6

The day had arrived.

Izuku Midoriya entered the 1-A classroom to find Ochaco Uraraka in an animated conversation with her neighbor, Tsuyu Asui.

“And today I’m having curry mochi, so… Oh! Morning, Deku.”

“Good morning, Midoriya.”

“Uraraka, Tsuyu, good morning.”

The boy couldn’t help but blush at the sight of Uraraka’s quintessentially Uraraka smile. He still had a little trouble talking to girls, though he’d already come a long way in that department.

“So, it’s Parents’ Day. Who’s coming to see you, Deku?”

“My mom. She seemed a little nervous, actually.”

“Oh yeah? My dad did too!”

“Must be contagious,” said Midoriya, forcing a smile. He left the girls and headed for the back of the classroom, to his seat by the window. The room itself was the same as ever, but everything felt strangely on edge. The students of 1-A couldn’t stop chattering about what their families were like and who would be coming.

Guess everyone else feels a little awkward about Parents’ Day too.

Parents, visiting one’s school? There was always such a clear division between those two realms, so to Midoriya, smashing them together felt decidedly unreal. Embarrassed or not, though, he didn’t hate the idea of his mom showing up; in a way, he felt proud. And he wasn’t the only student who wanted a parent to see them flourishing at the school of their dreams.

But we gotta read those letters, ugh…

He’d written his after getting home from the hero exhibit the day before. The letter was peppered with permutations of “I’m working hard” and “Sorry to worry you all the time” and had proven a challenge, in the end. Still, it was honest. Honest enough to make it embarrassing.

A subtle sigh escaped Midoriya’s lips.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh. Morning, Todoroki.”

“Mhm.”

Shoto Todoroki’s almost pained stare made Midoriya realize his friend was still waiting for an answer.

“O-oh, nothing wrong really. Just feeling embarrassed in advance about reading my letter.”

“Uh-huh.”

Only natural that everyone felt the same way, Midoriya thought.

“You write yours, Todoroki?”

“Yeah. For my sister, actually.”

“Your big sister’s coming today?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh.”

Just as Midoriya managed a smile at Todoroki’s curt answers, Tenya Ida interrupted his own conversation with Fumikage Tokoyami to chime in, and Minoru Mineta and Denki Kaminari joined.

“Good morning, Midoriya! And a happy Parents’ Day to you!”

“Morning… Ah, how was the theme park yesterday? Sorry again that I couldn’t make it!” said Midoriya, suddenly remembering his friend’s Sunday plans. Ida smiled and shook his head vigorously.

“Think nothing of it. Our day was anything but ordinary, though we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Wouldn’t you agree, Tokoyami?”

“Sure…”

The bird-headed boy forced a nod, but Mineta had more to say on the matter.

“Get this, Midoriya! Tokoyami is a cradle robber!”

“Ehh?”

“What? Enough of your falsehoods!”

Kaminari gave a weak laugh at Midoriya’s shock and explained.

“Nah, not really. But a little kid did confess her love for Tokoyami.”

“Why, though?”

“It’s far too long a story to recount at the moment, and none among us can predict where it may lead, but suffice it to say, no cradles have been pilfered by our good Tokoyami.”

Mineta took issue with Ida’s clarification.

“Who can say, though, once she grows up! If he was smart, he’d raise her to be his ideal bride, just like old Hikaru Genji did with Princess Akashi!”

Tokoyami glared at Mineta with utter contempt.

“You’re the only one who would enact such a scheme.”

“Would if I could! Cuz there’s nothing illegal about it!”

“They should make your existence illegal, Mineta.”

The barb came from Kyoka Jiro, who had been talking with Momo Yaoyorozu but was sickened by Mineta’s unconstrained lust this early in the morning. A pair of stretchy cords hung from her earlobes. Her Quirk, “Earphone Jack,” allowed her to jack in and amplify the sound waves of her own heartbeat.

“Flatties don’t get a say in this,” quipped Mineta with scorn.

“Huhh?!”

Jiro looked ready to murder him, but Ida tilted his head in confusion.

“Flatties? What does that mean?”

“Small boobs, man.”

“Don’t actually tell him, Kaminari! And stop asking about these things, Ida!”

“How rude. Breasts are breasts, and one shouldn’t get hung up on their relative size.”

Yaoyorozu nodded, agreeing with Ida.

“He’s quite right, Jiro.”

“Hard to take that to heart, coming from you, Yaoyorozu,” said Jiro, hinting at her friend’s extraordinary bosom.

“Anyhow, as I was saying, the chocolate mochi was better than I expected!”

“Seriously?”

Chocolate mochi…?

Midoriya finally reached his seat, but his classmates’ bizarre conversations had already given him plenty to wonder about. The day’s shortened homeroom was about to begin, and Aizawa was sure to arrive just on time.

But he didn’t.

The disciplined students were plenty used to planting themselves in their seats in time, so they took note when the bell chimed and their teacher didn’t slink through the door.

“Aizawa Sensei’s not here?” asked Toru Hagakure, from her seat in the front row.

“Ribbit? Just late, maybe?”

“A U.A. educator, late on an exhibition day! Why, a situation this dire could shake the very foundations of our school!” shouted Ida, shooting to his feet and swinging his arms like a steam locomotive’s wheels. Hanta Sero, the slim boy seated in front of Tokoyami, tried to calm the panicking president.

“C’mon, even Aizawa Sensei’s just human. Everyone’s late from time to time.”

“But, Sero! Heroes are locked in an eternal battle against the ticking clock! It can mean life or death for those needing to be saved, so even a single second of tardiness is a grave sin!”

Midoriya thought to himself as he watched Ida’s outburst, It is weird. Aizawa Sensei’s never late…

Even after suffering nearly disfiguring injuries during the villain attack on U.S.J., Aizawa had shown up in the classroom wrapped in bandages, as if it were business as usual.

“I hope nothing happened to him…”

“Quit yer muttering, dammit,” shot back Katsuki Bakugo from his seat in front of Midoriya’s, not even bothering to turn around.

“Sorry, Kacchan, but honestly…”

But Bakugo stayed facing forward, with zero interest in whatever Midoriya had to say.

So he’s a little late. Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill, right? I bet he’ll show up in a minute.

The bell rang to mark the end of homeroom, but still no Aizawa. Definitely odd. The chattering intensified, and Yaoyorozu wondered out loud, “Isn’t it nearly time for our parents to arrive as well?”

“Yeah. Not just yet, but pretty soon, anyway…” said Eijiro Kirishima, the eternal optimist who sat next to Sero. Yaoyorozu’s brow crinkled.

“But we haven’t seen a single one…”

“Maybe they got lost?” said Jiro.

Mina Ashido, a girl with black eyes, pinkish-purple hair and skin, and a pair of antennae sprouting from her head, chimed in.

“Yeah, cuz U.A.’s huge, remember?” she said with her trademark Pollyanna smile.

“Attention, all. As class president, I will travel to the staff room to check. Please wait here until I return.”

But before Ida could make it to the door, everyone’s phones buzzed in unison.

“Hmm?”

Midoriya checked his phone in a panic.

“A message from Aizawa Sensei!”

It read, Ride bus to mock cityscape. Now. He was referring to the training grounds constructed to resemble a built-up downtown zone. With neighborhoods alpha through sigma, the grounds were as large as a real city and had been the site of the entrance exam’s practical portion.

“The cityscape? But why…?”

As if a light bulb had sparked over his head, Kaminari said, “I’ve got it! Aizawa Sensei probably wants to hold the model class, the letter reading, and the facility tour all in one place! It’s only ‘rational’!”

Everyone agreed that that did sound like their teacher, so they reluctantly started to move.

“It doesn’t seem we have a choice… Be sure not to forget your letters!”

Ida led the class to the parking lot, where they found and boarded a bus waiting for them—one of several used to shuttle U.A. students around the massive campus.

“Why not just have us meet there in the first place? This sucks,” grumbled Mineta. To his right, Midoriya responded with a noncommittal chuckle before settling into deep, puzzled thought.

“What is it, Midoriya?” asked Ida from the neighboring seat.

“It’s just… Making us waste time like this? Does that sound like Aizawa Sensei?”

“No, it does not. I quite agree,” replied Ida, his eyes blinking rapidly.

On Ida’s right, Todoroki listened in silence, knowing that everything their rational teacher did, he did for a reason.

“Stop overthinking it, Midoriya! You’re gonna go bald early, at this rate! So Aizawa screwed up? So what?”

“Harsh!” snorted Uraraka from across the aisle. Asui, sitting next to her, spoke up.

“Would you dare say that to Aizawa Sensei’s face, Mineta?”

“Course I wouldn’t, so you’d better not rat me out!”

Ida gasped.

“Perhaps this is all intentional on Sensei’s part!”

“How’s that?”

“For heroes, the call to action can arrive at any moment. This could be an exercise designed to test our reactions.”

“Yeah, that’s possible,” added Todoroki, who noticed Ida yawning. “Tired? That’s not like you.”

“Apologies, something about rattling vehicles does this to me… Plus, I was up all night paring down my too-long letter from forty pages to twenty.”

“And you still wound up with twenty whole pages?!”

Ida nodded at the shocked Midoriya.

“I couldn’t bear to eliminate another word… Not when every last one is filled with my deepest gratitude!”

“That explains the bulge in your bucket.”

Todoroki wasn’t wrong—the pocket that held Ida’s letter was stuffed to bursting. He took out the fat envelope, prompting Uraraka to say, “Sure wish my wallet had that kinda paper in it.”

Midoriya couldn’t help but return her beaming smile with one of his own.

Probably overthinking this. Yeah.

He took a look at his own letter, which—though not as lengthy as Ida’s—was clearly written with care.

Hope you brought a hankie, Mom.

What he’d written probably wouldn’t come across as all too moving to anyone else, but his mother was prone to waterworks. At that moment, Midoriya couldn’t have known that the scene he imagined would never come to pass.

The bus dropped the class at the mock cityscape and sped off. Aizawa was nowhere to be found.

“Sensei must be farther inside. Let’s move, everyone!” commanded Ida with a raised arm, but Mezo Shoji—an enormous boy with extra noses on the tips of his tentacles—said, “Wait. I smell something.” His Quirk was “Dupli-Arms,” and he could spawn copies of his body parts on a set of extra appendages, all connected by winglike membranes.

“D-don’t lookit me!” protested Mineta.

“Not you… Smells like gasoline.”

“Maybe there’s a fake pileup in there, for training purp—”

Kaminari’s thought was cut short by a scream in the distance.

“What the?”

A series of cries joined the scream.

The students broke into a run towards the voices, which led them to a street lined with buildings. Midoriya’s sneaking suspicions from the bus returned in full force as the smell of gasoline grew stronger.

“What’s going on over there…?” muttered a dumbfounded Kirishima, grinding to a halt. Before them lay a cleared lot, with the buildings that had occupied the space smashed to craggy piles of rubble on either side. In the middle—a massive pit, around twenty meters in diameter. At the very center, a large cubic cage seemed to float on a small platform in midair, but it was actually balanced on a slender tower, like an apple core nearly eaten clean away. The muddled screams from a moment before now came across loud and clear.

“Ochaco!”

“Dad?!”

“Shoto…”

“Huh…?””

“Tenya!”

“Mother!”

“Izuku!”

“M-Mom, is that you…?” gasped Midoriya, spotting his mother in her navy blue outfit.

Yes, it was their parents locked up in the cage, shouting in terror for their children, who quickly scampered to the very edge of the pit.

“Yech… It really is gasoline…?”

Uraraka peered down to discover a layer of stagnant liquid eight to nine meters below.

“What the heck happened? How’d our parents get in there…?”

“And where’s Aizawa Sensei in all this?”

A cool, mechanical voice rang out to answer the panicked students’ questions.

“Aizawa is down for a nap. A nice dirt nap.”

Despite the artificial-sounding tone, the words were somehow filled with malice. Midoriya and the others braced themselves.

“A dirt nap…?”

“You saying Aizawa Sensei’s dead…?”

“Can’t be! I mean, har har, but April Fools’ Day was a while back! So show yourself, whoever you are!”

“Calm yourselves. You are free to think this is a joke, but be aware that there are hostages in play.”

“Hostages…?”

Midoriya’s brain struggled to keep up with the sudden crisis, and he—along with Ida and Todoroki—found himself scanning the area for the hostile entity.

“No. Not here. The voice is coming from inside the cage,” said Shoji, whose tentacles had sprouted extra ears.

“Inside the…?”

“Correct. I am in here with them.”

As if on cue, the group of parents flinched away from the back of the cage, where a dark figure now appeared. A tall man, wearing a black mask, cape, and cowl. The parents scurried into the corners of their prison.

Midoriya’s entire body went rigid.

Why? How? Who could’ve…

Seizing the moment, Ida pulled out his phone and began to make a call.

“I should mention now that contacting your school or the authorities is not permitted. Ah, and I’m afraid that little Denki’s Quirk cannot help you either,” said the figure, addressing Kaminari.

“What the hell, man…?”

So he knows all about us somehow…?

The man went on.

“Fleeing or seeking outside help is also forbidden. Attempt to run, and it will be your parent who pays the price.”

At that, a well-built, genial-looking man rattled the bars of the cage and shouted.

“Dangit! Can’t do a thing about these solid bars!”

“D-Dad!” cried Uraraka from the edge of the pit, feeling utterly helpless.

“H-help us, Momo!”

“You mustn’t panic, Mother… Keep calm…”

Already in a state of shock, Yaoyorozu was further shaken by her typically composed mother’s panic. Beside Mrs. Yaoyorozu stood a man in a suit—Asui’s father.

“Croak, croak.”

“That croak means danger… Ribbit…”

Asui was the most levelheaded of them all, so the note of distress in her voice only made matters worse. Their teacher, dead? Their parents, hostages? None of it felt real.

“Mom…”

Seeing his mother weeping in the cage, Midoriya felt the blood drain from his face.

“Why… Why’s this happening…?”

The man spoke again.

“I flunked out of U.A. High. Gaining entry in the hopes of becoming a hero was all I ever had. That an excellent specimen such as myself failed is proof enough that this world is cruel and misaligned. Imagine that. Me, a dropout? However, if left to your own devices, only the brightest of futures await you children. That is why I’ve—”

“So you put on that stupid black cape just to throw a little tantrum, you dumbass?” screamed Bakugo.

“Kacchan!”

“I’m already bored. Let’s blow this guy to kingdom come!”

Bakugo’s indomitable grin was accompanied by a small explosion in his palm. He dashed to the edge, about to let his fiery momentum carry him straight to the central platform.

“Slow down. Or have you already forgotten about the hostages?”

With that, the man dragged the nearest woman towards himself. It was Mitsuki Bakugo. Her son clucked his tongue and skidded to a halt. From experience, Midoriya knew what panic looked like on Bakugo’s face, and it was there now.

“Great job getting yourself caught, hag!”

His mother went from abject fear to rage, just like that.

“I’ve told you a million times not to call me ‘hag,’ you little punk!”

The unexpected roar from Mitsuki drew all eyes to her in vacant shock.

“Wow. I, uh, see the family resemblance.”

“That s’posed to be a compliment, broomhead?” snapped Bakugo at the dumbstruck Kirishima.

Inside the cage, Inko Midoriya spoke to Mitsuki in troubled tones.

“Mrs. Bakugo, please, we’re hostages, remember…?”

“Oh, whoops! True enough!”

“Pipe down,” said the man, releasing Bakugo’s mother and shoving her aside.

“That woman has nerves of steel…”

“Yeah, she’s one tough lady, same as ever…”

Midoriya answered Ida with a pained smile.

This was the woman who’d raised that pint-sized general, and she was never one to let her own bossy son push her around. Midoriya could remember a few times when he’d gotten a tongue-lashing from Mitsuki for his involvement in Bakugo’s antics.

Feeling a little more collected now, thanks to her. Phew. What I… What we need to do now is save the hostages. So first…

“What are you after, here?” asked Midoriya in a calm, commanding voice, eyes locked on the villain.

“What am I after? One thing only—the utter destruction of you golden children and your bright futures. And slaughtering your parents while you watch is just the way to do it.”

“All this, just to get to us?” came a quivering shout from Mashirao Ojiro, a boy whose Quirk equipped him with a thick tail. Beside him, Kirishima raged.

“You got a beef with us? Then bring it! But leave our folks outta this!”

“Oh, but it isn’t your bodies I aim to destroy. No. It will be that much more painful when your parents suffer and you would-be heroes have nobody but yourselves to blame,” said the man with what must have been a sneer under his mask.

“If you truly walked the path of the hero once, then stop this foolishness!” screamed Yaoyorozu, unable to contain herself. Ashido backed her up.

“Exactly! And you’re headed for the slammer when all’s said and done!”

“Oh, I have no intention of escaping. After all, I have nothing left to lose. So for my final act, I might as well savor your descent into agony as you watch your parents perish. Now, who to start with…?”

The villain reached towards the hostages, who shrank into the corner of the cage.

“Quit it!”

Inspired by Uraraka’s desperate cry, Midoriya plunged into thought.

Getting our parents outta there means doing something about the villain, first. But dealing with him means we need a way to shield the hostages…

“…But it’s not like we can free them without him noticing… The cage is too exposed. No blind angles… Plus, it’s about ten meters to the platform, across the pit. He’s sure to spot us making a move… Darn. I’ve got nothing.”

“Keep it down, Midoriya. He’ll hear,” said Todoroki at the front of the pack, not wanting the villain to overhear Midoriya’s usual muttered monologue.

“Ah, sorry. Couldn’t help it…”

“No ideas then, Midoriya?” whispered Ida, standing near Todoroki.

“No, not yet…”

“Very well… Everyone, we need to distract this villain somehow.”

“Gotcha. We’ll get the job done.”

“And you think up a plan. Quick.”

Kirishima and Kaminari stepped forward at Ida’s call to action. A few others followed, ready to keep the villain’s attention occupied.

“Stand back, friends. We need a distraction, non? Such is my expertise. ☆”

Yuga Aoyama shot the group a sparkling, pretentious wink and practically pirouetted forward.

“This unsightly crime simply won’t do. ☆ Besides, who could possibly commit such evil while looking upon my beautiful visage? Wouldn’t you agree, Koda?”

“Oh, um, well… Uh-huh.”

Koji Koda’s large, rocky body seemed to shrink at Aoyama’s prompt.

“Why involve soft-spoken Koda?” protested Ida under his breath.

Throwing his friend a lifeline, Rikido Sato added, “Don’t mess with Koda like that!”

In a sense, Aoyama’s distraction was working.

“C’mon, guys, don’t…” muttered Midoriya without thinking, but Todoroki interrupted.

“They all know we’re in a tight spot. Our only chance is a sneak attack from you.”

“You think?”

“You’re good at that. Smashing the unsmashable, and all that.”

Midoriya felt tears welling up, but he gritted his teeth and started thinking. No time for crying. Not when their families’ lives were at stake.

Sneak attack… Right. Head-on won’t work. Get the drop on him and pin him down, if only for a second. Enough time for Ida and Kacchan to get over there. Just a second or two…

Then it came to him.

Of course. If it’s all about sneaking, we need…

Midoriya called over Hagakure, Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka.

“A stun gun?”

“Mhm. Small enough to stay under the radar, but with plenty of oomph. Can you whip that up?”

“Excellent idea. And yes, I can,” said Yaoyorozu with a nod. A pocket-sized device emerged from her palm, and she handed it to Uraraka.

“I made it brown so he’s less likely to notice.”

“Now I just gotta make this thing and Hagakure float?” asked Uraraka.

“Yup. Since Hagakure’s the perfect candidate.”

“Just a sec! Lemme strip down, in that case.”

True to her word, the invisible girl’s clothes fell to ground, prompting a frantic “Whaaat?” from behind Midoriya.

“Hoo boy! A babe in the nude! Invisible or not, my brain’s filling in the details just fine!”

Mineta was meant to be part of the distraction crew, but now he barged his way over to the mission team. Asui’s frog tongue shot towards him.

“No self-control, even in an emergency, Mineta?” she said, slamming him to the ground.

“Bwahh!”

As Midoriya gave Mineta a strange look, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Nobody there, except the invisible Hagakure.

“I’m ready to do this, ’kay?”

“Be careful, Hagakure…”

“You can count on me!”

A light touch from Uraraka sent the tiny stun gun and its wielder floating towards the cage. Rather than point it out, the distraction crew ramped up their act.

Please… Let this work!

Midoriya joined the rest of the class while keeping a close eye on the target. The man in black was nearly at his wit’s end when the weapon landed near him, outside the cage. Hagakure must’ve been crouching, as the stun gun seemed to snake along the ground.

“I said, silence. Do not make me repeat myself!” snapped the villain, now pacing about the cage.

Almost there, almost there!

As if obeying Midoriya’s thoughts, the stun gun settled just outside the bars. Now it was a matter of timing.

“Perhaps the most boisterous child’s parent should be the first to die? Then you lot might see things differently…”

He stopped pacing to survey the group of parents, and the electrified weapon hovered between the bars, inching towards his leg, crackling and sparking. But before it could connect, the villain deftly whipped around, kicking the stun gun into the pit.

“Ack!”

“It seems an invisible pest has wormed its way over here!”

Shaking with rage, he threw open the cage door, stepped out, and drew a lighter from inside his cape.

“I had hoped to serve up individual doses of suffering, but no matter. We will all dine in hell together.”

“Don’t do it!”

But Midoriya’s cry fell on deaf ears. The villain tossed the lighter into the pit, transforming it into a raging inferno.

“No!”

He swallowed a blast of hot air, and the instant heat singed his cheeks. Beyond the dancing flames, Midoriya could see his classmates’ parents, deep in despair, yet enduring.

“Izuku!”

“Mom!”

The boy’s mother shouted for help, extending her hand from within the cage, and Midoriya reached out instinctively. Wind fanned the flames even higher, and Inko vanished from view.

“This is all my fault…”

His strategy had failed.

Everyone was counting on me!

On the verge of despair, Midoriya started to collapse, and a kick from behind finished the job.

“Huh…?”

“You really that stupid?”

Midoriya regained his balance and turned to find Bakugo wearing a grim expression that turned into a vicious smile as he eyed the villain.

“This is the perfect chance, dumbass!”

“Kacchan?”

“Hey, roundface!” Bakugo spat at Uraraka. “Get me floating!”

The girl did as commanded, and Bakugo rocketed towards the villain. Midoriya gasped. Of course—the man was outside of the cage.

Todoroki shot a blast of ice, which Bakugo dodged in midair with lightning reflexes.

“Watch it, you half ’n’ half bastard!”

The ice found the villain’s feet, freezing him to the ground.

“Tch!”

“You like wearing black? Try black and blue!”

Bakugo straddled the villain, threatening him with explosions from his palm.

“Let us join him!”

Ida’s cry got Midoriya to his feet, and with a touch from Uraraka, he was off.

“Thanks!”

“Help my dad out, ’kay…?”

Midoriya nodded at the panicked girl, uncertain if there was anything reassuring about his smile.

Gotta picture the power flowing through my whole body…

One For All, the Quirk granted to him by All Might, surged through his blood, muscles, and cells, and Midoriya leaped into the air beside Ida. Tokoyami and Todoroki jumped after them, while the latter continued his icy assault. The roaring flames from the pit singed Midoriya as he flew, but he landed on the platform and ran to his mother.

“Izuku!”

“You okay, Mom?”

She nodded, and Midoriya rushed over to Bakugo.

“Kacchan!”

The boy had the villain pinned to the ground, keeping him in check with small explosions.

“This shit-eating punk’s not so tough. Got him handled, all on my own.”

“Katsuki, don’t say ‘shit’!”

“Stuff it, you shitty hag!”

Mitsuki Bakugo, now out of the cage, put any celebration aside to tear into her son. Midoriya forced a weak smile at the bickering duo before noticing that the villain had pulled out a small something from within his cape.

“Wait, that’s…” gasped Midoriya, but he was too late. The villain’s thumb came down with a click. An explosion from below. The apple-core tower supporting the cage began to sway.

“What…?!”

“What’d you do, dammit?” demanded Bakugo.

“As I said, the gates of hell await us all.”

The bomb trigger rolled from his open hand.

“The fiend planted explosives in advance…? Whoa!” said Ida, rocked off-balance by the shifting platform. Back at the edge of the pit, Ojiro shouted to the rescue team.

“Hey! The base is crumbling! You guys gotta get back here quick!”

Uraraka and the others were busy using fire extinguishers provided by Yaoyorozu, but their efforts were in vain.

“Dangit! We’ll never kill these flames in time…”

“Rather than extinguish the inferno, perhaps a more rational solution… Ah, I’ve got it!”

Screams from the parents rose as the ground beneath them started to tilt. Before the platform and cage could collapse into the sea of flames, though, Todoroki launched a tendril of ice that latched on to the pit’s outer edge, keeping the tower upright for the time being. But like ice cream in a heat wave, the icy bridge started melting straightaway.

“Ladies first! Please grab ahold of me!” shouted Ida.

“B-but…”

The apple-core tower gave another shudder, and the leaping flames threatened to engulf the entire platform. Within the group of huddled parents, Inko Midoriya seemed ready to cry.

“Izuku…”

What kind of hero can’t protect his own loved ones…?

He forced his face into a trembling smile.

“It’ll be all right. I’m here to save you.”

“Oh, Izuku…”

Think, think, think. Evacuating one at a time? No… Need to get everyone away all at once.

Todoroki’s voice rang out.

“Damn… Whatever you do, do it soon!”

The boy kept the ice flowing in an attempt to thicken the bridge, but it melted away just as quickly.

“Ice bridge… Slipping… Sliding…? That’s it… A slide!” gasped Midoriya.

“Stop joking around, Midoriya! There’s no time!”

“A slide, Ida! Like from our rescue training!”

“The evacuation chute?”

Todoroki caught on.

“Right! Just need a way to slide everyone across my ice bridge!”

“I dunno if there’s enough time for Yaoyorozu to create a tarp that big, though.”

“It’s nearly ready, actually!”

At the pit’s edge, a massive tarp burst from Yaoyorozu’s back, ripping through her shirt.

“I’ve been working on this fireproof sheet since a few moments ago. Uraraka, Sero, it’s your turn!”

“Okay!”

“Here we go!”

Uraraka gave the tarp her magic touch and passed it to Sero, who, courtesy of his “Tape” Quirk, launched it across the pit with the sticky tape that shot from his elbows.

“Grab it, Dark Shadow!”

“Aye, aye!”

With tape trailing behind it, the tarp landed in the clutches of Dark Shadow, who passed it to Midoriya.

“Thanks! Should’ve known you’d be on top of things, Yaoyorozu!” said Midoriya, spreading the tarp out.

“Everyone, please climb aboard!”

With the ground swaying more by the second, the parents wasted no time in following Midoriya’s orders.

“You here with us, Hagakure?”

“Sure am!”

“Ida, use your Engine to pull from the front, while the rest of us push from behind. And you keep blasting your ice until the last second, Todoroki.”

“Got it.”

“What about the villain?” asked Tokoyami. Bakugo yanked the man to his feet; all the fight seemed to have left him.

“We can’t just leave him here.”

“Any funny business, and you go boom, get it?”

The ground heaved.

“Here I go, Midoriya!”

Ida took the lead, grabbing the front corners of the tarp with arms stretched behind him.

“Go, go!”

“No holding back… Torque Over, Reciproburst!”

A pair of explosions and streams of sooty smoke shot from the engines on Ida’s calves as he kicked off. His power-packed ultimate move would stall his engines after a single use, but it was sure to give him the torque and speed he needed in a pinch.

“Urgh!”

Midoriya, Tokoyami, and Bakugo pushed from behind, eager to match Ida’s contribution, and even Dark Shadow helped, lifting the rear corners of the tarp. Todoroki leaped on at the last second.

The group flew across the ice bridge like a runaway freight train, dragged forward by Ida’s gale-force speed. His feet reached the edge of the pit before the parents even had a chance to scream.

“All righ—whoa!”

Uraraka’s prayers were answered, but her victory cry was cut short by a crash as the tower collapsed into the fire. The ice bridge plummeted, leaving Midoriya and the other rear guard members to dangle from the hanging edge of the tarp, without a foothold.

“Yikes!”

The pages of Midoriya’s letter fluttered from his pocket into the hungry flames below.

“Urk!”

Sensing that the entire tarp might be dragged over the edge, Ida braced himself, while Uraraka and the others hurried over to help pull.

“One, two, three!”

They yanked the tarp up before the flames could consume it. The jolt, however, loosened Inko Midoriya’s sweaty grip. She was airborne.

“Ahhh!”

“Mom, no!”

In a flash, the black-garbed villain had her in one arm, with the other gripping the edge. Only Midoriya and his mother realized what had happened, since the entire group was back on solid ground within seconds.

“She’s safe…” muttered Midoriya as his mother scampered over to him.

“Are you okay, Izuku…?”

“Yeah. Just glad you are too, Mom…”

She wept and embraced her son, but he could only grimace.

Went and made her worry again…

Then he remembered the villain.

“Where’d he go…?”

The man in black stood apart from the group and spoke.

“Congratulations. The exercise is over.”

“Huh? What’s that mean…?”

“Somebody grab him. We gotta contact the school!”

“And find where he stashed Aizawa Sensei…”

Blood drained from the students’ faces, but before they could lament the loss of their teacher, a familiar listless voice rang out.

“Me? I’m right here.”

It was Aizawa, emerging from the shadows of the nearby rubble.

“Huh?”

Their eyes popped. While the students of 1-A tried to digest this revelation, Aizawa approached the group of parents as nonchalantly as if they hadn’t just raced across a sea of fire.

“Excellent work, everyone. Quite the convincing performance.”

“You’re making me blush! It’s all thanks to your coaching, Sensei!” said Uraraka’s father, beaming. Nearby, Yaoyorozu’s mother sighed, glad to be done with her duty.

“That was nerve-racking, I daresay.”

Asui’s father was speaking with Mitsuki Bakugo.

“Didn’t know what to think when you almost broke character, Mrs. Bakugo. Croak.”

“So sorry! Couldn’t help it…”

Cowering in fear one minute, chatting like old friends the next. Aizawa turned to his dumbfounded class.

“Still don’t get it? Let me spell it out: this was all a setup.”

Their “Huhh?!” in unison echoed throughout the mock cityscape.

“Th-the villain, too…?”

“Yes… We hired an actor from a theater troupe.”

“A what, now…? Oh, indeed. Apologies for menacing you kids the way I did!”

The man in black tilted his head almost sheepishly, eliciting a “What the heck?” from a drained Kaminari. Bakugo clucked his tongue.

“No wonder the mook went down so easy. Just some backup player, huh.”

“Now just a minute! Wasn’t this a bit much…? One wrong move, and somebody could have gotten terribly hurt, or worse!”

Yaoyorozu felt compelled to protest, but Aizawa’s answer was as blasé as ever.

“We were prepared for the worst, so no, it wasn’t a ‘bit much.’ Besides, pros are no strangers to danger, so an exercise with lower stakes wouldn’t do you much good.”

“I suppose that’s true…”

Aizawa stared at the girl and spoke again, slowly.

“Were you scared? Scared for your mother?”

“Yes. Quite,” came her meek answer.

“Words alone can’t express your love for your families. When faced with losing them, however… This provided that valuable experience.”

He glanced from student to student.

“A proper rescue demands strength, skill, knowledge, and decisiveness, but emotion can easily cloud judgment. Anyone hoping to become a hero can’t very well be flustered by a family member in danger. This exercise, under the guise of ‘Parents’ Day,’ was meant to teach you all just that.”

“Yes, Sensei,” said Yaoyorozu with a nod. Midoriya understood too.

“One more thing. It’s not just about keeping a level head. The people you aim to save—their lives are more than just their own, as they too have families waiting for them to come home. Take that to heart.”

A humble chorus of “Yes, Sensei” arose from the students.

“Now, though every hostage was rescued, this could’ve gone better.”

“Huh?”

“You struggled far too much against this single opponent. Wasted too much time. And the stun gun? Hardly the most rational option. Choosing to distract the villain by talking to him was an unrefined approach, and it meant putting your eggs in one basket. I’ve got plenty more to say, but for now… You all passed. By a slim margin.”

The sense of relief from the class was visible.

“I want one page on what you’ve learned from this, due tomorrow.”

Amidst the instant wave of grumbles, Ida’s hand shot up.

“And what of our letters of appreciation…? Another of your ‘rational deceptions’ to disguise the true intent of this exercise, Sensei?”

“Well, didn’t writing that letter get you thinking about your family more than usual?”

“Indeed, it did!”

The dogged Ida was instantly persuaded, and the end-of-period bell rang out.

“We’re done for today. Parents—thank you all for your assistance.”

The parents returned Aizawa’s bow, and each student drifted towards his or her mother or father.

“Tenya, that final dash was incredible.”

“Only thanks to the orange juice you squeezed for me this morning, Mother,” replied a proud Ida. Nearby, Uraraka’s father gave her a pat on the back.

“You good, Ochaco?”

“Relieved, mostly…blegh!”

“You did great, honey!”

“Thanks!”

Meanwhile, the Bakugos engaged in a war of words.

“Why’s your mouth so goddamned foul, boy?”

“Learned from the best, hag!”

“I got it from you, though!”

At a distance, Fuyumi spoke to her little brother.

“We’re lucky it was me here at Parents’ Day… Mom might’ve fainted right off the bat, having to play a hostage.”

“Yeah. Probably.”

“Excuse me, miss.”

Aizawa approached, and Fuyumi gave him a small bow.

“Here at U.A., most of our Basic Hero Training classes are recorded, and this one was no exception. If you want, I could give your brother a copy of the footage tomorrow.”

“Could you, really?”

“Mhm. There’s no harm in having the rest of your family view it.”

“Thank you so much,” said Fuyumi, bowing again as Aizawa walked away.

“He must’ve realized that I wanted Mom to see it. You’ll have to thank him later, Shoto.”

“Sure.”

“You know Mom’s gonna be thrilled.”

“Uh-huh.”

Some of the tension left Todoroki’s face. A few paces away, Inko Midoriya apologized to her son.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you! Your teacher said it was all part of a larger lesson, so I only wanted to help, however possible.”

“It’s okay, Mom. Really,” said Midoriya with a shake of his head. He glanced at her navy blue outfit and noticed it was caked with dirt and soot.

That’s why she mentioned it getting stained. Boy, can’t believe I didn’t pick up on that.

He sighed, a little disappointed with himself.

“But when you said, ‘I’m here to save you,’ you were the spitting image of a real hero!” said Inko with a wide smile and tear-filled eyes. Midoriya felt a powerful warmth welling up within.

Maybe I actually managed to be reassuring…?

His embarrassment, joy, and pride coalesced into a smile of his own, but then he remembered his letter, now burned to cinders.

Letter or no letter, I’ve gotta try to tell her.

“So, um, sorry that I’m always making you worry, but I gotta keep trying… Harder and harder…”

“Of course. And your mom’s watching over you.”

Her eyes filled up with a fresh batch of tears, and Midoriya knew that behind her smile and reassurance lay concern and fear.

“Thanks,” he said, holding back his own tears.

“How about some nice katsudon tonight?”

“Sure!”

Once the entire group began walking back to the bus stop, Inko noticed the man in black, who was keeping his distance.

“Oh, I really must say something to him, too!”

She walked over to the faux villain, bowed, and said, “I have to thank you for back there!”

“Nonsense, ma’am. I only did what came naturally! Thank goodness you made it out in one piece!”

Midoriya squinted up at the man.

“What is it, kid? Something on my face? Erm, my mask, I mean?”

“Mom, you go on ahead to the bus. I’ll catch up!”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

Midoriya stared some more and spoke.

“Um. Is that you…All Might?”

“Correctamundo, Midoriya, kid.”

After quickly checking that they were good and truly alone, All Might removed the black mask, revealing the face of his true form underneath.

“Knew it!” said Midoriya, eyes sparkling.

“Your classmates don’t know about my true form, which is why I was the ideal teacher to play this part. Good old Aizawa coached me in the ways of villainy, too. Had me watch video clips, do all sorts of research… I was sure nobody’d figure it out.”

“Nobody did! Well, not until you saved my mom, anyway. That’s when I thought, ‘This guy must be a hero.’ Leaping into action like that, without hesitating, you know…? Plus, I know exactly how tall you are…”

“Ha ha, it’s just in my nature. Leaping before looking.”

“Anyway… Thanks so much for saving my mom,” said Midoriya with a deep bow. He didn’t rise back up.

“What’s the matter, kid?”

Midoriya’s voice quivered.

“It’s just that… I’m not there yet. So much further to go… If you hadn’t saved her, she’d be…”

Just the thought of his mother getting hurt was enough to make the boy feel inadequate. Undeserving.

“I was just overly hasty—a bad habit of mine. If I hadn’t saved her, you’d have gotten the job done yourself.”

“But…”

“Humility’s great, kid, but it’s starting to get on my nerves!”

“Ack, that’s the last thing I want, All Might!”

Midoriya raised his tear-filled eyes, and his mentor clapped his hands down on his student’s shoulders with a smile.

“Ha ha! Just a little American joke, there!”

“Which part was American, exactly…?”

All Might grinned again, meaning to cheer up the whimpering Midoriya.

“Stay humble, but accept genuine praise when it comes your way. All joking aside, you were a force to be reckoned with today. You had the determination to save every last hostage, the composure to put together a strategy, and the leadership to get your friends working together… Tough enough to make any villain cry uncle, I’d say.”

“Thanks, All Might!”

The barrage of compliments from his personal hero was enough to blow the dams of Midoriya’s tear ducts, showering All Might with buckets’ worth of emotion.

“Like I keep saying, we’ve got to do something about the crying, kid!”

“S-sorry!”

But no matter how hard Midoriya wanted to look the part of the hero, there was no stopping the torrent now.

Someday. Someday I’ll hold back the tears and be a hero who saves people with nothing but a smile!

The sought-after smile crept onto the boy’s face—a sign of all his heroics to come.