4. Tell Me You Won't Cheat!

Izuku shuffled through U.A.'s polished halls that morning, this time weaving between crowds of fellow students on his own. As he did, he hardly noticed or cared about the passing glances and turned heads which followed his wake, all of them a response to his hurried mumblings.

He needed Yaoyorozu Momo. If he was to win every fight in the battle trials, her quirk was the only one with enough flexibility to push him past the others. Ochako would flail against someone like Yuga or Denki, people who fought either from a long range or were otherwise impossible to safely touch. Yuga himself was too predictable, and if Izuku held down their opponents to make them easier to aim at he'd be likely to get hit as well. Koda Koji's quirk was nice but too unreliable; how should Izuku know that the arena would give them access to any useful animals? Jiro Kyoka was only as useful as his own fighting ability, which wasn't exactly high compared to the others. And Minoru? If Izuku was right in his assumptions, the short boy would be off the table soon enough.

Hours of thought had him circling around each option, over and over, and each spin led him to the same conclusion. Momo would give him tools, possibly of any size and shape, and if there was anything Izuku needed it was a tool for any confrontation. So he would ask her, and he would use his one big piece of leverage to get her on his side. It was hefty leverage, and Izuku thought it would be enough, but the problem came with Momo herself.

Teams needed to be decided unanimously. Izuku could use his leverage on Momo, and she could agree to be on his team, but nothing was decided unless they both took it to Aizawa. Should Izuku reveal his trump card to Momo only to have her go behind his back and team up with someone else, then he would be truly screwed. How could he trust her to keep her word?

Ruminating on this, he opened the door to class 1-A and was met with the same mild chatter you'd expect from a high school classroom absent its teacher.

The bell hadn't rung yet, so not everyone was there. Eyes roaming the room, Izuku saw Eijiro talking to Mina, Tsuyu and Mashirao and Toru all in a group, Koji and Mezo sitting in silence, and even Ochako sat at behind her desk, speaking in hushed whispers with Sero Hanta.

Ochako looked up as he neared. "Hey, Mido-kun," she said, smile bright. Then, looking at his face, her smile faded. "You look tired. Did you not sleep much?"

"I was thinking about the battle trials," Izuku admitted. He glanced over at Hanta.

"Hi," the other boy said, hand raised.

"Hey. Sero-san, right?" Thin frame. Quirk lets him shoot a strong tape from his elbows. Pretty social, but I don't remember him and Uraraka-san talking at all yesterday. Izuku frowned. Looks nervous. Something lit up in his head, and Izuku leaned close to them, voice low. "You guys team up?"

Hanta flinched back, eyes wide. "Y-You could tell?"

I could now that you confirmed it… Izuku shrugged, trying his best to seem casual. "It makes sense. Your quirks would work well together."

Ochako put a hand over her mouth, muffling her laughter. "You're too smart, Mido-kun."

Izuku considered the two, already thinking about the rather obvious strategies that would arise from their partnership. They'd work best in tandem, so it wasn't likely they'd split up. Should they be the villain team, that meant they'd likely hunker down by the nuke and wait their opponents out. Should they be the heroes, it made more sense for them ignore the nuke altogether and focus on capturing the other team.

Before he could fall too far down that spiral, Izuku had enough presence of mind to spot Hanta's continued apprehension. The boy gulped under his gaze, tugging at long strands of dark hair.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Izuku said. Hanta didn't seem convinced. "Uh… promise?" The more he talked, the more on edge Hanta seemed, but Izuku couldn't help himself, and so he started rattling off. "I-If you don't trust me, look at it from my perspective. It wouldn't make sense for me to tell anyone. I already know, and it's better for me if no one else does. That way…" Izuku stopped himself, too late. Unsaid, the meaning was very much implied. That way I'm the only one with an advantage over you.

All true, but Izuku hadn't meant it to sound so much like a threat.

Ochako laughed again, though now even she seemed hesitant. The girl looked between Hanta and him, then sighed. "You know, Mido-kun, sometimes you can be pretty scary too…"

Completely abashed, Izuku walked to his seat, shoulders hunched. "Y-Yeah, I guess. Sorry…"

The others trickled in as time passed, and Izuku spent this time watching them, doing his best to connect the distilled pieces in his mind once more. He'd guessed at Ochako and Hanta's team the day before, so it hadn't been that much of a stretch, but if nothing else it confirmed that his classmates were thinking about the battle trials the same as he, and they were doing so in similar haste. If one team had paired up just a day into the week, what was to say others hadn't already? Koji and Mezo seemed distant, probably yet unpaired, but looking at Tsuyu's group he thought that there might be something there. Shoto came in and ignored everyone else as he had the day before. Katsuki did the same, though the explosive boy made sure to save a particularly deep glare for him. When Kyoka and Tetsuya stepped through the door together, Izuku thought they acted too inconspicuous to not have plotted something just beforehand, even if Kyoka made a good job of appearing perpetually aloof.

Denki came in and sauntered over, and by now the room had filled with talk. "Yo, Midoriya!"

"Good morning," Izuku said, pen drifting idly on his notebook. No notes for now, just drawings. Without having realized it, Izuku had sketched a messy picture of All Might. After years of doing it, his hand seemed predisposed to the man's hulking image.

"Hey, that's pretty good," Denki said. The boy leaned back on Izuku's desk, arms crossed. "I didn't know you could draw. All Might's a teacher at our school, y'know."

"I heard." Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku saw Momo walk into class. She went straight to her seat at the front in demure silence. He closed his notebook. "And thanks, but it's nothing special. I drew all the time in middle school."

"Maybe you can design my costume," Denki said.

Izuku looked down at his pen, twirling it in circles around his fingers. The move drew a whistle from Denki, and Izuku felt himself blush in pride. It had taken him some weeks to get used to doing it. "I think you're better off asking someone from the support course."

"That is their job…" Denki rubbed his chin, looking around at the others. Voice lowering, he leaned close. "Hey, so do you know who you're teaming up with yet?"

Looking up at his friend, Izuku honestly considered it. He'd have loved someone to throw ideas at the night before, and now he'd love the chance to speak about everything going on in his head. But they were technically opponents now. "I know who I want to team up with," he said, looking away.

"Oh, it'd probably be pretty dumb to just tell me, huh?" Denki said, and he sounded so sheepish that Izuku had to smile at it. "… Wait, is it me?"

"No, Kaminari-san. Uh, no offense."

"Dude, it's okay." Denki groaned, scratching his head. "My quirk's, like, the worst when it comes to teamwork. I'd just fry whoever I'm with."

Watching him grumble, Izuku figured the boy had thought over his particular handicap more than anyone else. It was a terrible thing in its own way; a quirk so powerful yet so dangerous. Not so terrible that Izuku didn't still feel a bit jealous of it, but terrible nonetheless. Taking some pity on him, Izuku cupped his mouth.

"If he's not partnered with anyone yet, you might want to ask Kirishima-san," he whispered.

Denki perked up, frowning in interest. "You mean the spiky red hair guy?" he asked, voice just as silent. "Why him?"

"He's got some kind of hardening quirk. I don't know how, but it looks like his skin calluses over a lot, so I'd bet that he could stand up to some of your electricity. More than anyone else, at least."

"Hey, you might be onto something!" Denki said. He tapped his fist to Izuku's arm. "I knew already, but you're pretty smart, eh?"

"I just like learning about quirks," Izuku said, blushing at the praise. "Since I don't have one myself…"

"Not that it means much." At Izuku's surprise, Denki only smirked. "C'mon, Midoriya. You're kind of a badass. All these other guys don't think much of ya, but I was there with you for the entrance exam."

"I ended up at the bottom of the class…"

"Second to last," Denki said. "But whatever, just don't forget what I said back then, alright? If I beat you, I don't want you to give me any lame excuses!"

Izuku remembered. At the time, he'd thought it a simple thing, some vague attempt at motivation. But now? He couldn't tell whether it was a form of encouragement or a roundabout trick. Or maybe it wasn't that complicated. Maybe it was exactly what it sounded like. As Denki sat down nearby, Izuku marveled at the thought that anyone there thought of him as a rival.

Aizawa came in, and as soon as the door closed behind him they all stopped their muttering. The man, dark and brooding and bag-eyed as seemed to be his habit, took his place at the teacher's desk. He sat behind it with a huff, slouching back on his seat.

"Hope you're all ready for your second day," he said, voice droning. With a yawn, he put down a pile of papers, tapping them with his fingers. "I've got your scores from yesterday's apprehension test right here, but before then, we have some important business to get to. We need to pick a class president."

The class exploded into shouts.

"Woah, it's something normal!"

"Hey, I wanna be president!"

"That's, like, a leadership position! Me! Me!"

Not everyone wanted it, with most of the students sitting indifferently as their peers shouted. Minoru and the pink girl Mina had stood outright in their excitement, and even Yuga threw a hand up in calm confidence.

Izuku thought about it, but ultimately decided to keep quiet. A position like this, fraught with mundane duties in any regular school, might in U.A.'s hero course prove a boon to anyone's professional career. A nice opportunity, but it took all of two seconds for Izuku to determine that they'd likely throw the choice up to a vote, and in that case, he had basically zero chance. Voting for class president usually devolved into a popularity contest, and though they'd only had a day together, his quirkless and relatively inconspicuous self wouldn't draw much support. Maybe he'd try next year.

"Be quiet!" Tenya said. The class followed his instructions, all turning to look at him, and the stern boy rose from his seat, hands waving before him. "This is a task laden with responsibility! Just because you want it doesn't mean you'll be an effective leader! Of course, the only fair way to choose our president will be from a democratic vote reflecting the will of the people!" Tenya then raised his hand, arm straight as a rod. "In which case I, Ida Tenya, officially announce my candidacy!"

Knew it. Izuku heard the continued discussions with only half a mind, the other busy with his own problems. He still had to figure out how to get Momo to keep her word, and thinking on this, his mind went to some less than admirable places. I could trick her or blackmail her… But it wouldn't be heroic at all, and the very act of thinking about it made him adequately uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the class seemed to have come to a consensus. "As long as you all decide by the end of class, anything's fine," Aizawa said, head on his hands.

"In that case, I request that we all present our case!" Tenya said, walking to the front of the class. Turning on his heel, he faced them all, standing straight like a soldier. "I offer my services as an organizer during this brief time. Now, who else would like to run? Raise your hands if you do!"

Some hands raised. Leaning toward Izuku from his seat, Denki whispered as the voices around them rose in equal mutters. "He sounds like he already won."

"Might as well have someone figure things out quickly," Izuku said. He noticed that his friend hadn't put himself forward. "Not running?"

"Nah. I figure it would be a bunch of boring stuff. How 'bout you? I'll vote for ya if you want."

"Thanks, but I think I have enough to worry about already."

"Fair enough, I guess."

"Will that be everyone?" Tenya asked. He'd written all the names behind him on the board, and now his eyes roamed about for any missed hands. "No? Good. I suppose I'll go first then."

First and last were always the most memorable. Izuku wondered if Tenya knew this and was using it to his advantage, or if the boy was just that structured. Looking at the board, Izuku saw that there were eight names written out: Tenya, Mina, Minoru, Yuga, Momo, Katsuki, Eijiro, and Hanta.

"My fellow classmates, as you could tell, I am well equipped for a leadership position!" Tenya said. His voice sounded loud and pointed as ever, but his body seemed all strung tight. His hands, of course, gesticulated wildly with each phrase, and altogether even Izuku had to cringe at the boy's clear discomfort. "I know we could not possibly know each other very well after just one day, but I hope I've proven myself this morning during this campaign process!"

"His campaign's only two minutes old," Denki said, chuckling under his breath.

"As your class president, I'd be proud to handle all concurrent proceedings! Attendance, organizing for the school festival…" he was losing them. Izuku could see it, and he supposed Tenya could see it too if his sudden stammer was anything to go by. "…and… and I would do my best to get permission for a pizza day! Thank you for your support!"

Applause came, if a bit damp. Denki couldn't stop chuckling behind his hand even as Tenya walked by their row, carried by stiff legs. Izuku felt bad, knowing that he would've done even worse had he tried, and considered voting for the guy out of pity. Tenya had taken the reins of this whole thing, and he did seem fairly invested. Chances were he'd make as good a class president as anyone.

The following candidates came up one after another.

Mina: "I'll work super hard for you!"

Minoru: "I-I can get two pizza days!"

Yuga: "I'll make this class shine!"

Katsuki: "Vote for me or I'll kill you!"

Eijiro: "I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be manly!"

Hanta: "I'll work hard and get pizza?"

By the time Momo came up, having waited everyone else out, Izuku no longer felt any pity for Tenya. Somehow the other boy had managed to have the best speech so far, and it was easy to see that he'd probably get the most votes just by process of elimination.

Though, Izuku thought, she could pull something here too. Momo stood before them all, waiting for all the stray commentary to die out before she cleared her throat, face set in a mask of cool poise.

"I won't lie and say I'm doing this for you," she said. "Instead, I'll give you my honest intentions. I want to be your president because a leadership position would help build my foundation as a pro hero."

Izuku heard some whispering, and watching his classmates he could see that they, like him, seemed rather put off by Momo's frankness. It was the reason anyone was running at all, they all knew, but she'd been the only one to actually admit it.

"We're all here to become pro heroes, and I plan on being one of the best," Momo continued. "So if nothing else, you can always depend on me to act in my own best interests. As your president, it'll be in my best interests to do well, because doing bad would reflect badly on me. I'll always hear out your opinions, and I'll always try to make things easier for you all so you can focus on fulfilling your own dreams. It'll be a partnership, and we'll both benefit. If that sounds good to you, vote for me."

Another round of applause, some heads nodding. Impressed, Izuku watched Momo go back to her seat with calm strides. Unlike Tenya, she'd used simple words, had promised nothing specific and yet presented herself as completely trustworthy. He wondered for a second if she might agree to team up with him should he merely vote for her and tell her about it afterwards, but immediately determined that such a blatant act of brownnosing would have the opposite effect.

She'd do things that were in her best interest. As president, it'd be in her best interest to give them an honest front, but that didn't speak much for her private decision-making. Izuku kept gnawing at the thought like at a loose tooth.

Tenya seemed just as impressed, though for him it also came along with more nerves, and Izuku felt bad for him again. Perhaps out of everyone, Tenya had been the only one who really did run for entirely selfless reasons, even if it was for the benefit of order and propriety rather than the students themselves.

"A-Anyway," the stern boy said, stammering and standing from his seat. "Anyway, I believe it's time to vote! Please, everyone write the name of your chosen candidate on a piece of paper and fold it! I'll go around to collect them!"

Talking a bit louder amongst themselves, everyone did so. Izuku stared at his own blank page, listening to the scratch of pencils. Momo or Tenya? The former had the better speech, but the latter seemed like a good person, at least from what Izuku had seen. Maybe that was unfair to Momo, though—he didn't really know her very well, and though he didn't know Tenya much either the two had at least talked some.

All the candidates would of course vote for themselves, so really there were only thirteen points to go around. What made Izuku's decision was the thought of Tenya reading out the votes and coming out of it with only his own. And hey, maybe his attempts at organizing would convince enough people for him to win, and every vote counted, right? Smiling, he wrote the other boy's name, then tore the page out and folded it in two.

Tenya plucked the paper from his hand, as well as everyone else's. In short order, he stood at the front of the class, right behind the podium, all the votes clutched tightly in hand.

"I will now count the votes!" Tenya said, his voice a bit higher pitched than usual. He began reading them out, opening a page, calling the name, then putting it down on a burgeoning pile. By the end of it, the result was rather surprising.

Tenya: 6 votes

Momo: 6 votes

Mina: 2 vote

Minoru: 1 vote

Yuga: 1 vote

Katsuki: 1 vote

Hanta: 1 vote

"Come on, one vote?!" Minoru said, pounding on his desk. He twirled to face them all. "You guys are the worst!"

Katsuki wasn't any happier. "You bastards, I'll kill you all!"

Aizawa, having watched everything transpire in a bored amusement, sighed for attention. "Looks like you'll need a tie breaker."

A crazy idea smacked Izuku in the head, almost carrying him off his seat. In a flurry, he took his pen and scribbled something on the palm of his hand.

"Aw man, what should we do?" Mina asked, groaning. "Don't tell me we have to vote again."

Humming, Ochako raised a hand. "We could just have it be between Ida and Yaoyorozu."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "You losers are dead wrong if you think I'm voting for anyone but myself."

"We already wasted enough time on this…"

"Only one vote…"

This was it. Izuku stood up, drawing all eyes to him. Gulping, he stepped around his desk and went over to the front of the class. He saw Aizawa raise a brow at him, tried to focus on building up a confidence he didn't really have.

"How about…" Izuku choked, his voice far too quiet. Clearing his throat, he tried again, nearly shouting like Tenya. "How about a coin flip? It's quick and easy, and whoever loses can be the vice-president."

Tenya should be for it, since he had to know that another vote with only him and Momo would likely end in his loss. As for Momo? Well, she did say she'd look out for everyone's interests, and no one seemed eager to go through the process again.

"A coin flip?" Tenya said, hand on his chest, completely affronted. "What kind of democracy would that be?!"

Well, Izuku had been wrong there. Gulping, he looked at Momo, eyes pleading despite himself, his hand closed in a tight fist.

"I suppose I'm fine with it," Momo eventually said.

"Great!" Izuku said, and proceeded to blatantly ignore Tenya's worries by walking right up to her. "Yaoyorozu-san, you have a creation quirk, right? Could you make a coin for me?"

He held out his hand to her. She looked down at it, and Izuku saw her eyes widen slightly, reading what he wrote.

Same on both sides.

Momo looked up at him, eyes narrowing. With a huff, she raised her own hand to his and a coin came out of her palm with a bright, glittering pop. A 100-yen coin, glittery silver like any real one. Izuku took it carefully, his eyes on hers, and when he stepped back she looked away, facing the window.

"Heads or tails?" he asked.

After a pause, Momo huffed again. "Heads."

"Ida-san?"

Tenya looked at him, then at the rest of the class, all who seemed eager to have things over with. "Fine," he said, head bowed. "I'll be tails then."

Izuku nodded. Then, breathing in, he flipped the coin into the air. It spun and spun with a steely ring before smacking against his open palm. Hand closed around it, Izuku breathed out and opened his fingers.

"It's… tails?" Izuku blinked, and sure enough, it was still tails. "Then… Ida-san wins. Congratulations."

Some clapping followed, along with some whooping, mostly because they could all finally move on. Tenya got out from behind the podium and bowed to his new citizenry, and Aizawa eventually took control back. But as Izuku went back to his seat, he could only think about the coin in his hand. Flipping it over, he saw that the other side was, in fact, not the same.

Izuku found her in the cafeteria, eating with Kyoka and Mina. His stomach rumbled as he neared them, both out of hunger—he'd decided to skip lunch for this—and nerves. Three pretty girls at once, and he'd only just gotten used to talking to one at a time. Still, he had to act fast before someone else got to her.

"Yaoyorozu-san," he called.

The three turned to him, a note of surprise on all their faces. Momo frowned up at him from her seat, and Izuku was tempted to quit then and there.

"You're Midoriya, right?" she said. "What is it?"

Izuku couldn't look her in the eyes. Gulping, he stood awkwardly alongside their table. "Can I talk to you about something?" he asked. Then, glancing at the others, he coughed into his hand. "Uh, in private, please?"

"Oooooh?" Mina said, leaning forward. She sent them both a sly grin. "Is this our first class romance?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Momo said. She slid her chair back and stood up. "I'll be back shortly. Midoriya, shall we go out to the hall?"

Red-faced, Izuku nodded and walked toward the cafeteria exit, Momo behind him. He wondered if she was mad at him. It certainly seemed she was. Maybe he'd gone a bit too far before?

They stepped around the crowded cafeteria and out to the hall. The windows, from floor to ceiling along the walls, opened out to the yard and the gardens, just a breath above the clipped and managed trees below. Other students walked by, either into or out of the cafeteria in groups of twos and threes.

Izuku led them somewhere away from the others to a relatively isolated part of the hallway. He stopped and, turning around, faced a Momo with her arms already crossed over her chest.

"So, what is it?" she said. "I'll want to finish my food before the bell rings,"

Keep it short and sweet, Izuku thought. Breathing in, he straightened and tried his best to sound assertive. "I want to team up."

"I thought that might be it," she said, looking out the window. "Is that why you tried to cheat for me this morning? To get on my good side?"

Izuku shot forward. "No!" he said. "That was… Okay, it was weird, but it wasn't anything like that! Promise! I just… I wanted to know what kind of person you were."

"What kind of person I was?" Her frown rose, and when Momo looked at him now it was in bemusement. "… And what exactly did you learn from that?"

Slowly, Izuku thought over his words. Short and simple. "I learned… that you care about winning, but only if it's fair. You won't cheat, even if no one else would find out."

You won't betray me even if I gave you the chance…

Something in her face softened, though it didn't last long. Soon enough, she looked at him with the same poise she'd had that morning, and Izuku felt himself tense up. Now, he knew, they could negotiate.

"I suppose I can appreciate that," she said. "Still, I wasn't lying back then either. I'll do things that are in my best interests. I know what you want from me. My quirk would be useful to someone who doesn't have one himself. But what do you have to offer?"

He tried to match her severity. Reaching behind him, Izuku pulled out the notebook he'd stuffed into his belt and read through it, searching for something. After a second, he folded it open and handed it over.

Momo took the notebook, wary eyes passing over the tidy writing. A few lines in, her mouth opened in tempered shock.

Yaoyorozu Momo

Quirk: Creation

Allows the user to create any object from her skin.

Applications:

• General offensive capabilities: user may create weapons of any kind, including complex projectile weapons along with ammunition. Could create capture equipment on the spot, possibly at the moment of contact. She may also create base material for chemical reactions leading to explosions, acidic substances, etc.

• General rescue capabilities: user may create repairs for dilapidated buildings, can generate shelter to protect against falling debris and supplies for extreme conditions. May possibly be capable of creating electric generators, lighters, and other complex equipment.

• Elemental capabilities: there's no reason to believe user is incapable of directly creating water, fire, electricity, and other elemental forces. Smokescreens, medical solvents, and other secondary effects may also be possible.

• In general, applications of this quirk seem dependent entirely on user's imagination and creative capability.

Possible weakness:

• User must require some energy from which to generate her creations. Most likely in the form of calories and nutrients, which means that the overuse of her quirk could lead to a weakening of the body. Possible anemia?

• As creations are generated directly from her skin, user should have no way to prevent their effects, which would explain the lack of more elemental constructs, as a result of choice and not of a lack of capability.

• User seems incapable of creating anything with more mass than herself, as such objects would need both more energy than she holds and more surface area from which to generate.

• User may need to understand the chemical composition of her creations before being able to generate them.

• Should user be enshrouded in a strong enough shell, she would be incapable of generating any creation.

Notes on the user:

• User is very physically fit, possibly a result of her quirk's need for a managed diet.

• User seems fairly intelligent, particularly as it relates to the application of her quirk. This may also be a result of her quirk's need for a necessarily encyclopedic knowledge of her creations.

• User may have some formal training in combat or self-defense as a hopeful pro hero with enough clout to enroll into U.A. High School solely through recommendations.

• User values victory within the bounds of ethical norms. Will ultimately sacrifice her interests for moral principles, a necessary trait in a hero.

Izuku watched her read through his notes. "How close am I?" he asked.

"… Uncomfortably close. You even got the name right." Momo held his notebook back out to him, though he didn't reach for it. "You figured all this out just by observing me yesterday?"

He nodded. "Turn the page."

Drawing it close to her again, Momo flipped to the next entry. Then, in mounting wonder, she flipped to another. And another. And another. Each was formatted exactly the same, was written in the same dry and detailed tone, and every single one was on one of their classmates. Eventually, counting all of them, she saw that he'd written one out for all of them. All except one, which he'd ripped out just for this occasion. After all , she hadn't agreed yet.

"This is amazing," she said, reading through Kyoka's. She flipped over to Shoto's, eyes trailing left to right in frantic fascination. "And you wrote all this after one day?"

"It took a while. I had to stay up all night."

"But why?"

Izuku shrugged, scratching at his cheek. "Ah, well… I like learning about quirks. And I also needed to show you how serious I was."

Momo closed the notebook. This time, when she handed it over, he took it. "I admit it's impressive…"

But not quite enough to convince her, Izuku could tell. As much information as he had on the quirks of all their competition, he himself still had no quirk of his own. It was time for his last play.

"If we team up," he said slowly, "I'll give you access to this, but also… I'll tell you how to completely defeat Bakugo."

At this, her eyes widened entirely. Katsuki was, of course, the one person all their classmates knew to watch out for. His words were one thing, and perhaps it was easy not to take him seriously, but they'd all seen his score from the entrance exam. They'd all seen him use his quirk the day before during the apprehension test. As much as Izuku had been thinking of how to counter everyone else's quirks, he knew that his classmates had thought equally as hard of how to counter Katsuki's. He knew because he'd done the same for all the years that they'd been together.

"He's got a pretty big weakness," Izuku said. "If you don't take advantage of it, you'll lose. Everyone else will definitely lose against him."

Momo looked down, frowning. "And if I go to him now and ask him to be on my team?" she asked.

A question meant to catch him off guard more than anything else, but Izuku was ready for it. He'd thought it over almost as soon as the battle trials had been announced.

"He won't accept," Izuku said, shaking his head. "You've heard him talk. He's kind of like you in a way. Winning is important to him. But unlike you, he doesn't just want to win. He wants to destroy everyone and prove he's the best. He'll probably get the person who he thinks is the most pathetic on his team. That way, when he wins, there won't be any doubt that it was thanks to him and him alone."

"And why hasn't he asked you then? He seems to think pretty low of you already."

"He probably would, but he just hates me that much."

She considered his words. "You two seem to know each other well…"

"I've known him since we were kids," Izuku said, sighing. "It's why I know how to beat him. I know more about his quirk than anyone else."

His first friend, his first enemy, but most importantly his first fascination. Katsuki had a quirk so powerful that everyone around him had assumed he'd be a hero right from the start. For a long time, Izuku dreamed of having a quirk like that. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Katsuki was the reason that Izuku was there at all; without him, Izuku might never have started taking his notes.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, forcing himself to look at her. He'd laid everything out. There were no more cards to play. If she said no… Well, he'd plan around that if he needed to.

Momo seemed to be just as deep in thought, brows knitted together. Eventually, she closed her eyes. "… Let me think about it."

Hearing this, Izuku felt himself lose what little control he had. He slumped against the railing by the window, leaning his back against it, trying not to show too much impatience. "Thinking's good," he said. "Think about it… Yeah, sounds good to me."

It was better than a straight no. Way better. The pessimist in him had been sort of expecting it. He watched her reach into her pocket, pulling out her phone and holding it out to him.

"Give me your email," she said. "I'll try to have an answer by the end of the day."

She'd likely be spending the rest of the day asking around for other partnerships, trying to get herself a better deal. Should she not find one, he'd be hearing from her. But Izuku couldn't think of anyone that might give her better chances than the ones he offered, especially since everyone knew Katsuki would be sure to blast through the rest of the competition in the end. Should she happen to come up against that team on the first round and lose, she might get expelled. The risk of not having a way to beat him was too great to ignore. Izuku thought through all this even as he typed on her phone, barely aware that he was technically exchanging contact info with a girl for the first time in his life.

"Here," he said, handing her phone back.

She took it with a nod, and after one final look, turned back to the cafeteria. "You make a good case for yourself, Midoriya," she said, walking away.

"I hope so," he muttered. Slowly, he brought a hand up to his chest. Now alone, he could finally breathe easy.

His stomach rumbled again, groaning louder than before. One step down and it hadn't even taken all of his lunch time? He looked at Momo and thought about following after her. He might still be able to eat before the bell.

But, he thought, reaching for his notebook, I also need to go over these some more…

Well, what was one day without food anyway?

… He was starving.

Izuku held his stomach, despairing at the ravenous growl that came from it. Standing in the station just before the yellow line, he knew he still had a whole train ride before he got home, and could only hope his mom had saved some leftovers from the other night.

It growled again, loud enough over the general clamor of the station to get some attention from the bystanders nearby. Sheepish, Izuku smiled at them, face growing red.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get a snack, just to hold him over. Izuku looked around for a vending machine, tiptoeing above the crowd, and spotted one by the wall near the escalator. Luckily, the place wasn't so crowded. He'd loitered around after school with Denki for a bit, exploring the U.A. campus, and had therefore missed the bulk of midday traffic that so often clogged the trains. There were still plenty of people waiting there with him, but not so many that he couldn't easily push through them.

It was a row of three, and Izuku immediately zeroed in on the candy. He hadn't had much sugar the past year—All Might's fitness routine included rather extensive diet restrictions—but he saw no reason that he couldn't have some now and then, particularly when his gut screamed at him to as it was doing now.

Chocolates, gummies, biscuits… Roaming through them, Izuku licked his lips, reaching into his pocket for some change. He pulled out a 100-yen coin, the only one he had, but before he could slip it in the slot he suddenly remembered where he'd gotten it from.

Yaoyorozu-san's coin, he thought, staring down at it. Would the machine even accept such a thing? It looked as real as any other, and if Momo's quirk worked the way he thought, it should be made up of all the same properties. Still, the thought of using it made him uncomfortable. The coin was, for all intents and purposes, a forgery. It certainly wouldn't be very heroic…

Sighing, Izuku put his hand down. He'd just wait to get home, as much as it pained him.

"Damn…"

Glancing to his left, Izuku saw that someone else seemed to be in the same position. Standing in front of another vending machine, staring at a row of differently branded chips, a young man lay his hand against the glass, shoulders slumped. He wore an odd pair of gloves, covering all his fingers save the thumb. His long hair was white, though looking at him Izuku could tell he couldn't be too much older than himself. Maybe early twenties? Either way, he seemed just as hungry as Izuku felt, a smooth, pale face twisted into soft frustration.

"Not enough?" Izuku asked.

The man turned to face him, eyes a dark, crimson hue, the color of blood. But it could be some kind of quirk, and Izuku didn't want to be presumptive, so he kept his face straight even as the sight sent goosebumps rippling through his skin.

"Yeah, looks like it." The man looked down at his hand. "Hey, you gonna use that?"

Izuku followed his gaze, looking once more at the 100-yen coin in his hand. "Oh… Actually, no. One of my classmates made it with her quirk."

"Really? That's pretty cool…" The man held his hand out. "Would you mind if I could get it off your hands, then? I'm starving… And I'll share some."

Izuku closed his fingers around the coin. Hadn't this guy heard what he said? "I dunno, I think it's technically illegal…"

"Please? If it really is fake, it might not even work anyway."

"And if it does?"

The man shrugged. "Then we both get free chips."

Izuku knew he shouldn't, but a part of him was curious to see whether Momo's skills were as good as he thought, and it might end up helping someone out. And he was pretty hungry too…

"… Okay," he said, handing the coin over.

"Thank you!" The man slid it into the machine in short order, and to both their delight, the thing lit up. "Hey, it worked! Sweet. You want any of these in particular?"

"No, you can choose," Izuku said, shifting on his feet. "I won't have much."

"If you say so."

The man pressed one of the buttons. Just simple potato chips, no special flavors. It was exactly what Izuku would've chosen too, though he didn't say it aloud. He watched the man bend down and take it out, opening the bag with a pop as he straightened back up.

"Here," the man said, shaking the bag. "You get first dibs. Thanks again."

"You're welcome, I guess," Izuku said, reaching into the bag and grabbing a few, feeling only a little bad about it.

The man followed his example, and they both munched on the chips with silent satisfaction. Idly, Izuku noticed the man hadn't taken his gloves off first, apparently unconcerned about dirtying them with the crumbs. Perhaps that had something to do with his quirk too. Or maybe it was just a fashion statement.

At that moment, a voice echoed through the station. His train was near, and even now Izuku could hear it sliding in with a metallic ring. Startled from his brief reverie, he sped through to the wave of people ready to pile inside.

"That's me!" Izuku said "Um… Well, have a good day, then!"

Relieved, Izuku managed to get inside the train, and he didn't even need to squeeze between strangers to do so like he always did. He'd have to think about waiting out the traffic more routinely from now on.

The white-haired man came in too, to Izuku's mild surprise.

"Oi, I'm taking this one too," he said. "It's four stops for me. What about you? Might as well chat for a bit."

Izuku tried not to frown. Some oddities aside, the man seemed normal enough. Compared to a lot of people, including many in the station with them, he was even downright mundane. But something about him was… unsettling. Izuku didn't know how to explain it.

Still, Izuku was nothing if not polite. "Sure. I'm just one stop from home."

"Oh, sorry," the man said, sounding bashful. "I guess I should introduce myself… My name's Shigaraki Tomura. It's nice to meet you."

"Ah… I'm Midoriya Izuku. Same here."

They stood side by side, both facing the door, hands on the same handle. Around them, the crowd thickened as the doors were set to close, and all through it Tomura ate away at his chips.

"Want some more?" he asked, holding the bag out.

Despite the gnawing of his gut, Izuku shook his head. "No thanks."

"Eh, suit yourself."

The doors closed. With a lurch, the train set off. The two stood side by side in silence, listening to the mounting velocity and the equally mounting chatter. As they did, Izuku felt the man looking at him, red eyes passing coldly over his features.

"Hey, I thought I recognized that uniform," Tomura said. "That's U.A., right? You're a student there?"

"Yeah. Just going home now."

"So you're going to the number one hero school, huh? It must be something, alright."

"I guess…"

Tomura hummed, eating the last of the chips. Crumbling the bag, he stuffed it into his pocket and whipped his hand on his black jacket.

"Then you're trying to be a hero, right? Got a favorite?"

Strangely enough, the question managed to calm Izuku some. Everyone knew about U.A. It wasn't only a prestigious school; it was also a sort of cultural keystone, especially in its home city of Musutafu. Many of its students got fairly famous even before graduating through the sports festival and other public events. It was the first time anyone had ever commented on his position as a U.A. student, so Izuku felt some embarrassment, but it also went a long way in explaining why the man seemed so interested in him.

And anyway, when was the last time he'd had a conversation about heroes? Izuku loved his mom, but she wasn't really invested in that world, at least not until recently, now that her son had officially signed up to a hero school.

"My favorite… it's definitely All Might," Izuku said.

Tomura whistled. "All Might, huh? Isn't that kinda cliché? I thought kids these days were into Hawks or Edgeshot or someone edgy like that."

Having dived into the subject for years on internet forums, Izuku knew the guy had a point. Everyone loved All Might, of course they did, but even the biggest All Might fans had a hard time defending his cool-factor. Still…

"You're right, and I'm probably a little weird there," he said, smiling. "But All Might's always been my favorite. He's like… No matter how bad things are, when he shows up, you just know that everything's gonna be fine. You can always depend on him. He's never ever gonna let you down."

Tomura scratched his chin, nodding in thought. "I guess that is pretty empowering…"

Izuku almost corrected him. He liked All Might because… Well, it wasn't an empowering thing, exactly. That made it sound too simple. But he didn't know how to explain the image on his computer so many years before, the awe of a single man carrying all those people on his back.

"What about you?" Izuku said instead. "Who's your favorite hero?"

Tomura shrugged. "Oh, I don't really have one," he said, voice flat.

"Seriously?" Izuku felt somewhat dismayed at his tone. "But… everyone has a favorite."

"Meh. I guess I'm just not that into heroes," Tomura said. "They're cool and all, but if you ask me, heroes can't really change anything…"

Izuku didn't know how to respond to that. He opened his mouth, set to ask what he'd meant, but Tomura spoke before he could.

"Oi, this is your stop right?"

"Huh?"

As he asked it, Izuku heard the voice come softly out of unseen speakers, and he had to tighten his grip around the handle as the train began to slow. By the time the train stopped completely, a small mass of people had built by the doors, set to dash out as soon as they opened.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Midoriya-san," the man said.

The doors opened, and as the crowd piled out, Izuku felt himself get swept up through them by the moving bodies.

"Yeah, you too," he said, though he wasn't sure Tomura had heard.

Izuku tried looking back, but he couldn't see the white hair past all the passing people. Before he knew it, the doors had closed, and he had to step back behind the yellow line as the train began moving once more. He looked after it, surrounded by the shifting throng of the station, thinking on what Tomura had said.

Heroes couldn't change anything? What would heroes need to change in the first place?

As he thought, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Izuku took it out, and the message he saw on his screen pushed the previous conversation entirely out of his head.

#?: This is Yaoyorozu. Let's team up after all. We should meet soon to plan out our strategy. Does tomorrow after school work for you?

Eyes closed, Izuku let his head fall back, face up at the ceiling in utter relief.

That's one step down, he thought. Step one of many, but that's one down.

Now with some semblance of stability, he could think things through a bit more concretely. Letting out a heavy breath, Izuku began walking toward the escalator outside, his hunger forgotten, mind sprinting away. It looked like he'd have another late night.

AN:

I won't pretend like Shigaraki isn't OOC here. He is. His canon character doesn't fit my story, so I changed it, hopefully to something more interesting.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to review, check out my other stuff, and stay safe, everyone.