Katsuki was sore, but smiling. He didn't know exactly why Mirko had insisted on walking him to the station, but he also wasn't complaining. While he would never admit it to her face, Bunny @#(*$& was pretty cool and for someone who loudly proclaimed that she didn't like working with other people, she was actually pretty good at it. She'd even somehow managed to keep him from exploding the entire apartment when the news had broken that Deku had somehow spent his internship fighting the hero killer. Sure, she'd pretty much just redirected all his explosions to her and then slammed him into the ground, but the harder spar had been enough to take the edge off all the complicated #$&^ that was going on in his brain until he could talk to the mutt again.

Mirko: Well that works.

They pushed through the crowds, blatantly ignoring all the curious stares and whispers that followed them as they made their way to the correct platform. They were just reaching the bottom of a set of stairs when a suicidal reporter decided it was a good idea to stand right in their path, "Katsuki Bakugo! You're in Class 1A, right? How do you feel about your classmates fighting the hero killer?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and shoved his way past, not even dignifying the stupid (@#$&^ with a no comment. Couldn't these extras leave him alone for long enough to get back to UA? Apparently not, because the guy jogged to keep up with them and kept asking dumb questions.

Kaminari: Sheesh does that guy have a death wish or what?

"Is Deku really quirkless? You went to the same school before UA, so did you know each other? Do you think the video was doctored to make him seem stronger than he is?"

Inko: No it wasn't! He did all of that from his own skill and effort!

"What the $*^&@?" Katsuki couldn't help stopping in his tracks and looking at the reporter in exasperated confusion. "Why the @#&*(! would anyone put in that much effort to make the nerd look stronger? He doesn't even want to be popular!"

Vlad: Well unluckily for him after this no one's going to be able to forget him.

"Well, um... " The reporter stuttered slightly as he tried to organize whatever conspiracy bull was about to spew out of his mouth, but before he could continue Katsuki felt Mirko elbow him hard in the ribs. When he glowered up at her, she was wearing a sharp smile that he couldn't help imitating as the two of them turned back to the reporter.

"Would you be able to fight a serial killer?" Mirko asked a little too pleasantly. "Even with whatever lame quirk you've got?"

"Um..."

Mina(smirking): Nope.

"Deku may not have a quirk," Katsuki grinned, "but he could still probably kick your ass. But he'll never get a chance if I kick it first, which is what I'll do if you don't leave and let me get back to school."

Katsuki held his hands at the ready for explosions to emphasize his point as the reporter squeaked and ran off. The crowd that had gathered to eavesdrop on the interaction started applauding and Katsuki grinned wider as Mirko held her sides in laughter.

"Yeah, a lotta heroes can't get away with treating a reporter like that." She chuckled. "So I'm glad I chose you. You get to be an asshole and call it your brand!"

Bakugo: Heh that'll be fun.

"Whatever." Katsuki rolled his eyes, but kept smiling. "Why did you choose me anyway? You never work in teams, much less take on interns and sidekicks like other heroes do."

Mirko shrugged, "I wanted to see if you could kill me."

Everyone: Seriously?

Katsuki cocked an eyebrow skeptically, "Seriously?"

Hawks: Yep seriously.

She laughed loudly, "Yep! I saw you fighting that gravity girl in the sports festival and thought it'd be a nice change of pace to spar with someone who doesn't hold back or assume their opponent is weaker just because of a little thing like gender or quirk. It wasn't out of some weird desire to nurture the next generation or anything like that, I'm just selfish."

Katsuki scoffed as his train pulled into the station, "You're insane."

Mirko: If I am you are.

"So are you, Blasty." She cuffed him over the head, then put him in a headlock and ruffled his hair. "Now get outta here, you still gotta pack for those new dorms the rat just announced."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Katsuki pushed her away and ran a hand through his hair, which only succeeded in messing it up more. "I'm gonna have to deal with those idiots all day."

Aizawa: Tell me about it...

"Sucks to suck!" Mirko yeeted his bag onto the train, forcing Katsuki to chase after it and glare at her when the door to the train closed. "Good luck, Blasty!"

"Don't need it!" Katsuki yelled back. "I'm strong enough to fight when it counts!"

Mitsuki(grinning): He's learned.

"Mom..." Momo asked slowly, folding another shirt and putting it neatly in one of the many open suitcases in her room. There was a lot of stuff to move into the dorms. "How... why did you decide to be a sexy hero?"

Midnight: Because I wanted to be?

Mic(dryly): Somehow I don't think that's the profound answer she's looking for.

Mom stopped sorting through Momo's teas and frowned, "Momo, honey, what brought this on?"

"Well, um..." Momo hesitated. Would Mom be disappointed if she knew that Momo had learned more from Kendo on her internship than she had from Uwabami?

Midnight: Aw don't worry dear I won't be.

Mom sighed, "It was your internship, wasn't it? Uwabami... well, she used to be an amazing hero. Still is, in many ways, but while I try to use my fame to enhance my hero work, her and a lot of others do it the other way round."

Spinner: False heroes all of them.

"Oh..." Momo said softly. "So, uh... you decided to be sexy because it would help you be a better hero?"

Mom shook her head, "I decided to be sexy because I wanted to be." She said seriously. "It made me feel powerful."

"So, you didn't decide on your brand because you had to be sexy to be a good hero?" Momo clarified. "You didn't need to be sexy because that's that the people needed or something?"

Midnight: Oh hell no. And see Zashi? It might not be the best answer but it's my answer and it'll help.

Mom wrinkled her nose in disgust, "God no! In fact, people made me change my first hero costume because what made me feel badass was too much for some people. Honey," Mom sat on the bad beside her, oversized sweater pooling around her as she grabbed both of Momo's hands and looked her straight in the eye, "You should never make decisions based on the male gaze. You need to do what makes you feel good. For me, embracing my sexuality does that, but I didn't decide on my brand to appeal to men or to be popular. You don't owe anyone anything just to be popular. Does that make sense?"

Hagakure: Yup!

"It's just that Uwabami..." Momo started quietly.

Thirteen: Isn't the only expert.

"Isn't the only expert." Mom said decisively. "Popularity is important, but you know what else is important?"

"Saving people?" Momo suggested.

Midoriya: And you.

Mom shook her head, "You. You, Momo, are important. If you are happy and confident, you'll be a better hero. If that means having a sexy costume, have a sexy costume! And if it doesn't..."

"Then it would be okay to change my hero costume to something a little more practical?" Momo finished. "I was working with Kendo and we came up with a few ideas..."

Mei: You can come to me if you need anything!

Power Loader: Likewise.

Momo: Thanks.

Mom smiled softly, "Whatever makes you happy, honey."

Toshinori paid the driver and steeled his nerve. When he'd told Gran Torino that he wanted to spend a few days visiting and that he had something he wanted to discuss with him, Gran had insisted they go to a cabin in the middle of the woods. He'd had it for as long as Toshinori had known him, saying that he needed a place to go off the grid when dealing with all the idiots in the hero industry got to be too much.

Aizawa: Hm... not a bad idea...

Mic: Shou no.

Midnight: The last time you went off the grid we couldn't find you for a month!

Cementoss: Excuse me what?

It was where they'd gone to hide away after Nana's death.

(everyone who knew Nana winced and the others looked at them sympathetically)

He walked up the long driveway, coughing a few times as he dragged his small suitcase along the gravel. He hadn't wanted to come back here, mostly because there was no place to run if Gran decided to knock some sense into him, but Gran had insisted.

All Might(shivering): Cornered...

"I can tell that whatever's on your mind is important, Toshi, but you have this stupid habit of running off." Toshinori had grimaced and coughed blood, but Gran had simply continued the phone call, his unimpressed expression coming across perfectly even though they weren't face to face. "I don't want you having the excuse that Japan needs you or whatever. There's other heroes and I'm not having you disappear in the middle of whatever we're dealing with to go off and fight some villain! Hence, the middle of nowhere. Nezu can send a car for you or whatever if it's an emergency, but there's not even cell service out there, so we can have our little chat uninterrupted."

All Might: Oh boy...

Recovery Girl: Oh don't be so cowardly this was your idea in the first place! I swear you're worse than Yamada losing to some bugs.

Mic: Hey!

Gran Torino had then hung up before Toshinori could protest further, leaving him no choice but to show up and trap himself off the grid with his mentor. When the front porch of the cabin came into view, Gran was already waiting for him, arms crossed as he leaned against the door frame. A part of Toshinori was glad that there was no possibility of this conversation being interrupted by an emergency.

The other part of him was just very afraid.

Tamaki: He's not making out of there alive is he?

Mirio: Nope.