28

Chapter Text

Hitoshi shouldered his bag and kept his head down as he walked into the kitchen. Mei had just texted him and told him that his new support item had officially been approved, which they hadn't really been worried about, considering that Midoriya was Nedzu's favorite, and that they'd meet him before the festival started to hand it off to him. The text hadn't mentioned anything about a meeting place, but somehow Hitoshi figured that wouldn't be a problem for his kidnappers. Honestly, the way they always seemed to know everything would have been a little creepy if he didn't trust them. Actually, scratch that, it was still creepy, but he could live with it. 

It took his foster siblings a few seconds to notice that he'd arrived, but once the first one had seen him, their eyes widened and they elbowed the next one in a chain reaction until the entire room was dead silent only a few seconds later. Hitoshi resisted the urge to sigh, considering that any noise on his part could potentially get him in trouble and he didn't want to deal with that when he had the sports festival later. 

He stuck a few pieces of bread in the toaster and ignored the stares of the other kids. It wasn't any wonder why they didn't trust him, it was hard to trust anyone after being in the system for long enough, and the fact that the adults didn't trust him didn't help, so as annoying as it was, Hitoshi couldn't blame them. It just meant that he made his breakfast to go most mornings so that he could get out of that house as soon as possible. 

There was a small, frightened squeak behind him and Hitoshi flinched slightly. He'd been hoping to avoid the adults today, but apparently he hadn't been quick enough. The foster mom at this home was a slight woman who could be easily blown away by a quick breeze. She was also terrified of everything, which meant that she hated Hitoshi, but at least she didn't hit him like the one a few homes back had. 

Hitoshi kept his movements intentionally slow, not looking up from buttering his toast. Eye contact could be seen as threatening. It was best to just get out of here before the husband showed up. He didn't hit Hitoshi either, mostly, but he was the opposite of his wife in almost every other way. Where she was tiny, he was huge. Where she was quiet, he was loud. Where she would eye Hitoshi suspiciously until he finally left the house and she could breathe a sigh of relief, he would stand in the doorway and demand to know where he was going.

And then wouldn't let him answer. 

Shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, Hitoshi shouldered his way past a few of the other kids and was almost at the door by the time the husband got there. He took one look at the scene and apparently decided that Hitoshi must have done something besides existing to deserve everyone's suspicion and crossed his arms, "And just where do you think you're going, boy?"

Hitoshi stomped down on his frustration and kept looking at the floor as he gestured to his uniform. School . He was going to school like he did every single morning. The only thing different was that today was the sports festival, not that he was sure these people cared enough to remember that. 

He could tell just by the feeling that the man was glaring at him, weighing whether he was telling the truth or not and Hitoshi wanted to groan or yell or cry or scream or something, but he couldn't. If he did anything, it'd just make it worse and it would take him even longer to get to school and the relative safety of his kidnappers. 

After a long moment of tense silence, his foster dad finally huffed, "Don't be late."

Hitoshi nodded tersely and gripped the strap of his backpack moderately tighter as he all but ran from the house, the tension not leaving his body until he was almost at the train station. It sucked, but whatever. It'd all be worth it if... when he became a hero. 

It had to be.

Izuku was getting more and more nervous the closer the clock ticked to the opening of the sports festival. He and Mei had already changed into their gym uniforms and Mei had already tied hers around her waist the same way she did with her coveralls in the lab, showing off her toned arms in a black tank top. Should he follow her lead? He'd gained some muscle in the past month or so, a lot more than he'd expected, but he still wasn't ripped or anything. 

He shuffled restlessly and Mei rolled her eyes, briefly setting aside Shinso's support item that she'd been polishing, "Calm down, Izu-kun. We have a plan!"

"I know…" Izuku groaned and slid his back down the wall so that he was sitting next to her on the floor. They were currently waiting in one of the hallways that led to where Shinso's class would be meeting, so he'd have to pass them to get there, and it had the added benefit of being somewhat secluded, which Izuku was grateful for. He didn't want to deal with a lot of people right now.

"So what are you worried about?" Mei went back to polishing. "We show off our stuff, annoy the hell out of Bully-Kun, and make sure Extra-Credit-Kun wins the festival. What else is there?"

"It's just…" Izuku huffed, "I've been weak my whole life, Mei-chan! Yeah, I fought back when those villains attacked, but I wasn't actually physically there! What if I get out before the first round has even really begun?"

"Then you'll do better next year." Mei shrugged. "That's the thing about progress Izu-kun, it means you fail sometimes. Doesn't mean it's not worth it to try."

Izuku smiled tiredly, "But it is worth it to worry?"

Mei grinned, "Never! Come on, Izu-kun! There's a reason our classmates are terrified of us!"

Izuku chucked, "They're not terrified… "

"Who's not terrified?" Shinso interrupted, looking as tired as ever. "I thought everyone was scared of you two."

"Extra-Credit-Kun!!!" Mei jumped to her feet and at first it looked like she was hugging Shinso, but when she let go, Izuku couldn't help but laugh as she realized that she'd actually just been dropping his weapon around his neck. She stepped back and looked him up and down as Shinso stared at her in surprised confusion, "Hmmm, it doesn't really match the aesthetic of the gym uniform, but we'll just have to make your hero costume a little more…"

"Anything else I should know before I go fight the entire school?" Shinso interrupted. "You know, since the only thing you two have on the line is extra credit and I have, I don't know, my whole future."

"Aww, he's nervous!" Mei-chan giggled. "And hey! We care just as much about your success as our extra credit!"

"You're gonna do great." Izuku smiled reassuringly, why was it easier to not feel nervous when he was hyping up Shinso? "Just remember to change up your fake activation requirements. Make eye contact, touch people, do anything to distract them from the fact that they've already answered one of your questions."

"And make good use of my baby!" Hatusme added. "Hatsume Industries is gonna be your exclusive support company when we graduate, ok?"

"Ok." Shinso looked slightly more relaxed, which Izuku was gonna count as a win. "Good luck."

"I don't need luck!" Mei cackled. "I have babies!"

"So…" Hizashi gave him a mischievous smile. "Do you think our future son is going to win?"

"For the last time, we are not adopting Shinso." Shouta sighed. "And whether or not he wins is entirely up to him."

"But you think he's got a chance." Hizashi grinned. 

"I think he has potential." Shouta responded. "But the last round is going to be the hardest because everyone will have already figured out his quirk and info like that travels fast."

"Don't be such a spoil sport." Hizashi lightly punched his arm. "You're excited to see how he does."

Shouta snorted and changed the subject, "How did you talk me into announcing again?"

"You lost the bet." Hizashi shrugged. "Last two whole days without one of those weird jelly pouches and eat actual food, or I get my prize. Just shut up and take your loss, Shou! If your didn't want to do this, you shouldn't have…"

"In my defense, I assumed your prize would be.." Shouta began.

"Oh! The kids are ready to come out!" Hizashi interrupted and turned on his mic. "Hello, hello, hello everybody! Are you ready to go PLUS ULTRA?!?!?!"