanted to offer comfort. Both sides of Momo grappled for dominance, but thankfully she was spared from making a decision between the two.

"Please," he garbled desperately, grabbing onto Momo's sleeve. If she had been a lesser woman, she would've flinched. Luckily, her mother's strict regimen had conditioned the sniper to never hesitate; she never quite met her mother's high standards, but it nonetheless helped in wartime.

Although she tried to meet her mother's standards, Momo could never fully erase the gnawing feeling of self doubt that pooled in her stomach. Back in the day, Todoroki (Shouto, he had often insisted, but Momo could never call him such without blushing a fierce shade of scarlet red) had been the one to keep her doubts at bay. He had given her the courage to move forward and forge her own future…

...yet, somehow, Momo had ended up here. She would've contemplated the whys and hows, but she knew the exact reason. Once upon a time, Momo considered herself a mostly kind girl. Now, she wouldn't dare describe herself in such a way, yet—

Involuntarily, her features softened, hand reaching out to place itself over his. "I'm here."

"No," he pleaded, his grip on her hand tightening. Something in his gaze was wild, desperate. "They're...going...to...attack...camp..."

Immediately, the other officers around her leaped into action. "Colonel, how high can you form your ice?" Iida demanded. Todoroki must have answered, but Momo ignored the buzzing around her. Instead, she allowed herself a moment of weakness and squeezed the injured soldier's hand.

"You did well, soldier," she told him, watching his chest let out one last rattling breath before it gave out. Momo closed her eyes, murmuring a silent prayer before standing up to face the group with blazing eyes.

"Todoroki, I agree with Captain Iida. Lift Lieutenant Midoriya and I with your ice. He's a scout and I'm a sniper."

Todoroki observed her, his expression practically unreadable. Scarlet and ivory locks shielded his eyes from view, but a tiny part of Momo's mind liked to believe that there was concern reflected in the seemingly endless depths of his blue and grey eyes. "It's dangerous."

"We're soldiers: it's an occupational hazard," Midoriya refuted firmly, nodding at Momo. "I know the terrain well enough. There's no time to hesitate."

"Actually," Uraraka voiced, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "If either of you fall, I promise that you'll be alright. I can manipulate gravity...sort of…and I'm sure that Colonel Todoroki and Lieutenant-Colonel Bakugou are capable of ensuring your safety, too..."

Todoroki, strangely enough, looked to Momo for one last confirmation. She mirrored Midoriya's nod, taming her nerves and slipping into a state of focus she often was in as a sniper. Suddenly, ice blossomed before their feet, lifting she and Midoriya high, higher, even higher—

"There's a limited amount of routes they can take to attack the camp," Midoriya shouted over the loud roar of the wind. "I believe it's possible they're approaching from the North!"

Momo squinted, eyes darting from side to side quickly, trying to scan for any enemy lifeforms. Desert, rocks, more desert…

There has to be someone...something...

"Near the rocks!" Midoriya shouted, somehow managing to find them quickly. "Movement!"

Her voice caught in her throat as Momo followed the direction his finger pointed at, only to spot several more enemies moving to a place she knew far too well. She called back, "That's not all! They've already taken out some troops and are trying to attack the tower with most of our snipers!"

"Y-Yaoyorozu?" Midoriya squeaked. "How are we going to get down?"

Momo hesitated for a mere second. The rational part of her brain screamed at her for her impending stupid move, but she could see no other immediate method. They had to return with this vital information fast, and Momo knew already from both memories and reports that Todoroki couldn't melt his own ice. This was probably the craziest idea she had in quite some time.

Over the wind, she shouted back, "Have faith in them!"

Midoriya probably replied something, but Momo couldn't hear it over the overwhelmingly loud beating of her heart. If they didn't catch her, she would become a human pancake and the laughingstock of the military; Momo could already imagine the jokes about the hawk that failed to fly. She glanced downwards at the other officers, Todoroki amongst them, who looked like mere specks from her high position. Then, she closed her eyes, inhaling and spreading her arms.

She leaned backwards, letting gravity take its toll as she let herself slip off the ice tower.

Wind rushed past her at rapid speeds, her raven-hair billowing outwards as she quickly approached the ground. It felt as if she was falling faster and faster, even though the logical side of Momo knew that wasn't true. Panic threatened to consume her, but Momo clenched her fists and refused to flail mid-air. She knew Bakugou and knew Todoroki even more. They were skilled enough to catch a falling soldier; if she somehow died, she would come back as a ghost and haunt them, but she doubted that was necessary.

Sure enough, before Momo could hit the ground, warm arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her descent. Like most soldiers, he smelled of gunpowder, but she could detect the faint, familiar scent of sandalwood.

"That was a reckless move," Todoroki intoned quietly, lowering her to the icy floor of his newly-made column. Before them, crystal blue steps began to form. "What if I didn't catch you?"

Before she could stop herself, her lips quirked upwards. "Well, you did...didn't you?" Momo asked cheekily, quickly hurrying down the makeshift stairs. "You always did work best under pressure."

"And I see you've gotten better at such," Todoroki replied, easily keeping up with her pace. They reached the ground in a matter of seconds. Midoriya was already there, laughing awkwardly as both Iida and Uraraka berated him for his recklessness. Bakugou was standing off to the side, scowling at the group and muttering something derogatory about the green-haired scout under his breath.

Momo took a deep breath before intervening in the conversation. "They're going to take out our snipers," she announced, immediately silencing everyone. "They also are on the way to attack camp."

"ETA is ten minutes," Midoriya added quickly, panic crossing his expression. "We won't be able to make it in time to warn camp before they attack, and flares won't work in this weather. I suspect they have alchemists."

"I can take out the ones heading for our sniper tower," Momo declared. "Stealth is necessary, so no need for an entire battalion. Captain, send whoever is the fastest back to camp to warn them. Whoever...is able-bodied enough...should head to the incoming enemy troops to distract them until reinforcement arrives."

"That's a suicide mission!" Iida protested. "I can't make my men—"

"They're willing," Momo said quietly, gesturing to the soldiers surrounding them. She could see it in their eyes; they would be loyal to their country and commanders until the very end. "If the camp is taken out, Ishval will secure a stronghold in this area. It could very well lead to a siege on Central."

Iida looked like he wanted to protest more, but relented. He was too intelligent to not realize the consequences of their failure. "Alright. Midoriya, take Akaita and hurry to camp. Tell them to evacuate the support and send reinforcements immediately," he directed, gesturing to Midoriya and another soldier.

"Actually, sir," the soldier said quickly. "I respectfully refuse. We all know that you and Lieutenant Midoriya are the fastest."

"I won't leave my men to die."

"Sir. Please." His subordinate locked eyes with him. "The best way you could help us is by alerting the camp."

"Captain, enough," Bakugou growled, bristling as he cut into the conversation. "You heard your men. Get your and Deku's asses over there as fast as fucking possible. I'll stay behind with your troops."

Momo watched in fascination as Todoroki whipped around. "Bakugou—" he started.

"Shut up, Half-and-Half," Bakugou barked. "I'm more use here and you know it. Go with Round Cheeks and Ponytail to save our snipers' asses." He made a shooing motion to Midoriya and Iida, who hesitated. "Go on, you assholes! Time's ticking."

"Be safe," Midoriya said quickly, Iida nodding his agreement. The two quickly turned around and began running towards the camp at speeds that made Momo dizzy; they definitely were the fastest amongst them.

"Go now," Bakugou commanded.

"Actually," Uraraka cut in, her voice like steel. "Let me stay with you, lieutenant-colonel. Please."

Bakugou paused, staring at the chestnut-haired girl's determined expression. He narrowed his eyes, his glare intensifying until it was heated enough to melt through iron. Uraraka didn't flinch, her stance as unwavering as a mountain. Finally, Bakugou relented, "Sure, whatever. Fine. Do what you want. Hawk's Eyes, get going. Half-and-Half, go with her."

"I can do it by mys—"

"Let's go, Yaoyorozu," Todoroki grabbed her arm. "Innocent lives are at stake."

She'd hardly call them innocent, but the snipers were certainly not expendable. Momo stared at the resolute faces of the troops, saluted them, and nodded at Todoroki. "Follow me."

The plot for the entire story has been officially mapped out so ey. Chapter total is tentatively at 26.

(tdmm next chapter i promise lmao)

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