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Chapter Text

It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and most of Class 1-A was currently relaxing in the common lounge of Heights Alliance. Fresh off the very successful culture festival, everybody was completely tuckered out, so Aizawa in a rare display of kindness had graced them with a full weekend of relaxation. Todoroki was reading some kind of article on his phone next to Yaoyorozu who was enjoying a copy of "Pride and Prejudice", while Hagakure was chatting with Asui, Ojiro and Shoji across from them. Meanwhile, Sato was consulting a recipe book for more elaborate sweets close to where Jiro and Kaminari listening to some new album that had just come out. Aoyama had just tried challenging Ashido to an "eye-catching" contest, going so far as to try and rope in Koda, Tokoyami and Mineta as judges, but to no success. Even Bakugo was being civil – well, relatively civil, considering he and Kirishima were having a heated debate over whether Stallone or Schwarzenegger was the bigger badass. Then again, from the way Sero kept egging them on by adding Statham and "The Expendables" into the mix, that had the potential to change.

"Hey, Jiro!" Midoriya's voice called out, prompting the earphone girl to look up from her spot. The green-haired boy was walking in from the entrance, Uraraka and Iida on either side of him. They'd been getting groceries for the next few days. In his hands was a delivery box of above-moderate size. "This was outside the front door addressed to you." He passed it to her while his friends walked into the kitchen to store away their goods.

"Uh, thanks…?" Jiro accepted it with a confused look, placing it onto the coffee table.

Kaminari gave it a once-over. "You order a new speaker or something?" She shook her head no as others gathered around. Mumbling to herself about how no one seems to respect privacy, she made to open it up when the electricity boy grabbed her hand. "Hey, hold up! What if it's a bomb or some other kind of trap?"

Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Asui tensed up at the words while Todoroki held out his right hand. Jiro opened her mouth to refute that, but after a second, conceded, "That is actually a good point. Surprising that it came from you, though." Ignoring his indignant "Hey!" she turned to her best friend. "Yaomomo, you think you can whip… up…" her words trailed off as the Creation girl finished generating a sort of scanner (Iida wordlessly held Mineta down). "A bomb detection machine?"

Yaoyorozu nodded and turned the device on. "I memorized the design of machines like this after Aizawa-sensei loaned me detailed volumes of them. He said it would be logical for someone like me to know this." She explained to Ashido who looked about to ask something. The pink girl then shrugged in concession.

Iida then clapped his hands together. "Alright then, Todoroki, be on standby so you can put up an ice covering as thick as possible over the package. Worse comes to worst, I hope you can release enough flames to incinerate it." A nod, then to his assistant. "Yaoyorozu, if you're confident your device will work, you can scan it. The rest of you, keep your distance. I'm notifying Aizawa-sensei."

"No need," a certain still-lightly booming voice said from behind him, making the students look at the exit. "For your teachers are here!" All Might finished with a self-indulgent chuckle, Aizawa and Present Mic next to him.

Midoriya was the first of the stunned students to find his voice. "…All Might? Senseis? When did you get-"

Bakugo then cut him off with a mixture of his usual anger and incredulity. "How the hell'd you all get here this quickly?! Deku just brought in the package like one minute ago."

The Erasure Hero just rolled his eyes before explaining. "The three of us suddenly found envelopes on our desks telling us that a special surprise had been delivered to your dorm. It encouraged us to have a look, and I thought it might be a trap, so we came."

"I for one am hoping that there isn't one, on account of being promised some entertainment," Mic continued, throbbing his arms like a typical DJ. "But no worries, little listeners, this ain't our first rodeo with an explosive."

"But you're taking good precautions, Young Iida." The skeletal blonde continued. "So please continue while we stay as well to keep our eyes open." The students collectively felt slightly less on edge; having the former Symbol of Peace, even when he was retired, around always boosted morale a bit.

Kaminari then knelt down on side while Jiro on the other, each holding a pair of scissors. Yaoyorozu hovered in between them on one side, scanner hovering over the cardboard and giving off no warning signal. Todoroki was opposite to her, wisps of frost circling one hand while tiny flames danced around the other. Bakugo was also hovering over Kaminari with sparks popping in his own hands. Eraserhead and Present Mic were also at the ready; need be, the former could yank their students out of harm's way with his capture cloth and Iida's help while the latter used his Voice to blast the potential trap away. All the others were standing in a relatively wide circle. Some (Mineta) were more openly antsy, while others (Tsuyu, Tokoyami, Shoji) were calm, but tense. Midoriya and Uraraka in particular looked ready to jump for their friends at a second's notice, which is why All Might stood near the two. But no matter how much their cultured classmate moved her scanner over the package, it released no warning. At a wave of a hand from their teacher, Jiro and Kaminari gave each other encouraging nods, then proceeded to cut open the tape. Nothing went off as they carefully pried open the sides of the box, prompting more than a few sighs of relief.

Inside was a number of odd things; some packages for playable disks, a book wrapped up in red paper, a metal device with an array of buttons on it, and at the top, an envelope reading, "Kyoka Jiro." The addressed picked it up and pulled out a sheet of paper while the others gathered around the box.

"Dear Miss Jiro and the rest of Class 1-A," she read out loud, "I was a member of the audience who watched your spectacular performance at the culture festival. To say it impressed me would be doing you the same disservice as calling the Pacific Ocean a body of water." More than a few blushed at the praise besides Jiro herself. "As a token of my gratitude, I've sent you this package, which contains a collection of items all themed around a certain film. It's about superheroes, but with a little extra spice and thought to it that I don't want to give away. Inside is the DVD with collector's edition for full viewing pleasure. Please enjoy the feature presentation, Class 1-A and teachers of U.A., along with all the other goodies inside the package afterwards. A humble fan of Plus Ultra"

Kaminari meanwhile had picked up a golden DVD casing and opened it to reveal two discs inside. One was emblazoned with a stylized yellow "i" on a dark background while the other read "Special Features" on a silver background. "Superhero movie, huh? Count me in."

"Ditto!" Kirishima, Sero, Mineta, Sato, Ashido, and Hagakure chorused, pumping their hands in the air.

Jiro sighed a bit, but her eyes drifted towards the DVD. "Well, it's rude to leave a gift unused…"

A few of the others were still unsure, though. "Like hell I'm getting into this." Bakugo grumbled, walking away from the group. "I'm gonna be the top hero out there, why waste my time watching a couple of fakes on a screen?"

"Hmm, I actually have to agree with Bakugo on this one," Iida chopped his hand at his fellow students, making them look at him in disappointment. "We are currently in the middle of tense studies to become pro heroes ourselves. This sort of thing could take our attention off very important work."

Mina zoomed in front of him, arms raised in protest. "We're on a break, Speedy, not in a warzone, let's have some fun!"

"Come on, Iida, it's only one movie, and we have the afternoon off." Uraraka patted her diligent friend on the back. Meanwhile, Kirishima was pulling Bakugo back to the others with Shoji's help, ignoring his many curses.

Midoriya cupped his chin. "It may be fictional, but we could still learn some things from this film. Stories sometimes have at least some application to real life, which could be why this fan sent us the collection. If it's really centered around heroes, this couldn't just be fun to watch." This made more than a few of the reluctant ones look contemplative.

Asui turned to the struggling Bakugo. "With that logic, you not staying here to watch it with us could actually hinder you in the long run." The explosive teen tensed up at that.

Sero smirked. "So we get some fun and a chance to collectively one-up Bakugo? Why are we still debating this?"

Bakugo angrily blasted Shoji and Kirishima off him, then jabbed a finger at the rest. "Fine, put it in! If there's anything to learn from this shitty movie, I'll still be the one heading for the top, you damn extras!"

At this point, all of the students looked on board for watching it. Todoroki was heading for the door when Yaoyorozu called out to him. "Do you not want to join in, Todoroki?"

"I do," the half-hot, half-cold boy replied, turning back to them, "I'm just going to get some refreshments, seeing as we'll all be watching."

"Let me help you with that." Midoriya offered, followed by Uraraka, Yaoyorozu and Sato. The five of them went straight for the kitchen while the others set up enough room in front of the big TV for everyone to enjoy.

Meanwhile, Present Mic and All Might exchanged excited looks. "Ah, it could be a good chance for us to relax and have some fun with our students." Toshinori chuckled.

"Woo, I need a break from grading those English essays the second-years have been working on." Mic clapped his hands, then a little glint flashed into his eye. "Besides, I got a something to spice it up even more."

Aizawa rolled his eyes at the kids' reactions before reaching into the box himself. "I'm not really in the mood for cinema, but some of this stuff looks weird to me. What else did this guy put-" he suddenly pulled back with a pained grunt, everyone looking towards him first in concern… then surprise, and then amusement. Bakugo and Present Mic even had the audacity to snicker at the now very irritated Aizawa's fingers being stuck in an old-fashioned mousetrap.

A note fluttered from where it'd been hanging in the trap's spring to the ground. Tokoyami quickly picked it up and read aloud, "Ah, ah, aaah, Aizawa-sensei. The rest of the memorabilia only really makes sense after you've watched the film. Please respect my wishes."

More than a few were laughing quietly both at the words and Aizawa's increasing frustration. The erasure hero mumbled something under his breath while freeing his bruised digits from the trap. "Fine, fine," he drawled, shaking his hand, "We'll do it his way."

Soon enough, the five-student group returned with popcorn, drinks, some mochi (much to Uraraka's personal delight), and tea (at Yaomomo's insistence), and their friends made room for them to sit down. As everyone made themselves comfortable (Mineta had attempted to cozy in with the girls clustered together, but Tokoyami sent Dark Shadow to keep an eye on the little pervert), Kaminari turned on the DVD player and slid in the disc. "Showtime," he said, hopping to his spot between Kirishima and Jiro.

First came the typical white Disney castle in front of a sky-blue background.

Most of the audience gave fond smiles (Aizawa and Todoroki's was small, but visible if you looked closely) at the logo while Bakugo just clicked his tongue in annoyance. Uraraka, Koda and Yaoyozoru were practically beaming.

"Hey, that reminds me," Kaminari whispered to Jiro, "you still up for watching 'Lemonade Mouth' next week?"

"Oh, definitely," she replied, "those songs are great."

Next up was the Pixar intro of the lamp jumping up and down on the "I". All the while, a slightly jazzy beat was playing in the background, making Mic's head bob to the beat.

"Oh, so Pixar had a hand in this movie, too," Midoriya thought out loud, then turned to his old friend/rival with a nostalgic smile. "Remember that time our parents showed us 'Monsters, Inc.' Kacchan?"

Bakugo snorted at the memory. "Yeah, that wasn't half-bad. Fine, if Pixar had a hand in this, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt." He then snarled at the incredulous looks Sero, Kirishima and (maybe) Hagakure were giving him. "What the hell're you nerds lookin' at? Pixar makes damn good movies, I've got no problem acknowledging that!"

"Hear, hear," Tokoyami agreed, others nodding too. "I appreciated 'Coco' very much."

"'Toy Story' and the sequels," Kaminari chimed in, Kirishima grinning at the name.

"'Finding Nemo' for me." Uraraka added.

Iida chopped his hand. "I concur with Uraraka wholeheartedly. A moving tale of a father going above and beyond for his son." Asui meanwhile licked her lips. So many fish…

Aizawa coughed loudly to get their attention. "Not that I disagree with your opinions, but we're trying to watch a movie here, remember?" A rumble of apologies, then they focused their attentions on the screen again.

Then started up what looked like an old-fashioned film reel before some chatter and then a handsome masked man in a black and blue costume with a red circle was seen trying to mount some kind of device just above the "I". Background chatter could be heard, then he tapped it lightly. "Is this on?" He said in a loud tone.

"That's fine." A woman offscreen assured him.

The hero chuckled self-deprecatingly as he struggled to pin it on. "I mean, I can break through walls, I just can't…"

"That's fine."

He grunted a bit, "I can't get this on." Finally, it stayed put, and he cleared his throat.

All Might and Mic chuckled at the scene. "Those tiny microphones you attach to your costumes are always a total pain." The former Symbol of Peace explained to his students. "Every time I had to put one on, I was worried it'll slip off."

"Tell me about it," Mic cackled. "What do I even need a mic for, I've got a voice Quirk!"

"So, Mr. Incredible, do you have a secret identity?" As the hero took to a relaxed smile and the words, "MR. INCREDIBLE" formed under him.

"Every superhero has a secret identity," Mr. Incredible replied. "I don't know a single one who doesn't. Who wants the pressure of being super all the time?"

"Mr. Incredible," Present Mic suddenly announced, startling the others, "Considered one of the greatest heroes of the Golden Age! He possesses immense physical strength and charisma, as well as a sixth sense for danger."

For a while, nobody said anything in favor of blankly staring at the DJ hero. "…What's with the announcement, Mic?" Aizawa finally drawled.

"A little bundle of intro cards was in the envelope I got, along with express encouragement to announce them when I feel the time is right." The teacher then gave some concerned-looking students a wink. "No worries, kids, there's hardly any spoilers for me, plus contrary to popular belief or whatever a certain homeroom teacher may tell you," he gave the annoyed Erasure Hero a look, "I do know when to keep my mouth shut."

Midoriya already had a fresh notebook out and was jotting down the information. "Hmm, black-and-blue costume, blonde hair and blue eyes, super strength…" He started his usual Mumble-Storm©, prompting Todoroki to raise a hand to slap him out of it. But then the green-haired boy stopped by himself to point out, "So he's basically that world's version of All Might?"

"Looks that way," Kirishima agreed, "and that costume looks manly from what I can see! I think he's got a big I on his chest."

All Might just chuckled. "There are some similarities between us, though I never wore a domino mask. I did experiment a bit, but I just couldn't find one that suited my appearance." The students listened with clear interest. "As for the secret identity part, some heroes nowadays still follow that practice. It used to be much more common when they first appeared, but with the government deciding to legalize them, a large portion went public as well."

Aizawa continued. "You're officially obligated to give your real names and a detailed description of your abilities when you become professional heroes, so it's technically not a secret. Still, All Might's right that not all heroes reveal their faces underneath the costumes to the public." He shrugged. "I'm one of those because it's a hassle, but others have their own reasons."

Then the screen changed to a red-haired woman in a domino mask and a white costume that had a stylized E on the chest. "ELASTIGIRL" briefly appeared underneath her. She said, "Of  course  I have a secret identity. Can you see me in this," she gestured at her costume, "at the um- at the- at the supermarket?" She waved her hands for emphasis. "C'mon. Who'd want to go shopping as Elastigirl, y'know what I mean?"

"Elastigirl, one of the most skilled heroes around, regardless of gender. Every part of her body can stretch up to 300 feet, and she has proven to be versatile in her abilities."

"Mmm, I'd watch you stretching or at the supermarket…" Mineta licked his lips before something whipped the back of his head. "OWW! What, I can't even voice my approval?!"

Asui's tongue simply twitched in warning. Midoriya added Elastigirl's information as well. Uraraka in the meantime looked closer. "I kinda like her hairstyle…"

"Same here," Yaoyorozu agreed, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It's both stylish and practical. Less chance of it being grabbed. I might actually consider trying out the look for myself. Anyone else want to join me?" Ashido, Hagakure, and Tsuyu all showed interest while Uaraka and Jiro were a bit more hesitant (likely due to having shorter hair).

Another scene change, now a black man in a light blue-and-white costume was being interviewed. Most of his head was covered in a white mask while a blue visor masked his eyes. "FROZONE" popped up before fading as he talked. "Superladies, they're always trying to tell you their secret identity." He changed his voice to a stage-whisper. "Think it'll strengthen the relationship or something like that."

Kaminari suddenly pointed at him, exclaiming, "No way!" He exchanged excited glances with Sero, Kirishima and even Bakugo. "That's him, right?"

"For once, I think you're right, Dunce Face!" Bakugo said with a grin that wouldn't scare little kids and old people as much as his usual ones.

Kirishima cheered. "Whoo, it's Samuel Jackson, guys!" This got nearly everyone else's attention. Ashido and Shoji were bouncing in their seats, Mineta for once had his eyes glued on something that had nothing to do with women, and All Might, Uraraka and Midoriya were practically vibrating from the excitement.

Frozone continued with a laugh, throwing up his hands. "I say, 'Girl, I don't wanna  know  about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that. I mean, you tell me you're uhhh, super-mega-ultra-lightning-babe, that's all right with me.'" Then he looked to the side. "I'm good, I'm good."

"Oh, yeah," Present Mic leaned back pleased. "Definitely SJ himself. Oh, dammit," he suddenly scrambled to pull a card out of his pockets, "I almost forgot my job!" He then cleared his, then, "Frozone, a seasoned hero that keeps cool under pressure. Literally, as he can create and manipulate ice by harnessing the moisture in the air!"

"So, half of my Quirk, then," Todoroki considered out loud while Midoriya scribbled it down. "Then maybe I'll get some new ideas for using my right side."

"Those goggles look cool, too." Kaminari leaned in. "Maybe I could get the support guys to upgrade mine to look like that."

"Ditto." Sero chimed in. Shoji seemed to agree, if his eyeing them with five more manifested optics was any indication.

Back to Mr. Incredible. "No matter how many times you save the world, it  always  manages to put itself back in jeopardy again." The hero jokingly complained, gesticulating, before he upped the volume. "Sometimes, I'd just want it to  stay  saved, you know?" He chuckled and waved his hand. "For a little bit. I feel like the maid. I just cleaned up this mess, can we keep it clean for-for TEN MINUTES?!" Mr. Incredible then broke down laughing.

Others were laughing in the vid, too. The woman interviewing giggled out, "I could get to that point."

Mr. Incredible went so far as taking off his mic and getting up. "PLEASE?!" He called out for good measure.

The woman stopped him. "Don't get up yet, we're not finished."

"Amen to that sentiment, brother," Aizawa mumbled while the rest laughed at the silliness. He'd be able to sleep a lot longer if he didn't have to go out into the night to fight the next big calamity.

All Might nodded as well, Midoriya looking at him in sympathy. "Every hero feels like that at least once in their career, students." He instructed. "But what's important is still continuing despite the fatigue. If evil arises, so will good. And remember: Plus Ultra."

They all nodded at the words; some were also secretly relieved they still had some time to learn before going out there.

A cut, then Mr. Incredible was sitting again, this time with a thoughtful look. "Sometimes, I think I'd just like the simple life, you know? Relax a little and raise a family."

Then Elastigirl was back. "Settle down, are you kidding?" She asked with a laugh. "I'm at the top of my game. I'm up there with the big dogs. Girls, come on! Leave the saving the world to the  men?!  I don't think so!" She laughed a bit, then as the scene faded out, she repeated, "I don't think so."

"Woo, girl power!" Ashido pumped her fist in the air, a sentiment copied by Uraraka, Tsuyu and Hagakure. Yaoyorozu and Jiro didn't, but their faces showed they clearly agreed. "No way we're just letting men handle the situation!"

Some boys chuckled a bit at their enthusiasm, others just rolled their eyes. One or two just looked confused. "Do you think we're acting misogynistic, Midoriya, Todoroki?" Iida whispered to his friends, who shrugged in honest thought.

Uraraka leaned over to them with a laugh. "No, no," she whispered. "You guys definitely aren't like that. We're just having some fun." She then sat a little straighter with a proud look and a clenched fist. "but don't underestimate girl power!"

"We won't, we promise." Deku smiled.

A flash of light shot down from the black, orange line trailing after it, as a golden "i" in an orange circle with black background appeared with an even brighter flash. Proud, bombastic music played, giving off a triumphant beat. Then the "i" and circle flipped around to read "THE INCREDIBLES" in light red. A bongo drum played, then the words zoomed in with another flash.

Jiro bobbed her head to the theme. "Music's got a good beat to it. Reminds me a bit of-"

"James Bond, right?" Kaminari offered, making her agree with a smile. He then grinned in excitement. "Now I really wanna see these guys in action."

"You and me both!" Kirishima cheered, Sero, Ashido, Sato and Hagakure following suit.

"Looks like it'll be action-packed with humor and serious parts blended in. I'm definitely down for this!" Midoriya proclaimed, fists in front of his chests.

Uraraka was just as excited. "Same here, I really wanna see Elastigirl go for it!" Yaoyorozu agreed with an eager smile along with Asui.

"It seems like a good chance for us to learn something as future heroes." Iida stated with his usual hand-chopping. "Whoever sent these to us is most certainly thoughtful."

Bakugo tilted his head in thought. "I've only seen a minute or two of this, I ain't making any damn promises yet." His narrowed eyes were gleaming, though.

The others were quiet, but definitely on board with continuing.

The teachers all seemed curious as well. Even Aizawa was visibly interested. "At first, I thought this would just be a kids' movie, but there could be something behind this. Besides," his face curved into a frown, "I want to know what else is in this package that got my hand stuck into a damn mousetrap…"

They both laughed at his plight, but Mic said, "And my DJ soul is just burning for the chance to read more of these descriptions, ow! I'm gonna have a blast!"

All Might turned to the next screen with an eager gleam. It really has been a while since I've seen a superhero movie. Maybe I should get out more… Great, now I really sound like an old man. Anyways…

Chapter Text

I do not own The Incredibles or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators. I mean no disrespect towards Brad Bird and Kohei Horikoshi. This story is purely for amusement, no copyright infringement intended whatsoever.

First a police siren could be seen and heard, then it zoomed out to show a patrol car chasing another car with armed men and bags of money inside. One of them leaned out to fire his rifle at the police, forcing them to swerve into another lane while the cop riding shotgun returned fire.

Uraraka tilted her head at the setting. "Looks like this movie is mainly in America, doesn't it?"

Midoriya nodded in agreement while jotting something down. "But the buildings and cars look like they're from the twentieth century."

"The forties, to be more precise," Yaoyorozu added. "If I recall, the superhero genre was also growing in popularity at that time. It could be an intentional reference."

Mr. Incredible was sitting in his car, calmly driving along. Instead of his super suit, he wore a snazzy black tux with bowtie. His calm expression evaporated as he turned up the radio's volume. A reporter was saying, " We interrupt for an important bulletin. A deadly high-speed pursuit between police and armed gunmen is underway, traveling northbound for San Pablo Ave. " The hero frowned at the report, then pressed a button on the car's display. It promptly folded apart to show a high-tech screen where an "I" flashed, then a green map of the city was shown. Beneath the screen, a display with various buttons, switches and a medium-sized dial was revealed. The car's driver turned the dial from one panel saying, "MANUEL," downwards, the others showing, "HOVER MODE," "HYDRO MODE," before setting it at "ISOLATE PERSUIT." The screen promptly zoomed in on a moving "I", no doubt Mr. Incredible's car, with the same words flashing underneath the map. Two squares, one dark red, the other blue, were moving a couple of streets away from him.

Everyone blinked impressed at the sudden change. Todoroki narrowed his eyes. "Interesting features. I might be wrong, but I think the other settings were Hydro Mode and Hover Mode."

"Sweet, so if it says all that," Kaminari bounced in his seat, "then it can go in the water and the sky too?"

"More likely just on the water." Asui ribbited, but she leaned closer to the screen anyway.

Mr. Incredible looked at his watch and muttered with a little smile, "Yeah, I've got time." He then turned the dial past "AUTO MODE" to "MERGE PERSUIT." The screen showed the same words, then in larger text, "AUTO DRIVE" as the "I" changed streets closer to the squares.

"Nice, most of our cars can't auto-drive, let alone follow pursuit of cars like that." Ojiro pointed out. He could feel a "look" from Hagakure at his comment. "I'm not just into martial arts."

Iida nodded at that, due to the techno-organic nature of his Quirk, he had a minor interest in cars as well, mostly concerning the mechanical side.

Mina giggled. "They do say the best way to distract a man is to set a fancy car on fire in front of them."

Iida and Kirishima whirled towards their pink-skinned classmate in silent horror. But heir eyes screamed, what sort of wretched creature would sentence a beautiful automobile to such a cruel fate just as a distraction?! Many of the boys, including Mic, nodded solemnly in agreement.

As he let go of the steering wheel, it moved of its own accord, avoiding other cars. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible's seat fell back and he held his arms above his head. The other seats fell away as he slid to the center, metal bars folding up over his torso and connecting. They then slid over his body, removing the tux to show the hero costume underneath. Mr. Incredible was then brought back into an upright position as two gadgets added blue gloves to his hands, smiling as he took the wheel again.

Shoji whistled in appreciation. "That's one way of putting on your costume quickly."

Iida nodded. "I'd actually want to ask the support group if they could build a stationary version of that design." Then he, Midoriya and Uraraka collectively shivered at the memory of one particular student in the support class and her… volatile love for making "babies". Her prototype would most likely skin us alive! The three thought as one.

"Can it, you nerds!" Bakugo yelled at them before turning his attention to the screen. "I've gotta see more of that car."

The hero glanced down at the map, which had the "I" much closer to the other cars and now showed, "INTERCEPT MODE," then in bigger Flashing Letters, "CONVERT." The car then transformed from its prior, normal design into a sleeker black-and-blue model, with the same i Mr. Incredible wore on its hood. Fire erupted from the back as it turned a left on a crossways. Mr. Incredible then pushed a red button, making its afterburner release even more flame while it sped down the street.

For a brief moment, no one said anything in stunned silence. Then a little over half the class, led by Bakugo, yelled, "I MUST HAVE THAT CAR!" For once, Mineta was drooling over something not at all related to girls.

"It's manly!" Kirishima whooped.

"It's awesome!" Ashido squealed.

"It's so stylish!" Aoyama posed, eyes sparkling more than usual.

"It commands respect," Tokoyami was vibrating with excitement. Or maybe that was due to Dark Shadow shaking him with a wild look in its glowing eyes. Hard to tell.

"It'll be MINE one day!" Bakugo growled with an eager grin.

"You're not the only one making that promise, Bakugo!" The Bakusquad and Sato proclaimed. Every single one of the students (even Todoroki, Asui and Yaoyorozu) was imagining sitting at the wheel of the car, activating its costume function and suiting up in mid-drive before speeding to the rescue.

"The Incredibile:" Mic read proudly from the card he was holding, "Mr. Incredible's personal transport. Filled to the brim with all kinds of crime-fighting tech for nearly any situation!" He then said a little lower with a hopeful look, "Maybe I could get some of that tech into my Ford Mustang…"

Midoriya was meanwhile scribbling and sketching in his notebook so quickly a trail of smoke was coming off his pen. A gentle tap from Uraraka prompted him to stop with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but that's an incredible car!" He joined more than a few in snickering at the accidental pun before continuing. "It reminds me a bit of the Allmobile All Might had back in his time in America."

The aforementioned hero laughed in fondness. "Ah yes, that was a magnificent vehicle, and I'm proud to say, could easily hold a candle to Incredible's. Too bad Dave never let me drive it, he always said he didn't trust me not to turn it into scrap…" his smile faded away as he remembered what had recently happened to his former sidekick and friend. Midoriya patted his shoulder and gave a compassionate smile, knowing what his mentor had been thinking. All Might returned it while making a mental note to call up Melissa sometime soon.

Aizawa, on the other hand, released an exhausted sigh at his class's reaction. "This is why I dread the moments students go to get their drivers' licenses."

A little elderly woman was near the sidewalk looking upwards when she noticed the Incredibile coming close. She then called out, "Oh, Mr. Incredible," and tottered out into the street. The hero immediately hit the breaks, letting the car come to a graceful stop.

Aizawa hummed impressed. "Okay, if the breaks work that smoothly, then even I might consider it." His eyes then flashed in a red glare at the collection of smug looks. "Anyone who says, 'told you so' or any such variants will be given extra work that would take even Miss Yaoyorozu an entire month to complete." All but two faces paled. "And for those aren't students, I'll get creative."

Mr. Incredible rolled down the window and asked politely, "What is it, ma'am?"

The lady explained, pointing up toward a tall tree. "My cat Squeaker won't come down." Sure enough, an orange and white striped cat was among the branches, meowing.

"Aww," some of the girls cooed at the sight. "Me or Koda would have the easiest time getting Squeaker down," Uraraka observed, Koda nodding in agreement.

Mr. Incredible turned his attention back to the map of his car, beeping indicating the pursuit was getting closer, then stepped out towards the tree. "There could be trouble."

"No, no, he's quite tame." The woman replied.

Bakugo grumbled, "Shitty cat ain't the problem, woman." He wanted some action, dammit.

As the chase under fire went throughout the streets, Mr. Incredible lifted the tree out of its roots and began shaking its branches, where the cat was, right over the lady's outstretched hands. But the feline had a firm hold on its perch.

Bakugo's eye twitched. "Seriously? He's going through all that trouble, and that stupid waste of fur can't take…the damn…hint…" He trailed off as a familiar dark presence washed over him.

Aizawa glared towards the explosive hero-in-training, capture cloth flowing around his head. Everyone sitting next to the Erasure Hero quickly tried to scoot away. "Don't insult cats, Bakugo." The warning was cold as Todoroki's ice.

Even Bakugo knew better than to push this and just shut up with a scowl. Aizawa calmed down as well and conceded, "And it's true, the gunmen are logically the higher priority."

The senior citizen gently beckoned for it, "Come on down, Squeaker," while Mr. Incredible noticed an alert from his ride. Sure enough, the car chase suddenly appeared around a corner, on the other side of the park. And they were getting closer.

All Might paused the film and turned towards the kids, a sly grin on his haggard face. "Quick decision time for fun, zygotes: you're in Mr. Incredible's place, trying to get the cat down from the tree, but another crisis is happening nearby. What do you do?"

This made most of them think quietly for a little bit, Bakugo of course just huffing in irritation. "I'd just let the stu- cat stew in the branches and go after the robbers. Them shooting around and zooming on the streets makes 'em the bigger threat. And if I really have to get the pet, I'd probably just blast the tree to bits and pull it from the scorched toothpicks."

Glaring lightly at her classmate's crass thoughts, Uraraka then perked up. "I'd still go by what I said before. Koda would have it easiest because he can just convince Squeaker to come down with his Quirk." The rock-shaped head blushed in embarrassment at the collective nods in agreement, "But if I just negate my own gravity, I can float up there and pull him out."

"Provided he doesn't decide to claw you, ribbit," Asui added, Uraraka wincing at the idea. "But I'd do the same by climbing up quickly."

"Same with me." Ojiro pointed out, Shoji agreeing with a couple thumbs-up.

Mineta added, "Ditto, though it would be a pain with my stubby arms."

Sero smirked a bit. "Shouldn't be too hard, just need enough tape."

Yaoyorozu was contemplating multiple options. "A rope with a hook? No, perhaps a simple toy, like a ball of yarn to tempt it down, but I'd need to act quickly…"

"I could send Dark Shadow to retrieve the cat…" Tokoyami considered.

Todoroki held up his right hand. "With just enough ice, I could create a path upwards or a slide for him to go down."

"Not sure the little guy would appreciate the cold, Todoroki." Mina shrugged. "But it's not like I'm one to talk, with my Quirk, all I'd be able to do is melt the tree down."

Kaminari muttered, "I can't even do that. Worst case I'd shock him."

"Same with me and my plugs." Jiro admitted. "Best we could do is go after the robbers and call another hero to take over."

Kirishima scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, that's the best shot for me, too. I could harden my fingertips, but I'd just as likely rip apart the whole thing by accident. Midoriya, Sato and Aoyama would have the same issues, better we tackle the guys."

Aoyama conceded with a light bow in his seat while Midoriya had a pensive expression. With One for All, he might be able to jump enough, but the trunk was smooth in the middle. Branches were only growing near the top. No other trees in immediate vicinity. Made it hard for him to grab on… Aizawa meanwhile felt a slight sense of pride at watching his students put serious thought into what was a problem they could most likely encounter.

He himself had considered a couple of strategies for retrieving Squeaker. With my capture cloth, I could grapple up there, pull him free and pass him off with hopefully enough time to spare, but it would be a close call. Wouldn't be able to move that fast if I were still a student.

Mic had similar thoughts about letting someone like his old pal handle the cat while he played a special kind of song for the gunmen. "Anyways, let's see how our incredible buddy gets the job done."

The hero resumed shaking the tree, "Let go now…" escaping his clenched teeth, while the little furball still held on tightly to its branch. The robbers' car rounded the next corner, coming their way.

The viewers watched the tension eagerly. Now or never, what would he do?

Finally, after much feverish shaking, Squeaker plopped down into the lady's arms with a disgruntled meow. Mr. Incredible had no more time to spare, the criminals were just about to pass him. He therefore lifted the tree up and brought it down in the opposite direction, the massive trunk crashing into the front of the car. Both driver and passenger could only groan in pain from the sudden stop to their getaway while the police car came to a safer stop next to them.

At least half of the students cheered at the hero managing to handle both situations successfully. Midoriya said afterwards, "I might have done the same thing, provided I can control my Quirk enough not to damage my arms or Squeaker."

"Same here." Sato nodded. Kirishima wondered if he could've been strong enough to do the same. His Quirk technically only hardened his body, his natural strength was only partially increased in the process. Shoji had similar thoughts of whether he could if he grew enough arms.

The teachers also nodded in approval at their colleague's actions. He had acted decisively and ensured no one, not even Squeaker, would lose their life. "A little heavy-handed, but given the current situation…" Aizawa muttered with a shrug.

Replanting the tree, Mr. Incredible then turned around to the smiling policemen. The older-looking one said, "Thank you, Mr. Incredible. You've done it again."

"Yeah, you're the best." The lady and Squeaker on the sidelines looked like they agreed.

The hero just waved off their praise with his own smile. "No, I'm just here to help."

"Classic hero line."

A beeping from the Incredibile drew their collective attention. " Attention, all units, " the radio broadcasted, " We have a tour bus robbery- "

The veteran heroes collectively said, "Busy day."

Present Mic then continued in a nostalgic manner, "Eraser, …another classmate and I once prevented a tour bus abduction. Girl had a Quirk that could control the velocity of moving objects. Gave us a pretty long runaround until your teacher finally managed to get a bead on her." Aizawa just shrugged when his students eyed him questioningly, not really wanting to go into detail. Neither did Yamada, despite bringing it up.

It had been one of the last times they'd gone on patrol with Oboro, after all.

"Tour bus robbery…" Mr. Incredible muttered, pulling back his glove to check his watch. He noted satisfied, "I've still got time." He addressed his audience. "Officers. Ma'am." He added with a raised eyebrow, "Squeaker."

He flipped into the Incredibile, its engine already whirring. But then a new voice piped up. "Cool, ready for takeoff!"

The audience started at the sudden words and what they saw next.

"What the-" Sitting in the passenger seat was a young boy with red hair, green eyes, crooked teeth, and an obviously homemade costume. The blue cape was simply tied around his neck. An unamused Mr. Incredible narrowed his eyes at the unexpected occupant. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Fanboy?" Jiro asked in a rhetorical manner while Ashido, Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari, and Bakugo snickered at the stupid costume he was proudly wearing. Midoriya meanwhile had an ominous feeling, especially with the smirks Uraraka, Asui and even Todoroki were sporting and the looks they kept shooting him.

The boy, shifted to him, proudly put his hands on his hips, and proclaimed, "Well, I'm Incrediboy!"

The rest of the viewers chorused, "Fanboy."

"What?" The real hero asked, then looked down for a second. "No… You're that kid from the fan club." He wagged his finger towards "Incrediboy," mumbling different names, "Brothy, Brody, Bu-Buddy!" That was the one. "Buddy." He repeated in warning.

Buddy simply shot back. "My name is Incrediboy."

"Good thing we don't have anyone that hardcore of a fan towards a top hero in our class…" Kaminari mock-thought out loud, tapping his chin. Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh wait…"

Everyone turned with looks of varying amusement towards a blushing Midoriya. He sunk into his seat and mumbled, "Laugh it up, guys," which they happily acquiesced. "Should've known I'd be in for a ribbing, just don't know why I'm the only one…"

A grinning Aoyama pointed dramatically a finger at him. "You are a certified All Might-fanboy, mon ami! We have all borne witness to your collection of memorabilia and your first hero costume!" Uraraka and Jiro sputtered in laughter at recollecting the silly green costume with big bunny ears, Iida and a few of the boys joining them, even Koda. Heck, Mic and All Might were feverishly covering their mouths.

Midoriya's head resembled a tomato with moss on top. "Wh-wh-what about Uraraka's admiration for Thirteen? Or Kirishima with Crimson Riot? Heck, Kacchan was just as obsessed wit-" The successor to One for All wisely stopped himself from finishing that.

Having a certain blonde glare at you with smoke rising from his fists may have had something to do with that. Or maybe he just didn't want to burn what rickety, smoldering bridges they had. Take your pick.

Uraraka just smiled with a little smugness. "Sure, I look up to Thirteen, but my whole idea of a hero doesn't revolve around them. Not like you or Kirishima."

Said artificial redhead was paling at the way Ashido, Kaminari, Jiro and Sero were eyeing him. "L-let's just enjoy the movie, we've all had our fun with this fanboy joke, right?" He said as quickly as he could, but deep down, he knew he was in for a world of teasing afterwards.

Before anyone could protest, Aizawa just hit the play button. "Wasting too much time with this."

Mr. Incredible began exasperated, "Look, I've been nice, I've stood for photos," he leaned back in his seat and ran exhausted a hand through his hair, "signed every scrap of paper you pushed towards me, but this-"

Buddy waved his hands with a "Nonono, you don't have to worry about training me." He made assurances. "I know all your moves," he did some karate chops, "your crime fighting style," he got onto his knees in the seat, "favorite catchphrases, everything!" With a bright grin, "Incrediboy" proclaimed, "I am your number-one fan!"

Everyone heard a heavy sigh, like a hot-air balloon deflating, and the students reflexively turned to the most likely culprit to make such a sound. But they were surprised to see Aizawa shake his head with an irritated look (I don't sigh that much, do I?) and thumb at an All Might looking even scrawnier than usual. He noticed and waved off their concerns with a dry chuckle. "No worries, young students, I've just… if I had ten yen for every time some kid, boy or girl mind you, showed up in a homemade costume while I was on patrol and gave me that exact same line, I'd probably be able to buy all of Japan."

A beat, then an ejector seat nonchalantly popped Buddy out of the car, letting him tumble onto the grass. Then the Incredibile's afterburner fired up and it zoomed off despite the kid's protests to wait.

Unsurprisingly, Bakugo was among those snickering at Mr. Incredible's way of getting the little nuisance out of his car. He even added, "Aside from the costume tech and the afterburner, favorite feature so far."

Midoriya himself was torn between being amused at the scene and embarrassed due to his own similarities with the excited kid. Would I have been like Buddy if I had never met All Might the way I did? If I had never been entrusted with One for All? Oh well.

On a rooftop, a man was rifling through different purses and pockets, carelessly tossing aside anything he deemed worthless with a mutter. Then a familiar shadow crept over him. "You know," the robber spun around to see Mister Incredible standing proudly in front of him, "you can tell a lot about a woman by the contents of her purse," the hero walked closer towards him, "but maybe that's not what you had in mind."

Backing up close to a corner, the criminal quickly tossed the purse he was currently holding. He drew a pistol and shakily aimed it at Mr. Incredible. "Hey look-" then something red shot out from his left and struck his jaw. He collapsed with a groan.

Uraraka, Ashido, Hagakure, and Yaoyozoru perked up, while Asui and Jiro were a little more restrained, but still eager to see who they thought it could be.

The blonde hero could only watch in shock, but as he stepped closer, a certain female in white and sparkling red sauntered from the corner into view. The tune changed slightly, more violin. "Elastigirl," he mumbled, still a little surprised.

She in turn put her hands on her hips and replied in a slightly mocking tone, "Mr. Incredible."

"Ohohoho…."

Asui's tongue and Ojiro's tail lashed out like a pair of whips while Sero's tape dispensers clicked at the ready. Mineta barely had a chance to drool a bit before he got a double-smacking right upside the head. And all he could say in defiance was, "I have a righ-" then he was strung up in duct tape. Sero had mercifully made sure not to plug up his nostrils.

Yaoyorozu clapped in appreciation. "Well-practiced, the three of you." Toru had been cheering them on the whole time.

Meanwhile, Kaminari felt a shiver trail down his back, but gave an accepting sigh when the earphone jack drifted closer. "I didn't say anything, but nothing I say right now will reduce my sentence, huh?" He waved resigned his left hand. "Just make it quick."

Jiro glared at him, but then sighed herself and retracted her weapon. "As long as you behave, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." She then blushed a bit at hearing him exhale in relief. "I'm enjoying this sound so much it's making me soft…"

"Either way, I like the costumes, too," Midoriya said, doing some sketches. "They're relatively simple, but prominent at the same time."

Then as she hauled up the unconscious robber by his sweater, the male sauntered over, hands raised. "No, it's alright. I've got him."

"Sure, you got him." Elastigirl dropped him with a shrug. "I just took him out for you."

Uraraka nodded. "Yeah, it was her strike that knocked him out. One for the female heroes!"

"Sure, you took him out," Mr. Incredible shot back, "his attention was on me."

"He raises a fair point," Midoriya said in a rare playful tone, making Uraraka smirk at him.

Iida then said, "Both raise valid points quite well, it's an excellent depiction of real-life situations when two heroes argue over who apprehended a criminal. Well done, truly!"

The class president, of course, was blissfully unaware he may have spoiled a moment. Or maybe there was nothing truly there. Who can say? Ashido was too happy anyways with watching the onscreen pair to tease her slightly blushing classmates.

She walked to his left. "A fact I exploited to do my job."

He gestured to his chest. " My job , you mean."

"A simple thank-you will suffice."

"Thanks, but I don't need any help."

They were now close to the ledge, a meter or so between them. The violin tune was playing the entire time of their banter in the background.

A high-pitched squeal made Jiro hiss in pain and shoot a stink-eye at her classmate. Ashido was swooning over the flirtatious banter so much she almost appeared to be a pink blur in everyone's vision. It took her fellow horn-buddy a fair bit of strength to hold her by the shoulders and make sure she didn't go too overboard.

To be fair, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka and Hagakure were enjoying the scene as well. And maybe a couple of the male budding heroes, though they shall remain nameless for the sake of their masculinity (Kirishima's just one of 'em, don't overthink with the word).

As for Mineta, he was released on probation. Shoji still kept at least four eyes on him.

"Whatever happened to 'ladies first'?" Elastigirl rhetorically asked, hands on her hips.

Mister Incredible smirked in return. "Well, whatever happened to equal treatment?"

"…Hear, hear." The girls all frowned at a certain explosive teen. Bakugo just scoffed. "What, everybody always talks about women needing to be treated equal to men, but at the same time, men have to hold the door open, let them walk first, can't hit them without being labelled a bully." Aizawa gave a tiny conceding nod; he wasn't fond of the lack of logic, either.

"That's just chivalry, bro," Kirishima countered, much to the girls' appreciation. "Would you really have no problems hitting a girl?"

"I don't discriminate."

"Which we all know from watching the Sports Festival…" Kaminari muttered.

Midoriya added, "Kacchan once read a line from an old comic, 'the hammer of justice is unisex!' and really took to it." Bakugo had mixed memories with that line: on one hand, he still felt it was a way of life. On the other, his ass still hurt from the tanning his mom gave him for saying it too often.

The robber then pushed himself up with the ledge as a prop and mumbled to the male hero, "Hey, wait, look, the lady got me first-" then collapsed with a groan from the female hero's offhand punch. Both were completely fixated on the other.

Ashido giggled at that. "Nobody likes a third wheel."

"Well," Elastigirl sashayed closer to the bigger man, "we could share, you know."

"I work alone."

Aizawa rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Romance is a total waste of a person's time, let alone a hero's."

Mic gave him a sly look. "Oh, so if I were to hypothetically send an email date-request to a certain Ms. J-rrrk!"

It has been established that the capture cloth Eraser Head uses on a regular basis is a potent weapon. Why with the right amount of force and proper motivation, he could likely choke someone to death with it. Or least render them unconscious.

It was difficult to say which outcome he was currently aiming for as the cloth circled ever tighter around his loudmouth colleague. Good thing his students calmed him down and All Might was stronger than his scrawny frame looked.

She trailed her right fingers up his chest. "Well, I think you need to be more…" her voice was barely a whisper now as their lips drew closer… then Elastigirl swiftly slipped over and behind him and stretched through his open legs to back in front. She finished with a sultry, "…flexible."

Mineta shrank at the flood of warning glares he was receiving. "Hey, I haven't even opened my mouth, and that is a total innuendo right there!" He sighed wistfully. "Wasted opportunity…"

But at least the collective disgust helped keep certain teenagers who may find that their control over their hormones is not as strong as they'd like. So, if the idea of them having that sort of banter with each other somehow tickled its way into their noggins, well…

Boys will be boys, girls will be girls.

"Are…" Mister Incredible blinked, then said with a pretty goofy grin, "you doing anything after?"

"I have a previous engagement." With that, she did a little running start before flipping across the lined-up rooftops with some impressive acrobatics. Only partially increased by her stretching Quirk-sorry, power. Within seconds, she had disappeared into the sunset. Even Mr. Incredible gave off a long whistle and smile.

To be fair, Incredible's sentiment was shared by quite a few of the male bodies, though even Sero and Kaminari were able to relatively straight faces. Much to Jiro's appreciation in the latter's case. And Shoji made sure Mineta behaved.

All Might simply smiled at the fond memory of a certain redhead heroine he had often worked with back in America. There had been some fun times between the two, but he had to return home, and a long-distance relationship wasn't her style. Still, Anti-Calamity had let him go with a parting kiss. Haven't heard from her in a while. I ought to call her up later.

A little later, the unhappy robber was having his hand handcuffed to a nearby pipe. "Now, don't worry," Mr. Incredible faux-assured him, "they usually pick up the garbage in an hour."

The whirring of a helicopter and automatic gunfire made him shift gaze to above the street, where a familiar face was chasing down the chopper via ice slides he had formed. "Hey, Incredible!" He called out as they passed the roof.

"Hey, Frozone!" Mr. Incredible called back.

Sero whistled appreciatively at the moves the ice hero was pulling off. "Guy's got style." He and a few of the others looked at the resident half-hot, half-cold hero. "Think you can pull off something like that ice-slide trick?"

"Hard to say." Todoroki hummed in contemplation, his eyes tracking the movements and the way Frozone quickly hurled ice in front of him to provide transport. "Right now, I still need to touch something in order to channel my ice Quirk, but he can do it simply by supercooling the moisture in front of him into an appropriate shape. Maybe with a little more training, I could do the same."

"There is also the fluidity of Frozone's leg movements." Yaoyorozu chimed in as she rewound the scene a bit. She then pointed at a certain part of the screen. "The way Frozone slides looks very much like a professional ice skater in a rink. I once met a retired athlete who used the same skating techniques. No doubt it increases the ability to smoothly travel across the ice he creates."

Ashido let out an oh in understanding. "Kinda like how my breakdancing improves mine and Midori's fighting styles." The aforementioned boy nodded while adding a few more notes.

Aizawa nodded as well, silently delighted with the discussion despite yet another break in the film. "It's true, many Quirks and their applications can be augmented by the physical movements of professional sports. Well, I say physical, but that's not the limit. A lot of you have already developed alternate skillsets that work well with your abilities: Sato's baking, Jiro's musical knowledge, Iida's understanding of engines." He focused on Todoroki. "It's up to you whether or not you try it out, but this ice-slide trick will vastly improve your mobility. Especially since you have a tendency to remain stationary in a fight."

"I'm aware, sensei." A little smile played on his lips. "And I have grown to enjoy a challenge." He could see himself skating along rooftops like Frozone one day. One day, he promised himself.

Frozone briefly turned to him to yell, "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" before sliding up one more ice construct to latch onto the chopper's landing gear. A second later, the ice melted away.

Mr. Incredible had indeed been checking his watch, then yelled after his friend being carried away, "I've still got time!" Then a scream from the other side made him spin around.

Hagakure waved the sleeves of her arms a bit. "Anyone else curious about what he's supposed to be doing?" A chorus of shrugs was her only answer, though they all tensed at the scream.

Down by the street, a large crowd had gathered in front of the opposite building, terrified chatter in the air. Police cars were also parked with more equipment. As Mr. Incredible reached the edge of the roof, he looked down at the people below, then up when a woman shouted, "He's gonna jump!" Sure enough, on a much taller skyscraper, a spotlight was shining on a man at the ledge.

Present Mic made a rare solemn face. "Suicidals. They're often the trickiest kind to deal with when you're a hero, kids. Whether or not they're villains."

"Never underestimate someone willing to cast aside their life." Tokoyami noted solemnly.

Another scream rippled through the air as the man leaped off, the spotlight trailing him. Mr. Incredible was startled for only a moment, then he backtracked a bit towards the center of the roof, waited about two seconds and broke into a straight run. With a might leap, he cleared the distance between the two buildings and intercepted the falling jumper. They then crashed through the glass of the opposite building, sprawling for a bit before landing in a heap, Mr. Incredible on top.

The saved man groaned in pain. "I think you broke something."

Though most of the students breathed a sigh of relief, the teachers, as well as Momo, Todoroki and Bakugo, had frowns. Noticing this, Ojiro asked, "What's up?"

"Sloppy rescue," Aizawa bluntly stated, the trio of students wordlessly agreeing.

Present Mic shot him a look, but conceded, "He's right. Mr. Incredible just slammed into the guy mid-fall and then just fell onto him. Sure, he's alive but done properly, he shouldn't have gotten injured by the rescue."

"The best move for Incredible, in this situation," Toshinori continued, "would've been to shift his body around just before landing so that he could absorb the full impact. It's difficult, took me a fair bit of trial, error and bruises before I got the hang of it, but every time I catch someone in such a situation, I instinctively move so that I take the brunt of the fall."

Midoriya quickly jotted down: when saving someone from fall, adjust body to reduce stress from impact. He was starting to feel this story had more than just stereotypical superheroism.

Mr. Incredible leaned off of him with an amused look. "Well, with counseling, I think you'll come to forgive me." Then he frowned, glaring into the dark room. "Wait a minute." He rose to his feet and gently pulled the moaning ex-suicidal aside while the screen changed to show the room they'd landed in was a large office, the words, "MUNICIBERG BANK" mounted on the wall under a large sphere with crisscross lines. The hero shifted his gaze towards a lit hallway where a distant sound could be heard.

Slowly, he walked into the hall, scanning the tall walls in an effort to pinpoint the sound. His attention went to the wall on his right; he placed both hands and his ear against the concrete just as the noise sped up. Mr. Incredible's eyes (and those of the audience) widened in realization of it being beeping- and what it heralded. He tried to jump back, but the wall suddenly exploded.

Jiro yelped and covered her ears in reflex. He hadn't expected that, so she wanted to protect the most important part of her Quirk. Kaminari, Yaoyozoru, Koda, and Tokoyami were the first by her side until she waved them off with a reassuring smile. "I'm good, guys. Thanks."

Kirishima relaxed as well by his spot, then turned to Bakugo and Sero. "Bank robbery, then? Maybe we'll see some action."

Bakugo cracked his neck. "I've been waiting for it. That explosion was controlled, not too much excess damage. Work of a pro."

Sato eyed him. "Should we be worried you know all that?"

"Explosion Quirk, Diabetes-boy. What kind of moron would I not to read up on the physics behind what I can do?"

"Kacchan once went through out every book related to the subject in the library," Midoriya reminisced. "We were both eight at the time."

Todoroki's white eyebrow rose. "And how do you know that?"

"I helped carry his books." Uraraka frowned at that, so the green-haired teen quickly added, "It's wasn't just me, Kacchan also had his two friends (can't remember their names anymore) and carried a good number himself." She just sighed at her crush's unbelievable kindness.

From the smoke walked out casually a thin man in a classic French mime outfit, complete with makeup. However, he differed from the usual mimes in the two bandoliers crossed over his slim chest, the two bags he was carrying and a cold sneer adorning his face as he surveyed his work. An accordion played in the background.

Tokoyami heard a rather frightened croak from his left. "Something wrong, Tsu?" he asked.

Asui shivered a bit but calmed down soon enough. "It's fine, just remembering a less pleasant visit to a French fair when I was little, ribbit." She twitched a bit. "Stupid mime and his sign about frog leg specialties…"

Present Mic cleared his throat. "Bomb Voyage, notorious villain with a French twist," he read from the appropriate notecard. "Though not possessing any superpowers, his expertise with explosives and ruthless persona make him a dangerous individual."

Aoyama clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tarnishing the fine French aspect of our world with his villainy… if I were there, I would blast off his wretched makeup." Some sweatdropped at that proclamation.

With a cough, Mr. Incredible shoved off the heavy vault door the explosion had blasted into him. No sooner did he see the villain was he in fighting position. "Bomb Voyage."

Bomb Voyage braced himself as well and snarled, " Monsieur Incroyable !"

A good portion of the male viewers grew eager at the imminent battle, Bakugo especially.

"And Incrediboy!" Both started at the familiar voice: standing by the broken window was you-know-who in a classic hero's pose. His cheap cape fluttered in the breeze.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Bakugo groaned, feeling cheated out of a hero-villain fight. Others just chortled a bit at the entrance.

Bomb Voyage could only mumble a perplexed, "Incrediboy?" while the boy's metallic boots whirred to life and sent him flying, right in front of an irritated Mr. Incredible.

Buddy landed, not noticing the looks the adults were shooting him, and excitedly said, "Heyheyhey! Aren't you curious about how I get around so fast?" He proudly lifted a knee. "See? I have these rocket boots."

Midoriya was torn again between embarrassment from the sly looks others sent him and curiosity towards the technology Buddy had just used. Iida as well had noted the boots, wondering if they had any similarity to his Quirk.

The hero wasn't amused, though. "Go home, Buddy." He cut off the kid's rambling. "Now."

Bomb Voyage added, " Petit mufle va! "

Shoji blinked. "Uh, what did he just say? There's no subtitles and I don't speak French."

"Basically, he called Buddy a little oaf," Yaoyorozu explained, much to the multi-armed student's gratitude and that of many others. In truth aside from her, only All Might, Aizawa, and one other had at least some fluency in French.

Said other was pouting while somehow sparkling at the same time. Jiro noticed and asked in exasperation, "What, you wanted to translate or something?" A huff was her only answer. "Look, we'll let you do the next line."

But Buddy didn't seem to understand the situation quite so well. "Can we talk?" He pulled his idol to the side and continued. "You always, always say be true to yourself," he walked over to the wrecked safe door, "but you never say which part of yourself to be true to!" and stared at his reflection. Then he turned around and walked back over. "Well, I've finally figured out who I am. I am your ward. Incrediboy!" He spread his arms wide with a smile.

Mr. Incredible, however, didn't seem convinced for some unfathomable reason. "And now, you have officially carried it too far, Buddy." Bomb Voyage quietly tried to slip away, but the hero snagged his collar and hoisted him to face level, forcing him to drop his loot.

"No slipping away for you, mime boy." Shoji chuckled at the moment while others were more focused on the "Incrediboy" aspect.

Tsui said in her blunt tone, "He's too enamored with the superhero part. Talking like that when there is an actual villain present could put him in real danger, and he doesn't understand that."

Aizawa grunted in agreement. "Personally, I wouldn't have this much patience with a kid like that. He's an obstruction. Get him out of the way before he hurts himself."

Todoroki nodded. "Though the 'which part of yourself' line is an interesting concept. Which part of yourself is the one to hold dear?" he mumbled, remembering his own frustrations long ago. Which part was the true one of Shoto Todoroki; the bitter child just wanting to crush his father's ambitions out of spite, or the bright child who wanted to be his own hero?

At least he had good friends to help him find the answer, he told himself with a small smile towards Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu.

The boy was getting frustrated, too. "This is because I don't have any powers, isn't it? Well, not every superhero has powers, you know. You can be super without them." He proudly gestured to his rocket boots. "I invented these. I can fly, can you fly?"

Kaminari whistled impressed. "He came up with those? And here I thought he was just a diehard fanboy."

Iida chopped his right hand. "True, I am also impressed with the level of ingenuity in inventing boots for self-propelled flight, but the fact remains that he is unknowingly putting himself at risk."

"And not having powers is unfortunately a greater hindrance than one may think when working as a hero." All Might said in a solemn tone. For a moment, he saw himself in Mr. Incredible's place, talking with this eager young boy while confronting a villain. It was similar to the time he had first met Young Midoriya, but different. What would his counterpart say in this case?

Midoriya himself was wondering the same thing.

"Fly home, Buddy." Mr. Incredible said in a cold manner as he glared at his captive. "I work alone."

Both winced at the bluntness, but conceded it wasn't exactly the best time for this.

Meanwhile, Bakugo, Asui, Yaoyorozu and Aizawa nodded in approval of the dismissal.

"Oui et ta tenue est complètement ridicule!" Heck, even the villain wasn't impressed.

"Yes, and your outfit is completely ridiculous!" Aoyama translated to his classmates with a rare neutral face. "And loath though I am to agree with a villain, I must agree. Not even the boots are dazzling." More sweatdrops. This boy…

"J-j-just give me one chance!" Buddy begged the hero. "Lo- I'll show you! I'll go get the police!" He then spun and began to run for the hole.

Failing to notice Bomb Voyage attach a beeping explosive with a smirk to his cape.

Midoriya's eyes widened. "Oh no…" Yaoyorozu, Iida, Todoroki and Kirishima had noticed too, as did All Might and the other teachers.

Some like Kaminari and Ashido took a bit longer to understand but the beeping got their attention, and even the least intelligent of Class 1-A knew that was not a good sign.

Mr. Incredible yelled, "Buddy, don't!"

Incrediboy just turned briefly to assure him, unaware of the dangerous thing he now carried. "It'll only take a second, really."

"That's not the problem, Buddy, get rid of the cape!" Hagakure yelled in worry.

Aizawa's cool face masked his inner concern. "He hasn't noticed the bomb yet and probably won't until it goes off." Much as the kid annoyed him, he didn't want him to die, a sentiment shared by the other viewers.

"No, stop." Incredible grew increasingly panicked. He tossed aside Bomb Voyage and sprinted after the boy. "There's a bomb!" He just barely managed to grab hold of the cape before Buddy flew out.

"Oh, this is not gonna end well," Shoji murmured.

Naturally, this translated into an erratic flight. The boots were impressively powerful enough to keep them both in the air, but the kid couldn't fully compensate for the added weight. Which he himself knew. "Let go, you're wrecking my flight pattern!" He called back. "I can do this if you let go."

"Will you just-" Mr. Incredible tried to go hold of the bomb but couldn't with all the sudden turns and jerks. "Land!" Their struggle took them amid the skyscrapers.

"How is he supposed to fly like that?" Sato asked. "I'm no expert, but can either one do anything here?"

All Might frowned in worry. "Young Buddy seems to lack experience with flight, so he doesn't know how to compensate for Mr. Incredible, who in turn cannot adjust his weight properly in this situation. The best Incredible can do now is remove the bomb and get the boy to land somewhat safely."

"But the bomb's the trickiest part," Mic added, "especially since he doesn't know how much longer till it blows."

"Truly, a mad bouquet of darkne-" Tokoyami almost yelped before glaring at the shadow-like hand that had plucked one of his crest feathers.

"Give it a rest, ya edgy wannabe." Dark Shadow exchanged high-fives with Kaminari, Kirishima, Asui and Jiro while his master just grumbled dark things.

"Let go of my cape!"

"I'm trying to help. Stop!"

Finally, Mr. Incredible felt his fingers close around the explosive and ripped it off the fabric, releasing his grip on Buddy at the same time. Both man and device fell only a short distance before landing on top of elevated train tracks.

The bomb bounced between the rails, its beeping accelerating, then went off; the explosion destroyed a good section of the tracks.

Any relief at both man and boy being untouched by the blast evaporated when they saw what had just been blown to bits. "Uh oh," Sero mumbled. "What do you guys think the odds are of…"

With a groan, Mr. Incredible lifted his head from where he'd landed to hear the last thing he wanted to in a situation like this: the whistle of an oncoming train.

"A train rolling down the tracks just now?" Kaminari finished with a worried look. "Classic movie trick." Some like Aoyama, Ojiro and Uraraka watched in worry.

"B-but at least there's a guy there who can stop the crash, right?" Mineta of all people pointed out.

That statement focused the tension; everyone now knew what Mr. Incredible was ready and willing to do.

After all, any one of them would act the same in such a situation. The duties of a hero.

With little time to think, the hero forced himself up and hopped over the fresh hole in the tracks. He then ran a little more forward before stopping and thrusting his open palms forward. Mr. Incredible winced; even with his strength, this wasn't gonna tickle.

Even as its brakes squealed, the train collided with the fresh obstacle in its path at a nasty speed. More than a few passengers inside were tossed forward by the sudden action.

Just about everyone winced at that scene. Both for the hero and the train's occupants.

Outside, Mr. Incredible groaned from his place as he was slowly pushed down the path, wooden planks flying out of the way. The train lost much of its speed, but it still went partially over the broken part and towards the street below before finally coming to a complete stop. Incredible could only dangle from the front while panicked cries came from the transport and the lights flickered off one by one.

Though he was happy the train was saved, Midoriya tapped his finger against his notebook before finally saying, "Mr. Incredible could've done better, right? The train stop was too abrupt." His teachers' words now made him view the situation more critically.

"Indeed, though there was little time to come up with an alternate strategy, the most effective strategy would've been to gradually reduce its speed." Iida agreed, his hands chopping slower as he talked to demonstrate his point. "That is what happened towards the end, but the first stage, as Midoriya himself said, was too abrupt."

Uraraka chimed in. "Another strategy could've been not stopping the train but keeping it from crashing through the hole. Like with my Quirk. Maybe if I were fast enough, I might've been able to shut off the cars' gravity one by one and let them float over the broken spot."

More of the other heroes-in-training had also begun to discuss ideas for handling such a situation. Either by stopping the train similarly to how Incredible had done but with less sudden force, or helping it continue over the damaged area, or as one or two brought up, simply trying to get the passengers out before it crashed. The teachers provided advice, proud of how this discussion topic.

Aizawa looked on quite satisfied with how his pupils were putting actual thought into handling a situation that could very well occur in today's society. Kaminari, Ashido and Mineta were all providing valid ideas and counterarguments, heck, even Bakugo was contributing to the discussion with relative calmness. He finally spoke up. "I'll admit that I'm more impressed with this movie, so I suggest we continue watching it. But I will also have a talk with Thirteen next chance I get. That way, you can all receive more practical training concerning rescue missions." Not even the resident slackers voiced objections to this.

Bakugo crossed his arms and leaned back with a grunt. "Don't forget, this all started 'cause of that stupid little shit letting the villain pin a bomb on his cape. If Mr. Incredible hadn't done anything, he wouldn't have needed to stop the train in the first place."

"Yeah but c'mon," Jiro interjected, "that's Bomb Voyage's fault. Would you have preferred him getting blow- oh right, I forgot who I was talking to." Kaminari and Kirishima had to quickly hold Bakugo back from blowing up. Meanwhile, Koda pushed the play button.

In the scene, police cars, ambulances and at least one fire truck had assembled to take care of the passengers. A very unhappy Buddy was led by his favorite hero (himself not in a stellar mood) to the same officers seen earlier. "Take this one home," Mr. Incredible passed him along and pointed at him, "and make sure his mom knows what he's been doing."

"I can help you, you're making a mista- HEY!" Incrediboy's pleas were cut off when he was forced into a patrol car.

"Just give it a rest, boy," Mic grumbled. By now, everyone was at least a little weary of the kid's antics and unwillingness to accept Incredible isn't interested in a sidekick right now.

Mr. Incredible was already focused on more important topics. He thumbed up to the skyscraper. "The injured jumper, you send paramedics?"

"They've already picked him up." The officer assured him.

"Phew, glad that got settled." Ojiro said. "I was worried he'd be forgotten with all the other excitement." Oh, if only you knew, monkey boy…

The hero continued, "The blast in that building was caused by Bomb Voyage who I caught in the act of robbing the vault. Now we might be able to nab him if we set up a perimeter."

Aizawa nodded in approval. "Proper tactics for narrowing a suspect's movements, as well as logical application of law enforcement."

"You mean, he got away?"

"Well, yeah." Incredible gestured irritated at a certain passenger. "Skippy here made sure of that."

"Incrediboy!"

"You're not affiliated with me!"

"It was your fault, you dumb nerd," Bakugo snarled. If it had been him who'd had to deal with a train crash and a villain on the loose, he'd have blasted the little shit back home by now.

Midoriya was remembering the first time he really tried to be a hero. Of course, he hadn't really been able to do anything on his own against the Sludge Villain, it was thanks to All Might that he and Kacchan had been saved. But then again, if it hadn't been for that event, he'd have remained Quirkless and taken up some non-hero job. And he'd come a fair way since then. Maybe this isn't the end for you, Buddy, he thought with a sympathetic smile at the boy in his hero costume. Just put a little more thought into how and don't be too reckless.

After all, if I could become a hero, who's to say you can't?

Then a signal from his watch drew his attention. "Holy smokes, I'm late." He pressed a button and began to back away from the officers. "Uh, listen, I've gotta be somewhere." He quickly saluted to them and moved for the just-approached Incredibile.

Kirishima snapped his fingers. "Right, he's still got something to do. Frozone warned him."

"But is it really more important than catching Bomb Voyage?" Tsu asked, finger to her lip.

The older officer stuttered a bit, not fully comprehending what the super was doing. "What about Bomb Voyage?"

Mr. Incredible hastily explained, "Any other night I'd go after him myself, but I really gotta go." He got into his car and called out, "But don't worry! We'll get him. Eventually." Then the cops could only stare as the Incredibile roared down the streets.

"…He seems to think so," Midoriya answered after a moment of watching.

Uraraka snorted out some tea she'd drank. "Sorry, sorry," she apologized after calming down and wiping her mouth, "the officers' faces were kinda funny." And to be fair, she wasn't the only one who'd laughed.

Iida was less amused. "They have every right to appear incredulous! As a professional hero, Mr. Incredible cannot simply step out of vital operations without good reason. Bomb Voyage may prove too much for regular officer to capture. Simply leaving them is irresponsible."

"Mr. Incrdible's a manly kind of guy," Kirishima defended him. "He said any other night he'd help them and I believe it. So I'm betting he's got a decent reason for this."

"Let's keep watching to see where he's headed." All Might directed their attention to the screen. He appreciated a little romance himself every now and then.

The super-car came to a smooth stop in front of a church where organ music was already playing. A second later, it shifted into its less conspicuous form.

Ashido and Hagakure's eyes were sparkling (seriously, for the first time, the latter had twin stars visible) while Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Aoyama, and Kaminari perked up at the implications. "Guess there's gonna be a wedding," Midoriya noted, admittedly having no complaints.

Bakugo clicked his teeth while Jiro rolled her eyes. Neither was into mushy stuff. Todoroki didn't say anything, but he was slightly uncomfortable about marriages in general.

Iida silently conceded that hero or not, Mr. Incredible likely had certain responsibilities to uphold if he were involved with a wedding.

Inside, a dark-skinned man (likely Frozone's secret identity, the viewers figured) was checking his nails just as Mr. Incredible, now back in his tux (but with the mask still over his eyes), threw open the doors and walked in. "Hey," he said to his friend, "is the night still young?"

"You're very late," was his answer.

Jiro started at the familiar voice. "So that's what Frozone looks like without the costume."

The others not quite as quick on the uptake nodded in appreciation.

"How do I look? Good." He quickly walked towards the door for the main chapel.

"Hey, hold up," Ojiro said, "he's still wearing his mask. Is he supposed to?"

But Frozone stopped him just in time. "Oh, the mask! You've still got the mask." He quickly pulled it off his friend's face. ("Guess not," Hagakure answered. "Good call.")

Now with nothing else stopping him, Mr. Incredible cracked his neck, whispered, "Showtime," and pushed open the doors to walk towards his bride-to-be.

As the priest recited the traditional wedding vows, using his secret identity, Robert Parr, the bride, aka Elastigirl, wasn't all too pleased. "You're late. When you asked me if I was doing anything later, I didn't realize you'd actually forgotten. I thought it was playful banter."

Kaminari barely managed to clamp his hands over Jiro's ears (even remembering to cover her jacks) before Ashido shrieked in delight so loud the windows began to creak. "Him – Her – Them – Wedding," was all the pinkette managed to get out as she wrapped the three closest to her and let out another squeal. "I LOVE THIS SCENE!"

"We… know you… do, Mina," Kirishima gasped out as he, Midoriya and Uraraka struggled in her surprisingly strong grip. It wasn't even around their throats! "So… before we… have to use… our Quirks… please… let go-" his face was turning from red to blue.

It took all three teachers and a sugared-up Sato to pry them free, and All Might still may've needed help even if he'd been in his prime.

Ojiro and Asui were in a similar bind courtesy of Hagakure for much the same reason, but only Shoji and Koda were needed. Yaomomo had also accidentally gripped onto Todoroki in enjoyment over the scene and she never noticed. Her stoic friend only noticed a lack of feeling in his right leg later (and was relieved it wasn't due to another accident with his ice).

Jiro gave a little thankyou smile to her electric friend before glaring at a still-euphoric Ashido. "How about we keep watching before your squeals crack the TV?"

"It was playful banter."

"Cutting it kinda close, don't you think?"

Incredible leaned down to her. "You need to be more...flexible." This got an amused smirk out of her.

"Will you all cut it out with the damn noise?!" Bakugo roared in frustration at the fresh squeals, a few sparks popping in his hands. He grumbled, "I hate weddings."

The bride then turned to her groom. "I love you, but if we're gonna make this work, you've gotta be more than Mr. Incredible. You know that. Don't you?"

Aizawa saw that line as the perfect opportunity for a quick lesson. "Elastigirl's right, romantics. Before any of you get into dating, you need to remember that there has to be some form of balance between hero work and whatever love life you dream up. Sometimes, it works, but I've known plenty who had to choose one or the other."

Coincidentally, the priest finished his verses, "…So long as you both shall live?"

With a bright smile, Robert Parr answered both questions with an earnest, "I do."

Ashido had taken her teacher's words to heart, but still smiled brightly. "Sure, it's a lot of hard work, but at least they're gonna try to put the effort into it."

More than a few agreed with her, and besides, the future wasn't set in stone. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl might make it work, after all.

The heroic pair turned back to the priest who said the magic words, "I now pronounce this couple husband and wife." Leading to a passionate kiss while Frozone watched with a bright grin of his own and superheroes and regularly dressed people alike clapped happily from the pews.

Everyone aside from Bakugo and Aizawa clapped as well upon witnessing the beautiful scene, and the latter at least didn't stop them out of respect. He himself didn't see much point in romance but had come to know a few hero couples who functioned quite well in their duties and in matrimony. Heck, a few had been former students of his.

Maybe some of his current ones would end hooking up later on. He shared a knowing look with Mic and Yagi over the next betting pool.*

Upon breaking from the kiss, Elastigirl added, "As long as we both shall live. No matter what happens."

Her recent husband replied amused, "Hey, come on. We're superheroes. What could happen?"

A few winced at that statement. "He who tempts fate may suffer by its hand," Tokoyami said ominously.

"…Do you have a list of stuff to say like that?" Kaminari stared at him with half-lidded eyes.

A black-and-white newspaper spun out of a dark background until the headline, "MR INCREDIBLE SUED" could be read.

That sentence killed the humor real quick.

As the screen shifted to show a saddened Mr. Incredible being pushed into a car from reporters, a recorded broadcast played. " In a stunning turn of events, a superhero is being sued for saving someone who, apparently, didn't want to be saved. The plaintiff, Oliver Sansweet, who was foiled in his attempted suicide by Mr. Incredible, has filed a suit against the famed superhero in Superior Court. " The man rescued from his fall was now seen, his neck wrapped in a heavy cast, before the scene shifted to a recording of his attempt and the hero's intervention from the ground.

"Wha- are you serious?!" Bakugo spat in outrage. He'd grown to respect Incredible the same way he did All Might, and this level of disrespect ticked him off big time. "The guy gets saved from offing himself and turns around and sues the guy who saved him?! Fucking ungrateful bastard!"

Kaminari, Sero, Soji and Kirishima were on the same page. "Is that even right?"

"Well, it's legal," Yaoyorozu noted with a frown, "technically, we can say that we know what's best for our own lives. Even when to end it. And from the look of that cast the plaintiff is wearing, he can file charges for the injuries he suffered in the rescue attempt."

Yamada growled at a particular memory. "I once got sued by a guy I saved from some kidnappers because I accidentally damaged one of his eardrums. Wasn't too big a sum, but it can happen, boys and girls. They can pull just about any reason out from a lawbook."

Class 1-A absorbed this knowledge with heavy hearts and no small amount of anger on behalf of the fictional hero. Looks like they were heading for a darker turn of events.

The man next to Sansweet said passionately to the reporters surrounding them, " Mr. Sansweet didn't ask to be saved, Mr. Sansweet didn't want to be saved! And the injury received from Mr. Incredible's " he made quoting gestures with his fingers, " 'actions,' so quote, cause him daily pain. "

"Hey!" Said hero angrily pointed at him through the crowd. "I saved your life!"

"The attorney makes a fair point, no doubt evidenced in court," Iida chopped his hand in a cold frown, "but it makes me no happier to witness such callousness towards Mr. Incredible." He, Midoriya and Todoroki recalled with glances at each other how they were still bound by law not to breathe a word of how their battle with the Hero Killer had really happened. Sure, back then it was about maintaining the trust that heroes follow the established laws, but the commissioner had properly thanked them for their efforts.

Here, there was no gratitude whatsoever.

"You didn't save my life," Sansweet shot back with equal fury as his attorney held him back, "you ruined my death! That's what you did!"

Bakugo's scowl deepened. "Should've let the twerp drop. If he doesn't have the guts to keep living-" His friends elbowed him to stop talking; too far. Even he acknowledged that with an angry sigh.

"Listen, you little-" Mr. Incredible was then held back by his own lawyer, who quickly said, "My client has no further comment at this time." He then shook the restraining arm in frustration.

Next, recording of the stopped train being inspected by police and firemen was shown while the previous announcer continued. " Five days later, another suit was filed by victims of the el train accident. Incredible's court losses costed the government millions, " Caricature drawings of Mr. Incredible being glared at by a large number of citizens, many in casts of various types and an attorney pointing at him, " and opened the flood gates for dozens of superhero lawsuits the world over. " were followed by more newspapers with headliners like "X-RAY VISION PEEPING TOM?" and "DYNAGUY SUED".

"Oh boy." All Might stoically watched the proceedings. "The victims of the crash likely felt emboldened by Mister Sansweet's successful court battle, and this is something that happens every now and then. Inexperienced heroes being charged by the ones they saved for receiving injuries." He'd luckily rarely had to deal with such issues himself thanks to his timeless popularity and genuine care, but more than a few colleagues went bankrupt.

Aizawa wasn't happy, either. "And here we see the consequences of Incredible's rushed efforts."

Like his fellow teachers, he'd had legal trouble in some form or another from time to time, plus he knew others who had to change jobs because of all the bad publicity. Another thing I need to make sure these kids are prepared for. I'll be damned if I let some judicial sharks rip them apart for the tiniest missteps. He could already see their excitement dying down.

Another recording was subsequently shown, this one of a female judge loudly declaring, " It is time for their secret identities to become their only identity. " with the according hand gestures. An exhausted-looking Mr. Incredible waved his hand by his podium, two suit-clad men with sunglasses on both of his sides, then turned away to walk off. " Time for them to join us or go away! "

Uraraka asked in a worried tone, "…What is she talking about?"

Picket-sign protests were shown with people chanting, " No more supers! " and waving written messages of well, you all get the idea, as did the unhappy viewers.

Then came newspaper clippings of hero monuments being taken down, headlines of the government hiding heroes and public polls displaying high-percentage approval of these actions. " Under tremendous public pressure, and the crushing financial burden of an ever-mounting series of lawsuits, the government quietly initiated the superhero relocation program. The supers will be granted amnesty from responsibility for past actions, in exchange for the promise to never again resume hero work. "

Midoriya listened to the proceedings in horror. "Superheroes… banned?" For someone who'd spent his whole life admiring heroes, this was a terrifying concept. And the way it was so casually reported just sent a chill down his spine.

All of the others felt the exact same, though some like Bakugo were equally angered at this decision. They all imagined how it would be in real life, if heroes were forced to resign and retire, after all the hard work they'd put into just becoming heroes…

All Might, Eraser Head and Present Mic shared their horror as well. At least the former Symbol of Peace had retired from professional hero work on his own terms, by stopping All for One with the last of his power, and the other two may've needed to focus on teaching new generations, but they had both chosen this. Here, the heroes had received no choice in the matter.

One more newspaper, this one of a masked hero holding his hand in front of the camera, with the headline reading, "SUPERS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?"

"Where are they now?" The rhetorical question was answered with a clip of normal-dressed people walking down a street. "They are living among us. Average citizens, average heroes. Quietly and anonymously continuing to make the world a better place."

Todoroki hit the pause button again. "Sorry, but from the way you all look and how I feel, maybe we should take a few seconds."

The level of gratitude was palpable. Everybody just breathed and calmed down from what they saw.

Finally, Mineta spoke up. "Okay, that was seriously messed up. But…" his voice shifted to desperately hopeful, "that wouldn't happen to us, right? I mean, the public loves heroes."

"Sorry, but it could happen, Mineta." Asui reluctantly burst his bubble. She had her differences with the perverted midget, but this wasn't a message she was happy to deliver. "If enough heroes messed up and the masses decided we do more harm than good…"

"They could convince the government the hero system doesn't work," Shoji finished, crossing his many arms. Nobody could say anything to that.

"…It hasn't happened to us yet," Aizawa's face was more sad than tired now, "but there are always naysayers and inadequate heroes who give them ample reasons to belittle us. You'll all have encounters with them at least a few times when you go pro." His heart ached at their expressions. He discouraged false hope, but crushing dreams wasn't something he enjoyed.

"…Which is why we need to keep doing our best." Everyone perked up at Midoriya's voice. His face was set in one they al knew was a sign of determination. "We protect them the right way and remember how it's done."

"Deku's right!" Uraraka held both fists up. "We're not banned from being heroes yet. And we're learning a lot about the potential consequences in this movie."

Todoroki joined in. "And as long as we keep proving we know how it's done, those against heroes will have even less fuel to burn us with."

Bakugo bared his teeth in a wild grin. "And if they still say heroes are redundant, we'll just see how they do without us against the villains."

The others were all regaining their fire again. "We're not letting this happen to us without a fight!" Sero, Kaminari, Ashido, Hagakure, Sato and Kirishima proclaimed together.

All of them were resolute again, even Mineta's face showed determination. The teaching trio looked on with pride, swearing as one that they would do everything in their power to prevent something like this act to happen to the students. Finally, All Might changed to his muscle form. "I am proud at your determination, young go-getters!" He also shot a tiny wink towards Midoriya, proud of his successor's leading the support. "Now let's continue with this impressively deep film and continue raising into the next generation of heroes!"

"YES, SIR!"

"Noisy kids…" Aizawa muttered with an affectionate smile as he reached for the remote. But this movie is more layered than I thought…

Chapter Text

I do not own The Incredibles or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators. I mean no disrespect towards Brad Bird and Kohei Horikoshi. This story is purely for amusement, no copyright infringement intended whatsoever.

The scene now shifted to a red stamp being pressed down on a sheet of paper; once lifted, it showed the word, “DENIED,” in bold red.

“Denied?” The camera shifted up to show a tiny, elderly woman with spectacles in a white little office. As she sat in front of the desk with the denied form, her face was one of near despair. “You’re denying my claim? B-but I don’t understand, I have full coverage.” She tapped the sheet with a scrawny finger.

On the opposite side sat Bob Parr, former hero Mr. Incredible, now having gained A LOT more weight and a glum expression. The words, “FIFTEEN YEARS LATER,” appear in white at the bottom screen. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Hogenson, but our liability is spelled out in paragraph 17. It states clearly-“ He explained in a sad monotone.

The audience could only stare in amazed silence at the one-time hero in front of them. “…Wow.” Sero finally muttered after a while. “He… let himself go, huh?”

“That’s an understatement, ribbit,” Tsuyu replied.

Yaoyorozu shook her head in disbelief. “I… I can understand that Mr. Incredible is no longer in his prime after fifteen years, and that inaction in the Hero business could lead to his fitness slipping away, but-“

“The latter’s likely the biggest reason.” The students looked over to their teacher who was frowning even more than usual. “I’ve seen Pro Heroes that were… strongly advised for various reasons to go into active retirement. Some bounced back pretty work by finding a different line of work or something.” Aizawa sighed sadly. “Others… let’s just say depression takes many forms.”

“He couldn’t be a hero anymore… even though he enjoyed it…” Midoriya thought back to when he believed briefly that his dream was unreachable. “His dream was out of reach…”

Bakugo’s fists tightened and few sparks showed past his fingers. “I’ll die before I let that happen to me.”

“Kinda ironic that whereas our #1 got thinner, the movie’s got fatter,” Todoroki muttered to himself… not noticing how All Might deflated even more at that comment.

Iida cleared his throat, trying to relieve the tension. “Yes, it is shocking what has happened to our hero, but we mustn’t count him completely hopeless yet. After all, he still wears his wedding band and seems to be working.”

That did lift spirits a bit, and Shoji decided to keep the ball rolling. “Yeah, it looks like he’s working for an insurance company or something. They were talking about claims and liabilities.”

“So in a way, Mister Incredible’s still helping people as Bob Parr,” Uraraka finished.

Some like Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido regained their vigor and cheered up the others, but Yaoyorozu and the adults still seemed unsure.

Mrs. Hogenson could only stammer out, “I can’t pay this!”

Jiro clicked her tongue. “Doesn’t look like he’s ‘helping’ her all that much, though.”

“That’s because just having insurance doesn’t automatically mean you get money when you’re in an accident or tight spot,” Mic answered in Aizawa’s place. “Plenty of fine print and restrictions that make certain cases difficult for the clients.”

Yaoyorozu added, “And from Bob’s expression, he would prefer to help her, but he likely has to handle the bureaucratic details in favor of the company he represents. After all, an insurance company requires making profit as well as aiding others. Some of course focus on the former part.” She blinked at quite a few inquisitive looks. “My parents gave me additional schooling on proper economics and business management due to my Quirk and our financial situations.”

“Same here,” Todoroki agreed. “My relationship with my father isn’t the best, but one lesson I can’t argue with him about is that companies always seek a way to make profit.”

…Yeah, mood ranged from sour to sympathetic.

Then the phone on Bob’s desk began to ring. He said, “One second,” and raised the speaker to ear and mouth level. “Claims, Parr.”

On the other end of the phone, his dear wife, Helen Parr, aka ex-hero Elastigirl, was currently giving a baby boy a bath at their kitchen sink. “I’m calling to celebrate a momentous occasion,” She explained to the phone nestled between neck and shoulder.

“Awww…” Some of the students (and All Might) cooed at the sight of the little baby. After the heaviness of what had happened to the hero, they needed this. Hence why Aizawa chose not to chide them.

Present Mic looked briefly through his cards, then said, “Ah, here we go. Elastigirl -or technically Mrs. Incredible-“ Hagakure, Ojiro, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, Uraraka, and Sato joined his snickering before he continued, “now goes by her secret identity, Helen Parr. She and her husband have been married for fifteen years now with three kids. The tyke’s name is Jack-Jack.”

“Cute little name for a cute little guy,” Ashido chirped, her spirits lifted all the more. Three kids from a marriage of fifteen years? Serious jackpot.

A sick chuckling soured her ecstasy though. Especially since she knew its source.

Mineta had scooched closer to the TV and was eyeing the hero-turned-wife and mother. “She’s gotten a little juicier over the years…” He mumbled, some drool dripping onto the floor.

A red whip clocked him upside the head, drawing a yelp from the little pervert. Next thing he knew, something latched onto the back of his neck and sent a series of sonic tremors through him.

As Mineta collapsed on the floor, Jiro retracted her jack with a warning growl towards Sero and Kaminari, both of which quickly straightened up and gave their best innocent faces.

Midoriya sighed. “I know he’s a handful, but is all that really necessary, Tsu?”

“Yeth, ribbith,” was the Frog Hero-in-training’s reply as she picked two hairballs off her tongue. All of the girls nodded solemnly in agreement.

“Regardless of your justifiable frustrations with our classmate, violence between students is strictly forbidden!” Iida stated, hands chopping in admonishment. “Especially so blatantly in front of your teachers-”

“We’ll let it slide.” All three interjected in unison. Iida sat down at this with a weary sigh.

“So…” Shoji asked to steer it back on track, “what’s the momentous occasion?”

“We are now,” with a flourish, she pulled up all of the baby’s hair into a point, “officially moved in.”

Bakugo’s eyebrow twitched. Again. “Are you fucking kidding me with this domestic crap?”

“Bakugo being Bakugo aside, I was kinda expecting more, too,” Jiro muttered.

Bob didn’t show much enthusiasm either. “Yeah, well, that’s great, honey. And the last three years don’t count because...”

“Three years?” Kirishima asked. “The family’s only been where he’s doing the insurance thing for that long?”

“Maybe they move around a lot?” Sato suggested. “Some companies work like that.”

“Some,” Aizawa finally spoke up, “but it’s rare for an insurance employee to do a lot of traveling on behalf of his work. Either way, we’ll find out soon enough, I think.”

“Because I finally unpacked the last box.” Helen looked back at an empty box in the corner. “Now, it’s official. Ha, ha, ha. Why do we have so much junk?”

“Listen, honey, I’ve got a client…”

“Say no more, Go save the world one policy at a time, honey,” Helen assured him, keeping Jack-Jack from using a soap bottle like a milk one at the same time. She looked at the time. “Oh, I gotta go pick up the kids from school. See you tonight.”

Midoriya felt a bit more relieved after watching the phone call; it showed that even if Bob was unhappy about being forced out of the hero life, he still had something to come home to. A loving family was a wonderful thing, after all. He couldn’t have made it as far as he had without his mom.

Next to him, Uraraka had similar thoughts with both of her parents. She was proud of how Elastigirl had adapted to being Helen Parr, housewife. Must be nice coming home after a long day of Hero work, being greeted by your family, both kids thought a bit wistfully at the same time, unaware of the other’s musings.

And unaware of the sly looks Ashido and Aoyama traded towards the pair.

“Bye, honey.” Bob then put down the phone to address a sobbing Mrs. Hogenson. “Excuse me, where were we?”

The old lady tearfully explained, “I’m on a fixed income, and you don’t help me, I don’t know what I’ll do.” She blew pitifully into her handkerchief.

All of the viewers felt for Mrs. Hogenson. Some like Midoriya, Iida, Uraraka and All Might showed it openly, while others like Bakugo and Aizawa kept their faces neutral, but their concern could be seen in their eyes.

Bob looked down at her in sympathy, then his face shifted to determination as he first looked out the doorway of his cubicle, then up at all the others neatly organized.

This puzzled them. “What is he up to…?” All Might wondered about his cinematic counterpart.

Finally, he sat back at his desk and spoke softly, “All right, listen closely. I’d like to help you, but I can’t.” But he still passed her a notepad and pen. “I’d like to tell you to take a copy of your policy up to Norma Wilcox on…” The big man paused in his explanation (and repeatedly glancing around himself) to tap on the notepad and repeat, “Norma. Wilcox. W-I-L-C-O-X. on the third floor. But I can’t.”

Some were still puzzled, but then Kaminari snapped his fingers in realization. “Oh, he’s giving her a technical loophole so her claim can work.”

The others who hadn’t understood then began chatting about it, while the teachers who had been quicker on the uptake watched with pride. “I’ve used that stunt once or twice when helping out victims of villain attacks or guys who’d just done something stupid.” Mic chuckled to himself.

“Same,” Toshinori agreed. Aizawa was silently pleased with the fact that Kaminari (#20 on the tests, lest we forget) had been among the first to connect the dots. Those that hadn’t weren’t necessarily idiots, but some like Midoriya or Todoroki simply lacked the imagination to find a workaround for such legal obstructions.

But it still left him and his colleagues wondering…

Mrs. Hogenson then understood and began scribbling down the instructions he was giving her, mumbling them to herself. Bob continued, “I also do not advise you to fill out and file a WS2475 form with our legal department on the second floor. I wouldn’t expect someone to get back to you quickly to resolve the matter. I’d like to help,” He finished and rose to his feet with a smile, “but there’s nothing I can do.”

Mrs. Hogenson said to him, “Oh, thank you young man-“ but Bob quickly shushed her.

“I’M SORRY, MA’AM,” He called out from his cubicle, “I KNOW YOU’RE UPSET.” Then he quickly leaned down to his client and whispered, “Pretend to be upset.” The senior lady then put on a pretty convincing performance of sobbing as Bob watched her go with a satisfied smile.

Happy laughter filled the room at the last part, happy in particular because of the retired hero successfully helping this elder woman with her problem.

“Even when our masks are stripped from us,” Tokoyami murmured in an unusually light tone, “we can still bring aid to others.”

Bakugo just scoffed. When others gave him a collective gimlet eye, he clarified, “Helping the old woman’s great and all, but the pussyfooting ticks me off.”

“Crassness aside,” Shoji finally asked, “What’s with all the stuff Mister Incredible was doing? Is he worried he’ll get caught doing his job or something?”

But as she tottered out into the wider area, a little man in a suit, barely her height, brushed past her with a furious expression on his face and into Bob’s cubicle. “....PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!” Startled, the bigger man instantly shot up from his tiny chair, knocking over his pencil cup in the process.

Half the class (and All Might) jumped in surprise at the sudden roar, popcorn hurtling up, then falling back down. Jiro hissed from the volume but signaled to her concerned friends that she was alright.

“…I think we’re seeing the answer to your question,” Koda murmured, still shaking a little.

As he hastily refilled the cup, the little man angrily threw a file on top of Bob's desk. “You authorized payment on the Walker policy?!”

 “Someone broke into their house, Mr. Huph,” Bob explained, scratching his ear. “Their policy clearly covers-“

Mr. Huph cut him off. “I..I-I-I don’t wanna know about their coverage, Bob! Don’t tell me about their coverage! Tell me how you’re keeping Insuricare in the black!” Bob could look on in frustration at his tirade. “Tell me how that’s possible, with you writing checks to every Harry Hardluck and Sally Sobstory THAT GIVES YOU A PHONE CALL!!” With that last shout, Mr. Huph stormed back out of the cubicle.

“…I don’t like him.” The others definitely shared Hagakure’s sentiment, some with more disgust than others.

“And I think I’m starting to get what Yaomomo and the teachers were talking about when they spoke of insurance companies more interested in profit.” Kirishima crossed his arms. “So unmanly.”

His explosive friend was even more irritated. “Anyone talked to me like that, I’d blast them to the next continent.”

“And in that twerp’s case,” Kaminari chimed in, “I might lend a hand with that project.”

“Same.” “Ditto.” “Room for one more?” Jiro, Sero, and even Ojiro agreed.

Iida held his hands in front of them. “I advise you not to let such actions really happen when you meet such individuals in real life. You all want to prove yourselves proper heroes, no?”

“And for a TV character?” Uraraka asked, an uncharacteristic frown on her face.

“…In that case, I might actually relent.”

The adults watched in silence but shared their students’ unhappiness. Let’s just say they’d encountered jerks like Mr. Huph before. Some bigger, some even smaller. Aizawa growled at a particular memory of when he once got chewed out by a guy that looked just like him for causing damage to his business. He’d been fighting a tough villain with a mutant-type Quirk, cut him some slack, Mr. Ogura!

Asui grumbled, “I wonder if growth stopping at a certain height makes you insufferable,” half-heartedly, drawing some laughs and an insulted, “HEY!” from Mineta.

As Bob just slumped back into his seat, an announcement rang out from the PA. “Morning break is over. Morning break is over.” Oh, and his pencil case fell off the desk.

Midoriya winced in sympathy. “So that’s an average start to his day?” Helping the old woman was definitely a good thing, but this level of frustration in dealing with his CEO…

Uraraka patted him on the back, making him exchange smiles with her and his friends. Todoroki nodded towards the screen. “Now that we’ve seen Mister Incredible’s day, I have a feeling Elastigirl’s next with the kids.” Truth be told, he was rather curious.

Meanwhile, Helen was opening a door to an office. A stoic man in a suit was seated at the desk with a bespectacled man at his side. “I appreciate you coming down here, Mrs. Parr.” Helen cast her gaze down at the boy with blond hair and blue eyes who quickly glanced away from her disapproving eye.

“A son, then?” Iida tilted his head. “It seems he takes after his father in appearance.”

“He looks like nine or ten,” Midoriya observed. “But is he sitting in the principal’s office?”

Helen took a seat next to the boy. “What’s this about? Has Dash done something wrong?”

The standing teacher cleared his throat and explained, “He’s a disruptive influence and he openly mocks me in front of the class.”

“He says,” Dash muttered.

“Looks like it.” Mina scratched her pink hair. “Not the best showing for the son of two ex-heroes. Maybe he’s the rebellious type?”

“Or he doesn’t get along with the teacher.” Kaminari countered before perking up. “Speaking of, Mic-sensei,” the blonde teacher glanced towards him, “aren’t you gonna announce him?”

Yamada grinned back. “I will, just not yet. Wait till he shows what he can do.”

The students grew eager.

That riled the teacher up; he pointed an accusing finger at him. “Look, I know it’s you! He puts thumb tacks on my stool.”

A couple of snickers at the classic juvenile prank.

“You saw him do this?” Helen asked.

“Well...” The teacher stuttered. “Not really... No! Actually, not.”

“Huh?” Hagakure perked up. “Think he can turn invisible like me?”

Yaoyorozu tilted her head. “Maybe, Tooru… or it could be a Quirk that manipulates memory or perception.”

Helen took on a skeptical tone. “Oh, then how do you know it was him?”

At that, the teacher flashed a grin and held up an old-fashioned video tape. “I hid a camera.” Dash gasped for a moment, even as his mother shot him another look. “And this time, I've got him.” He slid it into a video player behind him and hit the play button.

All Might chuckled. “I haven’t seen such tech in a good while. It was considered old school back when I was still a student, but a certain teacher of mine is still fond of video players to this day.” He shuddered at the memory of Gran Torino’s old habit of beating him to a pulp and then making him watch recordings to point out where there was room for improvement. Like watching yourself being tortured…

His students and colleagues wondered briefly why he was looking so pale, then turned their attention back to the movie.

The TV flickered to life, showing a black-and-white classroom with the teacher walking in front of his students. He moved from his desk at the far side of the room towards an empty chair closer to the hidden camera, while the onscreen students silently watched.

The real-life students also watched silently for the most part until Kirishima asked, “Wait, where’s Dash sitting?”

Shoji leaned a little closer, then pointed at one head with slicked-back hair. “I think that’s him, in the last row up back.”

Bakugo grunted in agreement. “Yeah, that’s him. Shitty black-and-white cameras.”

But just before he made to sit down, the recorded Dash seemed to… blur for a second. The teacher sat down, only to bolt right back up with a pained yelp.

“Whoa!” The students yelped in surprise. Sero, Kaminari, Sato, Ashido, Mineta, and Jiro went so far as to laugh from the teacher’s reaction.

Present Mic snickered himself at the little prank before pulling out a new card. “Dash Parr, son of Bob and Helen Parr. A rambunctious little tyke with superspeed and a knack for getting into trouble. Upper limits for either trait have yet to be established.”

“Superspeed, huh?” Jiro paused in her laughter to shoot a playful look at a certain classmate shaking his head in disapproval. “Y’know, watching that just makes a girl wonder if our dear class rep ever pulled a stunt like that?” The others’ cackling increased in response to Iida’s outrage sputtering. “C’mon, you’ve got the same Quirk as Dash.”

“Of course not!” Iida yelled in irritation, his helicopter-arms waving so much that the hairstyles of those sitting next to him were getting kinda funky. “I would never abuse my Quirk, one passed down my family for generations as a Hero’s tool, to perform something so tasteless and disrespectful to my teacher!” His antics only fueled the level of laughter; Midoriya, Uraraka, Asui, Hagakure, Koda, and Kirishima had joined in, while All Might had slid a hand over his mouth. Even Aizawa looked somewhat amused.

“Ah, lay off him, Jiro,” Kaminari jokingly chided the jack girl, “we all know who the resident bad boy is in this class.”

Sero joined in with his sharpest triangular grin. “Yup, though in Bakugo’s case, he probably slid a firecracker under the poor teacher’s butt.”

“Like hell, assholes!” the blonde snarled at them. “Think I’d do damage to my credits with that crap?”

“It’s true,” Midoriya confirmed after calming down, “Kacchan may have shouted a lot, but he never pulled pranks on anyone, much less the teachers. He was serious about enrolling in a Hero school after all.” The classmates murmured to each other in agreement while Bakugo just grumbled. He didn’t need his rival defending him.

“See? You see? You don’t see it?” He sighed at the abundance of skeptical faces and rewound the tape. “He moves!” He stopped it. “Right there! Wait, wait!” He rewound it again and tapped his finger on the screen. “Right… there! Right as I'm sitting down!” Sure, Dash flickered for a second, but it couldn’t really count as definite proof. The increasingly frustrated teacher turned to his audience. “I don’t know, I don’t know how he does it, but there’s no tack on my stool before he moves and after he moves, there’s a tack! Coincidence?” He leaned back a bit, then snapped back with a, “I think NOT!”

Jiro yelped again from the sudden change in volume, but she had a good remedy: mirth.

Uraraka sputtered out in even more laughter, “Hi-hi-his fa-ha-ace! I-I can’t…” she doubled over, sides shaking while the others joined in.

“Such a devilish little boy…” Aoyama said among his giggling.

Midoriya tried to write down more data, but his own laughing fit got in the way. “I-I-I’m a bit i-i-im-p-p-p-pressed,” he finally gasped out, getting a still irritated Iida’s attention. Deku cleared his throat, then continued. “That camera may be old-fashioned, but it’s still remarkable that Dash could move to place the tack and return to his seat so fast that you can’t really see it on the tape. I mean, we and the teacher can only catch his moving because we’re looking for it.”

“Fair point, Young Midoriya,” All Might commended his successor (while wiping away some blood from the excessive laughing). “There aren’t many heroes in real life that can match that kind of speed, even among the Pros. Gran Torino, maybe, but he’s gotten fairly slower in his age. Young Dash, on the other hand, is still developing.”

“You might want to kick it into high gear, Iida,” his homeroom teacher half-seriously reprimanded. “If that nine-year-old can cross a classroom faster than a camera can catch him, I expect you to be able to reach at least the same speed.”

This ignited a blazing fury in the latest carrier of the Iida hero tradition. For his family’s pride, he shall surpass the little troublemaker’s speed in the name of upholding the law and protecting the people!

The principal reached over to place his hand on the teacher’s shoulder. “Uh, Bernie...” he began.

Bernie pushed off the hand. “Don’t ‘Bernie’ me!” He pointed at Dash and shouted, “THIS LITTLE RAT IS GUILTY!!”

Jiro was torn between groaning about the repeated shifts in volume and sputtering at his antics. Others didn’t have ears as sensitive as hers, so they didn’t have to worry.

Even Tokoyami’s beak had curved a bit to show his amusement. “The shouting isn’t helping your case here, you’re dooming yourself.”

The principal turned with a weary look towards Helen. “You and your son can go now, Mrs. Parr. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“Innocent till proven guilty,” Ojiro quipped.

“Lack of sufficient evidence,” All Might picked up with a teasing tone, “remember, dear zygotes, when you bring someone in, you have to deliver irrefutable proof as well, or you might end up like poor Bernie.”

Bernie was incredulous. “You’re letting him go again?! He’s guilty!” He pointed in fury at the boy walking out with his mom, a tiny smirk playing along his lips. “You can see it on his smug little face! GUILTY, I SAY, GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!!!” The last thing that could been before the office door fell shut was Bernie furiously shaking a chair around while the principal just shook his head.

The whole audience was in stitches at that point. The film had to be paused, lest they miss the next scenes.

Soon enough, they all managed to calm down a bit. Though Sero leaned over to Kaminari, mischief reflected in his teeth. “You know… we might want to try that prank ourselves,” he whispered. “As part of our training, of course.”

“You know, you might be onto something,” the budding electric hero rubbed his chin in pretend thought. “If we can outmaneuver our esteemed veteran teachers, it’d be a good warmup for the real fights. Solo or teamwork?”

“Heavy emphasis on teamwork these days, good enough reason to continue the theme. Now we just need thumbtacks-”

“That all you boys can come up with?” Jiro interrupted the two with a smirk rivalling theirs. “We’ve got more to offer, so sign me up for this shindig.” The trio made for a high-five, only for a certain deadpan voice to freeze them in their tracks.

Aizawa’s eyes flared red, though what truly petrified the students was his toothy smile. “Word of warning, you three, you wouldn’t be the first to try and prank me, and after that stupid mousetrap, I’m on even higher alert. Besides, the principal has given us teachers free rein to use whatever means we deem necessary to punish pranksters. Attempt that kind of crap at your own peril.”

“What he said,” Present Mic sneered, sunglasses gleaming. “I’m sure that at least one of you remembers our last little trade of soundtracks.” The only girl among the three paled.

Later, the former elastic hero was driving her car, her son sitting against the passenger’s seat window with a frustrated scowl. “Dash,” Helen began, “this is the third time this year you’ve been sent to the office. We need to find a better outlet. A more... constructive outlet.”

“The third time?” Sato shook his head. “Yeesh, I thought the kid looked a bit wild, but that’s a bit worrisome.”

“It seems you were right about Dash being a rebellious one, Mina,” Yaoyorozu commented, the pink girl shrugging in response.

Dash shot back, “Maybe I could, if you’d let me go out for sports.”

“Honey, you know why we can’t do that.”

Dash looked back at her. “I promise I’ll slow up. I’ll only be the best by a tiny bit.” He pleaded with his fingers nearly pressing against each other.

Hagakure’s clothes shuffled. “Why can’t he go into sports?”

“Kid that can go superfast and leave all the other nerds in the dust, Seethrough,” Bakugo grunted. “Plus, jackasses banning heroes. Do the math.”

Uraraka ohed in understanding. “So that’s the real problem. He wants to put his speed into something he can show others…”

“But due to the law now,” Asui finished her friend’s train of thought, “it’s likely that anyone just showing superpowers could be misconstrued as a hero sighting. And the government wants them to keep a low profile.”

“And Dash’s antics are likely just him being frustrated that his potential is being shackled.” Tokoyami crossed his arms. “No doubt some who do not have Quirk licenses feel the same as he does.”

“Dashiell Robert Parr,” Helen began in a tired tone, “you are an incredibly competitive boy. And a bit of a showoff. The last thing you need is temptation.”

Bakugo snorted out a laugh. “Dashiell? Who names their kids that? Are they trying to get his ass kicked throughout his school years?”

Meanwhile, Aoyama sighed in sympathy. “Ah, the yearning for the spotlight. Pas facile to resist. Especially for the gifted ones.”

Dash slumped back with a defeated look. “You always say, ‘Do your best,’ but you don’t really mean it.” Jack-Jack gurgled in the back. “Why can’t I do the best that I can do?”

Iida had calmed down a bit, enough to feel some sympathy for the boy. “There is a desire in him to do something with the Quirk he has, but he feels stifled.” Pranking his teacher was still something to dissuade, but he could respect the wish to put the ability he was capable of to use. Bakugo silently had similar thoughts; his Explosion Quirk was a dream for a kid like him that wanted to be a hero, but if he had to keep it under lock and key, he’d go nuts too.

“Right now, honey, the world just wants us to fit in, and to fit in, we just gotta be like everybody else.”

“Tch, ‘fit in’,” the most volatile student of Class 1-A spat out the word like it was bad meat. “Why should they have to keep their Quirks under lock and key just so nobodies can feel good about themselves?”

“It’s for the sake of the ‘nobodies’, Bakugo, that those with Quirk equivalents have to take care,” Todoroki calmly stated. “And not everyone’s as invested in being heroes as we are. I know it’s psychically impossible for you to empathize with another living being, but at least try to look at the big picture.”

“What was that?!” Bakugo got to his feet, palms crackling, as he glared a challenge. “You lookin to start something, Half-and-Half Bastard?!”

Shoto’s demeanor didn’t change, but a sudden chill signified his Quirk being armed, like the cocking back of a gun’s hammer. Fortunately, Yaoyorozu got between the two. “Please, both of you calm yourselves. Everyone here can both sympathize with the frustration of having to suppress our gifts and understand the reasoning behind it. Either way, let’s not ruin the mood, please. We’re simply enjoying an afternoon movie, remember?”

Todoroki shrugged and turned back to the screen. Bakugo clicked his tongue after a few seconds, slumping back in his seat. I think Bakugo is empathizing with Dash, Todoroki, Midoriya thought, looking between the two. Incredibly competitive, a bit of a showoff…

“But Dad always said our powers were nothing to be ashamed of. Our powers made us special.”

“Everyone’s special, Dash.”

“Which is another way of saying no one is,” the boy grumbled.

“That could be a good basis for a philosophical debate, come to think of it,” Ojiro swished his tail a bit in thought.

Yaoyorozu tilted her head towards him. “You mean, if every person has something that makes them special, it means in a way that no one is truly special?” The martial artist nodded in response. The two former Quirkless in the room furrowed their brows considering that point of view. It might be worth discussing later, out of curiosity if nothing else.

The scene changed to in front of a white building labeled, “WESTERN VIEW JUNIOR HIGH.” On the ground next to the stairs stood a girl, hunched over, pitch-dark hair covering one eye, clutching her schoolbooks. Then the school bell rang, and the doors swung open to let a brown-haired attractive boy walk out. “Hey, Rydinger.” He looked back to see some boys coming behind him. “Where you headed?”

The group casually walked together down the steps, a pair of girls complimenting “Tony,” the first boy. All the while, the girl peered over at Tony as well while his friends teased him. He briefly locked eyes with her before looking away, then as he reached the last step, he did a double take and looked back.

But he didn’t see anyone.

The audience had mixed feelings about the scene, some rolling their eyes at the cliché shy-girl-pining-after handsome-popular-guy routine, others like Hagakure and Ashido (and a few boys that shall remain nameless for the sake of their masculinity) appreciating the little slice of high-school drama that could unfold.

Then they all turned curious at the sudden disappearance of the girl, a certain invisible budding hero getting a strange feeling.

In truth, Violet hadn’t moved from her spot. For a moment, her clothes just seemed to be moving independently until her body returned into view. The shy girl whispered to herself, “He looked at me.” There was a tiny joy in her voice.

Hagakure clapped her transparent hands in delight. “I knew it! She can turn invisible! Oh, I’m kinda jealous that she can turn it on and off!” But the tone of her words made it clear that she was happy to see a girl that shared her Quirk.

“Violet Parr, oldest child of Bob and Helen Parr,” Mic read from the relevant card. “Her innate ability to turn invisible at will reflects her shy nature, though this power only extends to her own body. There is more to this girl than meets the eye…” he blinked at the text trailing off; something felt off. So even I’m not getting the full story, eh? Heh, this guy must’ve made sure spoilers don’t find their way to me.

Ashido in the meantime was swooning. “Aww, another chance for some sweet high-school romance. Poor Violet’s a bit on the shy side.”

“Not sure what she has to be shy about,” Shoji commented.

“Shy people have their own ways of viewing the world.” Yaoyorozu watched the girl in sympathy. “Traits that others consider impressive or laudable may not be seen the same way for their owners.”

“Hear, hear,” Koda, Tokoyami and Midoriya (who’d finished jotting down the latest information) echoed.

Then the brief magic she felt was ruined by a car horn honking. “Come on, Violet!” Dash called out from his mom’s car, prompting her to run over to them.

Mina huffed in disappointment. “Leave it to the little brother to spoil the mood.”

Kirishima patted her shoulder. “No worries, there ought to be one or two romantic moments coming soon. We’re still at the start, you know.” His “horn buddy” immediately regained her moxie at that, drawing a smile from him. Then he looked over to their announcer. “Mic-sensei, I hope this isn’t a spoiler, but are there any more family members coming up?”

The blonde teacher shuffled through the cards before shaking his head. “Ain’t really a spoiler, and I don’t think so. Unless there’s a surprise twist a la Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.”

“Then no more talking, and let’s watch the movie properly,” his old classmate droned.

As for the family patriarch, he was currently in a tiny light-blue car on an interstate highway, heading home from the grueling work. Cars honked all around him while he just drummed his thumb lightly against the steering wheel.

Everyone, teenager and adult alike, watched in pity, collectively echoing the same thought Mister Incredible likely had at the moment: I miss the Incredibile…

Eventually, the hatchback arrived at the Parr family house. Hanging his head as the engine rattled to a shuddering stop, Bob opened the door and made to get out, only to almost fall onto the driveway with a yelp. Which became a groan when he kicked away the skateboard that had made him trip. Bob went on to grumble something about “kids” and “driveway” before noticing that when he grabbed onto the car for balance, his fingers had slightly warped the metal there. “Oh, great.” Really, great ending to a great day.

Kirishima chuckled at that. “That happened once to my dad’s car. He was not happy.”

“I accidentally fried my mom’s minivan once,” Kaminari confessed with a laugh.

Buuuut it turns out the day wasn’t over just yet. Bob made to shut the car door, only for it squeak back out. He tried again but same result. Rule of three, with a lot more power; the door stayed in place. But its window shattered to pieces.

Some laughed at the trouble with the car, others felt sympathy for the retired hero, others felt sympathy but still giggled. “He’s a teensy bit out of practice, huh?” Sero got out between his laughs.

Midoriya felt bad for his own laughter; there were still times when he’d use just a bit more power than necessary and ended up with busted training gear or weights (way better than body parts, though). But hey, All Might was laughing too, so it had to be okay, right?

Bob for his part found no humor in the current situation, judging from his rage-filled mutterings. He then lifted the car over his head and spun with it around, only to learn he had an audience: a boy with a blown gum bubble, a red tricycle, and eyes staring in total shock. Bob froze, glass tinkling behind him while the boy’s chewing gum popped to reveal his mouth as wide open as his eyes.

“Busted.” Todoroki joked, drawing a snicker from his friends. Iida was admittedly a bit worried about the boy, but between the knowledge that the former hero would never hurt an innocent and the boy’s expression, he couldn’t suppress his amusement.

“Look at his face!” Jiro bubbled out in her giggles.

Bob gently lowered the car back down to the ground and stepped away from it; the kid just continued to stare open-mouthed. The adult awkwardly clapped his hands and made to walk into his house.

Aizawa facepalmed. “Smooth.”

A skip in time to the Paar family at the dinner table. Bob and Helen sat on opposite sides while Dash and Violet as well at the rectangular table. Jack-Jack was right next to his mother who spooned him baby food, complete with baby noises.

Noises her other son didn’t appreciate. “Mom,” Dash groaned while sawing at his meat. “You’re making weird faces again.”

“Please don’t make weird faces, honey.” Bob was just staring at the newspaper spread out next to his own plate.

“Weird to hear the adult getting chided for that.” A few smirked at Mineta’s wisecrack, partially because it was for once unrelated to girls or innuendos.

Helen cast a gimlet eye at her husband. “Do you have to read at the table?”

“Uh-huh. Yeah.”

Iida grew irritated at this. “That behavior is utterly disrespectful to your wife and family, Mr. Parr!” He chopped his hand at the screen. “You could find time after the meal to read your paper, this is a family activity!”

“He is showing rather a bit of neglect towards his wife and children, isn’t he?” Asui noted in agreement, making Midoriya and Todoroki tense a bit. They both knew a bit on the subject of distant fathers.

“Guy’s the breadwinner of the house.” Bakugo muttered quietly. “Doesn’t need to keep up conversation all the time.” Jiro, the only one who heard him, shot him a cold look, but she couldn’t suppress a giggle at the next comment.

“Geez, wrap a scarf around his neck, let him grow some stubble and a shaggier hairstyle, and I’d call him blonde Aizawa-sensei,” Kaminari joked to make his classmates laugh, successfully lightening the mood again. Though he didn’t score brownie points with his homeroom teacher for the comment, he still thought, Worth it, as he felt a certain glare.

Helen sighed in exasperation before turning to her blonde son. Who had forked up the whole steak and was trying to bite off a big chunk “Smaller bites, Dash. Yikes!” She turned to her “better” half. “Bob, could you help the carnivore cut his meat?” With a sigh, Bob finally looked up from his paper and reached over to begin carving up a bitable piece, his son wincing from the failed effort.

“That boy likes his meat, I guess.” Uraraka quipped.

Kirishima replied, “He’s got good taste, meat’s the best.” Bakugo, Kaminari, Sato, Sero, Tokoyami, Shoji, and Midoriya all nodded in agreement. Mineta opened his mouth but shut it again when Dark Shadow appeared to hover over him, claws twitching.

Helen took the opportunity to bring up an important topic. “Dash, you have something you wanna tell your father about school?”

“And the gates of judgement open to draw in sinners,” the bird-headed not-a-Stand-User droned.

Dash nervously cleared his throat and tried, “Well, we dissected a frog.”

A frightened cross between a squeak and a croak sounded out. Uraraka, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki all scooted closer to a blue-looking Tsuyu, comforting her in her slight distress. Tokoyami would’ve as well, but he was too far. Fortunately, Dark Shadow moved to over her.

“Dash got sent to the office again.” Was his mother’s answer to the attempt.

“Sorry, kiddo,” Sero teased the on-screen boy, “you’re busted now.”

Bob, however, was too distracted. “Good. Good,” he mumbled while cutting the steak.

All Might cradled his forehead in his hands. “Bob, I respect you as my movie counterpart, but that was so much the wrong reaction it’s opening up my old wounds.”

“No Bob, that's bad.”

He snapped to attention. “What?”

“Dash. Got sent. To the office. Again.” She repeated, with emphasis.

That REALLY got his attention. “What?! What for?”

Dash shot his mom a look. “Nothing.”

“It was NOT nothing, young man!” Iida chopped his hand fast enough to reduce an oak tree to splinters. “You disrespected your teacher and injured him!”

“It was a thumbtack, Iida.” Shoji grew two extra eyes to throw a look his way.

Helen wasn’t fazed. “He put a tack on the teacher’s chair... during class.”

“Nobody saw me,” the guilty boy grumbled. “You could barely see me on the tape.”

“Okay, Midoriya does have a point about that being impressive,” Aoyama said with a pose.

Bob seemed to think so, too. “They caught you on tape and you still got away with it? Whoa!” His eyes flared with excitement as he leaned closer to his son, still cutting with the knife. “You must have been booking! How fast do you think you were going?”

Aizawa joined All Might in facepalming. “Not the point she was trying to make, big guy.”

Todoroki noted, “He looks all the more alive now that they’re talking about Dash’s speed. Kind of reminds me of Midoriya and anything Quirk-related.” Izuku blushed at the chuckles his friend’s comment drew.

“Bob! We are not encouraging this.” Helen chided him.

“I’m not encouraging,” Bob defended, still cutting, “I’m just asking how fast-“

His wife looked down and her eyes widened. “Honey!”

A crack drew Bob’s attention and he looked down, too. Too late, though; the knife had cut through the steak. And the plate.

And was now embedded in the table.

Everyone with an ability that increased strength winced at the faux pas. “Been there, done that.” Sato rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Bakugo said nothing, but he remembered the time he once blew up some meat and the carving board in his family’s kitchen because cutting was taking too damn long.

“Consider this another lesson, students:” Aizawa drawled, “Pay attention to what you’re doing.”

Bob angrily slumped back in his chair. “Great. First the car, now I gotta pay to fix the table...”

“The car?” Helen asked in confusion. “What happened to the car?”

“He busted the roof, a window, and almost smashed it on top of a twerp.” Bakugo stated matter-of-factly.

Bob just glared and passed over his plate to his son. “Here. I’m getting a new plate.” He pulled out the knife, folded up his newspaper, and got up to lumber away from the table.

Todoroki stared at him with half-lidded eyes. “I bet he’s just going to stay there until he’s done with his paper.”

“Only a sucker would bet against that,” Kaminari agreed.

“Sooo… you’re betting against him, then?”

“Ye-hey!” The electrokinetic glared at a shaking Jiro, even as others laughed at the banter. And Ashido looked between the two with a familiar gleam.

Helen cleared her throat and turned to the only other female at the table. “So, how about you, Vi? How was school?”

“Nothing to report,” was the quiet, half-hearted answer.

“Ah, she’s just like Eraserhead back when we were teens,” Present Mic sighed in nostalgia. “Except, y’know, a girl.” Aizawa just clicked his tongue; too tiresome to argue right now.

“You’ve hardly touched your food.”

“I’m not hungry for meatloaf.” Violet had just been pushing around the vegetables on her plate.

“Well, it is leftover night. We have steak, pasta.” Helen offered. What are you hungry for?”

Kirishima rubbed his stomach. “Haven’t had a good steak in a while…”

Mineta made to open his mouth and say what he was hungry for, but a half-dozen glares stopped him in his tracks. He had just enough self-preservation to simply sit there and watch silently.

“Tony Rydinger.” Dash teased her.

“And the boy’s as nosy and annoying as Mic was when we first met.” Aizawa smirked back at the look Mic gave him. Even while Mina swooned over the mention of Vi’s crush.

That set off Violet. “Shut up!”

“Well, you are.”

“I said, SHUT UP, you little insect!” Vi went so far as to point her fork at him.

“Oh boy, ribbit,” Asui tapped her finger against her lips. Uraraka glanced at her best friend who looked wearily at the TV. “I’m okay, Ocha, it’s just that I have a feeling about what’s going to happen next. Anyone here with siblings will know.”

Todoroki was confused, but then again, he was still kinda distant with his siblings. Living or dead. I really should check up with Fuyumi-nee after this movie he noted to himself.

“Well, she is!”

“Do not shout at the table.” Helen scolded them, then called, “Honey!”

From the kitchen, their dad called out, “Kids! Listen to your mother.”

“Not exactly helpful, Mr. Parr,” Yaoyorozu muttered with a shake of her head.

“Mister ‘I-Just-Cleaned-Up-This-Place’ at his finest,” Mezo grunted.

Bakugo just scoffed. “Not like these brats are offering anything better at the moment.”

Helen’s expression flattened equally, but the family seemed to relax again.

…Nope, Dash couldn’t help himself. “She’d eat if we were having ‘Tony loaf’,” he muttered into his drinking cup.

Asui sighed. “Here we go, ribbit.” She’d had enough squabbles with Samidare and even Satsuki to know what would happen next.

Violet threw her fork on the table, shouted, “THAT'S IT!” and lunged across the table, tackling her brother. She proceeded to pin him to the ground while invisible, the two slapping and wrestling with each other. Helen yelled at them to stop while Jack-Jack just enjoyed the show.

“At least Jack-Jack’s having fun,” Uraraka noticed.

Bakugo clicked his tongue. “Saw this coming a mile off.”

Midoriya looked at his childhood friend. “Really? I mean, I don’t have a brother or sister, but was it that obvious that they were going to fight?”

“All siblings argue,” Iida confirmed. “Though I have not gotten into a physical confrontation with my brother since I was little and he stopped eating my fitness cereal on purpose.” He flinched a bit from the many looks his friends, classmates, and teachers were shooting him. “It was quality with honey and dark chocolate! The perfect breakfast with orange juice!”

Dash finally pushed Violet off of him, her regaining visibility in the process. “You’re gonna be toast!” He then started running around the table, slapping his sister on each pass.

“Stop running in the house!” Helen tried to stop him. “You sit down!”

“She could just stretch out an arm and lasso him in,” Sero pointed out. “Why isn’t she doing that?”

“Maybe she’s trying to resolve the situation without her powers,” Koda offered. “Maybe try and show them how they’re supposed to act.”

“Shitty move,” Bakugo spat out, “just hold down the runt and beat into him that he can’t mess around with his sister. It’s what my mom would do.”

That explains so much…

Violet finally had enough. The next time Dash was on the other side of the table, she thrust her hand forward. An energy with violet outlines suddenly appeared in front of the boy; he crashed into it headfirst and bounced back to the floor. Vi chuckled at the sight.

“Whoa!” Ojiro blinked, then squinted at the screen. “Did she just put up a forcefield now?”

“Oui…” Aoyama answered. The whole class had focused their attention on that moment, Mic quietly chuckling about how he’d been thrown for a loop. “Quite a twinkling move on the animators for adding an outline the same color as her name, too.”

Sato groaned. “We find out the girl’s got two different Quirks and the color’s the most important part to you?” The Francophile simply turned the other way to pout, sparkles radiating from him.

Todoroki was even more attentive now; dual Quirk-users like his were rare, he hadn’t even met another yet.

Tooru was pouting, too, though for a different reason. “I am SO jealous! Vi can turn her invisibility on and off and has another Quirk, too?”

Ojiro patted her shoulder with his tail. “Yeah, but you’ve learned some light-bending tricks too? That’s pretty awesome, making do with what you’ve got.” She perked up a bit at the kind words.

Kirishima scratched his head. “I’m still kinda confused about the choice, though. I mean, Todoroki’s powerset is an obvious two-sides-of-the-same-coin thing, but invisibility and forcefield creation? Where’s the link?”

“Not to mention it doesn’t link to her parents’ powers.” Kaminari added onto his friend’s train of thought. “With Dash, it’s like he got a speed version of his dad’s superstrength, but I don’t see the same with Violet.” He gave his girl sitting companion a half-lidded look. “One wisecrack about me not getting it and I will taser you.” Jiro just put on a mocking innocent face.

“Quirks aren’t an exact science,” All Might explained. “Usually, children tend to inherit the Quirks of their parents or some combination thereof, but there are those who exhibit abilities that do not have any logical connection to their ‘predecessors’.” A certain half white-half red-haired boy looked away at the uncomfortable topic, his friends eyeing him in sympathy.

“You mean like you, Midoriya? Tsu pointed out, making the green-haired boy sweat a bit (Toshinori and Bakugo tensed as well). “I heard that your mom makes things levitate to her and your father breathes fire, ribbit. A strong difference to an enhancement Quirk.”

Deku sweated a bit as others started murmuring, including the teachers, before an idea popped in his head. “M-maybe I’m like Violet, then! An unlikely mutation, or the like. And honestly, I’m starting to think that her Quirks are connected to each other, in a way.

Calmer now, he placed his notebook on the coffee table and tapped at the characters for Violet’s two Quirks. “One allows her to walk past others unseen, the other shields her from others. In that way, Violet’s Quirks both form ‘barriers’ of sorts so she can avoid other people.”

“It would fit her shyness,” Uraraka supported her friend’s theory, and the others all accepted the theory without complaints. Aizawa nodded once in respect at the logical hypothesis method his Problem Child had used, and the boy’s idol was positively beaming. Even Bakugo didn’t argue, no reason other than Deku having said it really presented itself.

“OW!!” Dash rubbed his head on the ground, then snarled, “Hey, no force fields!”

“You started it.” Violet shot back.

Dash made to charge again, but Helen wrapped her right arm around his midsection. “You sit down!” She then repeated the process with her left arm when Vi almost went over the table again. “You sit down!”

But Violet went under the table, despite her mom’s protests, “Violet!” and Dash met her underneath. The sibling fight continued, even as Helen tried in vain to keep them apart.

In the meantime, Bob had gotten out a fresh plate, but continued to focus on the newspaper, unaware of the family drama. Guess headlines like “SCIENTISTS FIND THE MISSING LINK” and “CATASTROPHE SEEN AS CRISIS LOOMS” are more eye-catching, huh?

Iida karate-chopped the air in his indignation. “Your children are currently having a heated argument, Mr. Parr! Your prior heroics do not excuse such blatant disregard for your family!”

Yaoyorozu sipped some tea to mask her own displeasure. “My father is the same when he picks up a newspaper. Especially the business sections.”

“Catastrophe seen as Crisis looms?” Shoji grew a tentacle with an eye at the end to read the headline better. “Is there a difference?” He asked aloud.

“Not really, it is simply a matter of perception.” Creati answered, grateful for something else to think about.

Bob then noticed one article in particular: the headshot of a suited man with thick glasses and the headline, “MAN MISSING” above it. "Simon J. Paladino, longtime advocate of superhero rights, is missing." He read aloud, his eyes growing more concerned with each word. He took a closer look at the photo and mumbled “Gazerbeam…” in recognition.

“Gaserbeam?” Sero repeated. “Another retired hero?”

Tokoyami tilted his head in thought. “Judging by his name, he must have some sort of optic beam power. Midoriya, isn’t there a Pro-Hero in real life that has a similar Quirk?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Midoriya pulled out a different notebook and flipped through its pages until reaching a certain one. “Eye-Gun Hero X-Less. Has yet to reach into the double digits of the rankings but is a proficient long-range combatant and dedicated hero.”

“I’ve worked with him a few times; he was at Kamino as well, part of the raiding party.” All Might cupped his chin in thought, nodding. “A cautious fellow, but brave. Reliable.”

“And this Gazer-guy’s gone missing?” Bakugo drummed his fingers against some chips. “I’m betting something happened to him.”

Kaminari agreed. “Classic foreshadowing, plus Incredible said he advocated for superhero rights.”

“BOOOOB!” Helen’s voice brought him back to reality. “IT'S TIME TO ENGAGE!!!” He walked back into the dining room to find an unusual sight, even for a super. Helen was halfway over the table, both arms still wrapped under their two oldest kids while they continued their fight. “Do something!” She snapped at him. “Don’t just stand there! I need you to... intervene!!”

“You want me to intervene?” Bob walked over to the table, grabbed it with both hands, and lifted it high. “Okay! I’m intervening, I’m intervening!”

Fat lot of good his intervening did; still held by Helen’s arms, Dash and Violet were now fighting in midair while Jack-Jack continued to watch in amusement. “Violet, let go of your brother!” Regardless of what Helen said, those kids were out for blood.

Some laughed at the way the two former heroes were struggling to rein in their children. “They can stop trains and take down robbers,” Kaminari joked, “but when it comes to settling a fight between their boy and girl…”

Jiro finished, “Mister Incredible and Elastigirl are in for the fight of their lives.” The two exchanged a high-five among the increase in laughter.

And then the doorbell rang. Jack-Jack asked, “H’lo?”

“Uh-oh.”

In a flash, the table was back securely on the ground, with the kids having released and retaken their spots, their parents following suit instantly.

Iida clapped his hands above his head. “Bravo! Excellent coordination to appear presentable in case of a normal visitor! Truly bravo!”

Uraraka whispered to Asui. “Think they practiced that?” The frog girl shrugged in response.

Outside, the one who rang watched as from the other side of the door, Bob said, “Get the door.” A second later, it opened to reveal Dash, who took one look and exclaimed happily, “Hey, Lucius!”

“Hey, Speedo!” Lucius Best greeted. Dash bolted back to his seat at the table while Helen shot out an arm to steady a swinging lamp. “Hey, Helen. Vi, Jack-Jack.”

The Bakusquad’s male members (yes, even Bakugo) did a group high-five with a whoop at the return of SJ’s character.

“Yup,” a pleased Mic added from the card in his hand, “Frozone’s current identity is Lucius Best, by the way.”

The whole family was happy to see him, too. “He-hey!” Bob gestured to his best man and best friend. “Ice of you to drop by.”

Lucius, now sporting a bald head and trimmed beard but otherwise in good shape, let out a fake, “Ha!” before switching to a deadpan. “Never heard that one before…”

Todoroki somehow looked even more deadpan in that moment. “I feel your pain…”

His face turned even flatter at the combination of others laughing at Lucius’ reaction to the pun and the mirth his own comment had caused. Friends. Can’t live with ‘em, he smiled at Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, Asui, Tokoyami, and Yaoyorozu all enjoying themselves, wouldn’t want to live without ‘em.

Dash took a gulp of water, gargled out, “Oh, Lucius!” and spat some water high into the air.

Lucius stepped forward, “WHOA!” and shot out an ice blast that froze the spit shot in midair. With a roll forward, he caught it just before it hit the ground, then lifted it up for the family with a triumphant, “Ha-ha.”

“Aw...” Dash moaned in defeat. “I like it when it shatters.”

Kirishima whistled in respect. “Nice to see one of them’s still in good shape, even years out of the hero game.”

Aizawa snapped a finger at two students. “Sero, Kaminari, don’t even think about it.” The pair reluctantly swallowed their big gulps of soda. “That goes for you too, Ashido.” The pinkette pouted but gulped down her tea. Shoto just shrugged, lowering his right hand.

Bob hopped up from his chair with more enthusiasm than he’d shown all night. “I’ll be back later.” He pulled his coat off the rack.

“Hey, where are you two going?” Helen asked.

Bob was nudging Lucius (still waving) out the door. “It’s Wednesday.”

Helen sighed. “Right. Bowling night. Say hello to Honey for me, Lucius.”

“Haven’t gone bowling in a while,” Kirishima mused with a wistful look. “Heck of a manly activity, but it’s not easy finding alleys around here.”

Shoji spoke up. “I know a decent place twenty minutes from UA. Next chance we get, I can show you.” The red-spiked teen shot him a thumbs up at the suggestion, which he returned four-fold.

Bakugo cracked his neck. “I’ll come too, Squid. Haven’t bowled since getting kicked out of the spot near my house.” He snarled. “Assholes giving me grief just because I put some extra oomph behind my swings…”

Uraraka pulled Midoriya to the side. “He used his Quirk for bowling?”

“Yup, blew out half the back wall before the bouncer got to him.” Others were also muttering about joining in, thankfully with less interest on boosting their performances with powers.

“Will do, love.” Lucius called back as he was steered out the exit. “Good night, Helen. Good night, kids.” He got one last wave in before Bob shut the door.

“Yeesh, is he that eager to knock down a couple of pins?” Koda blurted out before shrinking back into himself, blushing at his outburst.

“Or he just wants to get away from some troublemaking kids,” Aizawa muttered, “which I can relate to.”

Helen then turned towards Dash, who flashed a nervous smile.

Ashido giggled. “Oh, you’re still in hot water, little guy.”

“Don’t think you’ve avoided talking about your trip to the principal’s office, young man.” She warned him. “Your father and I are still gonna discuss it.”

Dash grumbled, “I’m not the only kid who’s been sent to the office, you know,” while batting around some broccoli on his plate.

“And just how many of the other kids use their powers to cause trouble?” Ojiro asked rhetorically.

“Other kids don’t have superpowers. (Toru high-fived him) Now, it’s perfectly normal...”

“Normal?” Helen turned to look at her suddenly agitated daughter. Violet snapped, “What do you know about normal? What does ANYONE in this family know about normal?!”

Aoyama flinched along with Koda, Uraraka and Midoriya from the screen. “That seems to be a sore topic for the mademoiselle.” He noted.

“Sore time overall,” Jiro countered.

“Now, wait a minute, young lady.”

But Violet was just getting started. “We ACT normal, mom! I wanna BE normal!” She placed her hands on her body in desperation, then snapped frustrated the left one at her baby brother. “The only normal one is Jack-Jack! And he’s not even toilet trained!” Jack-Jack just gurgled out a laugh.

Momo just barely stopped herself from cooing like Ashido and Hagakure did, but that last piece of information caught her attention. “Jack-Jack is the only one in the family without powers, then?”

“That could get complicated when the tyke grows up.” Kaminari reached for more chips.

“But what’s the girl talking about, she wants to be a Quirkless nobody?” Bakugo asked incredulously. “Invisibility’s weak-”

“Hey!”

He ignored Toru. “But that forcefield trick’s pretty badass! Why the hell would anyone in their right mind not want to have a power like that?! The least it’s good for is shutting her brother up.”

“Young Violet’s in a world where people knowing that you have powers alone could mean trouble for the whole family,” All Might spoke up for her, “She’s probably been hiding them her whole life; something like that is bound to build pressure for the poor girl. Now she’s a teenager, where emotions get typically more out of control.” He understood better than most the pressure of having to hide the nature of your powers.

Midoriya felt his heart ache for the poor girl, even as he realized the irony; whereas he would’ve given anything to have a Quirk, Violet is more than happy to be rid of hers. I really wish I could meet her. And the whole Paar family. Maybe we could all be friends with them, help Dash and Vi show that they can be who they really are around us.

Todoroki then thought of something. “Both Violet and Dash in a way are sick of having to hide what they can do. They just have different ways of expressing their frustration. Dash wants to cut loose with his powers, while Violet just wants to not have powers at all.”

Katsuki absorbed all of this and his rival’s expression; he had a good sense of what was going through that compassionate idiot’s head right now. “This whole situation’s for shit,” he grumbled with noticeably less aggression than usual. “Give me some action already.” The guys who’d made themselves his friends looked at him, then at each other with some worry.

Dash muttered, “Lucky...” then stammered when his mom shot him a look. “Oh, I meant about being normal.”

“Suuure you did,” Mic drawled. That lightened the mood a little.

As for the men, they had in fact not gone bowling, but rather, Lucius had parked his car in a dark ally where the two had some coffee and sat in front of an active radio, laughing about adventures from the old days.

Kaminari squinted at the radio. “Hey, isn’t that a police scanner?”

“It is,” his scruffy teacher confirmed with a serious look. “Bowling my ass, they’re moonlighting.”

“They’ve become vigilantes in the night…” Tokoyami muttered.

Lucius continued his current story. “So, now, I’m in deep trouble. I mean, one more jolt of this death ray and I’m an epitaph. Somehow, I managed to find cover and what does Baron von Ruthless do?”

Bob replied, “He starts monologuing,” snickering around his coffee.

All Might, Present Mic, and Eraserhead all said, “He starts monologuing,” at the exact same time as their fictional colleague did, with varying levels of chuckling.

“He starts monologuing!” Lucius repeated in amusement. “He starts like this prepared speech about how feeble I am compared to him. How inevitable my defeat is, how the world will soon be his! Yada, yada, yada.” He shook his head in mirth.

“Yammering.”

“Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter, and he won’t shut up.”

The entire class laughed at the story, everybody able to picture the scenario. Midoriya looked over to his teachers and favorite hero with amusement. “Does that actually happen with real villains?”

“Oh, definitely.” Yagi leaned back in his seat laughing. “Sure, there are some characters like the ones you’ve all encountered,” they couldn’t help but remember the League of Villains, “but there are a couple of oddballs out there. Sometimes I’d be in a serious pinch, back against the wall, then the villain would go off on some tangent about how he’ll soon have defeated the Symbol of Peace, that my demise was carved in stone long ago, blah, blah, blah....” His hand waving built up the humor along with his story.

Even Aizawa was grinning. “This one time, I was in deep water -literally, the villain had a Mutation-type Quirk that turned his body into water- and just when it looks like I’d drown on land, he starts monologuing about how society laughed at him, then he’s doing the laughing. Plenty of time for me to slip out and get help from an ice heroine.”

Mic had to fiddle with his speaker system to keep his own chuckles from bringing down a wall, then added his own two cents. “Getting your first villain monologue is practically a rite of passage for when you go pro, listeners.”

They all grew a bit excited at the thought. And ready to laugh in the aftermath.

Then the radio crackled. “Municiberg, we have a 23-56...” an announcer reported.

Bob: “23-56, what is that? Robbery?”

Lucius shook his head. “This is just sad.”

“Yeah, robbery.” Bob nodded to himself, then looked to his friend excitedly. “Want to catch a robber?”

“Yes.” Bakugo said instantly.

“No,” was the blunt answer he got. “Tell you the truth, I’d rather go bowling. Look, what if we actually did what our wives think we’re doing? Just to shake things up.”

“Looks like the thrill’s wearing off for him,” Jiro commented.

“That’s probably because he’s worried about the consequences.” Asui spoke in her usual blunt tone. “If those two are seen using their powers, they could get into serious trouble, ribbit.”

“Indeed,” Iida agreed with his friend, though with a lot less intensity than usual. “Good intentions aside, this is actual vigilantism, in a city where superheroes are officially forbidden to operate, no less.” Shame crept into his voice; he couldn’t help but remember his own similar actions with Stain and rescuing Bakugo. Glances towards Midoriya, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu and Kirishima told him that they were all reliving the guilt.

Tsu noticed it as well and once again lamented her own bluntness. But then, before she or any of the others tried to cheer them up, Aizawa of all people spoke up in an almost soothing tone. “The past is the past. Learn from it, try not to repeat it.” He eyed the overweight blonde on the TV with some distaste. “Or relive it.”

That was probably the closest the five affected would get as encouragement, but they took it. Though the last part confused them. But the dark-haired teacher kept silent along with his colleagues, though they seemed to share that look.

What neither hero noticed though was that they were being watched. “He’s not alone.” A woman with brown skin and long silver hair was monitoring them inside a sleek black car further away from them. Sunglasses covered her eyes, but she seemed to have no difficulty keeping track of Lucius and Bob’s actions. She then continued the… report in her car-phone. “The fat guy’s still with him. They’re just… talking.”

A certain edge settled through them. “What’s her deal?” Kaminari asked.

Jiro rolled her eyes. “She’s spying on them, Chargedolt.”

“Yeah, I get that much, but why? She some kind of government agent that monitors ex-heroes?” She could only shrug in response. “Wow, you’re really smarter than mearrgh…”

Gotta love those jacks. “Can it, lovebirds,” Bakugo snapped at them, “we’ll see soon enough.”

“But her focus seems to be on Lucius, not Bob…” Midoriya noted. Something’s off.

Mineta meanwhile was leaning towards the TV to have a closer look.

Back at Lucius's car, the driver was slumped against the wheel. “What are we doing here, Bob?”

The bigger man sipped some coffee. “We’re protecting people.”

“Sorta-kinda,” Sato muttered.

“That much I respect,” All Might finally said. “He genuinely wants to help others, I think.”

“Nobody asked us.”

“Which is exactly the problem.” Aizawa pointed out.

Bob asked rhetorically, “You need an invitation?”

“I’d like one, yes.” Lucius looked out his window. “We keep sneaking out to do this, and...” He trailed before looking back and half-changing the subject. “You remember Gazerbeam?”

Uraraka perked up. “Does Lucius know something about Gazerbeam?”

“Maybe the woman’s connected to his disappearance,” Ojiro offered.

“Yeah,” Bob’s brow furrowed. “There was something about him in the paper.”

“He had trouble adjusting to civilian life, too.” Lucius continued with a sympathetic look.

“Hard to imagine a hero who wouldn’t after being forced to quit.”

“When’s the last time you saw him?” Bob asked.

“I don’t see anyone from the old days, Bob. Just you. And we’re pushing our luck as it is.”

Koda looked down a bit at that. “That’s kind of sad… Not meeting up with your old colleagues…” Which got Class 1-A thinking.

They all looked at each other, as if to promise one another and themselves that they wouldn’t let that happen. No matter what, the students of Class 1-A would keep in touch and stand together when needed. Even Bakugo made that mental vow… with his usual crassness. They’d probably screw things up without him.

“Oh, come on. Come on-”

But Lucius persisted. “It was fun the first time, but if we keep doing this, we’re gonna get-“

Then the scanner announced, “We have a report on a fire...”

And the adrenaline began to rise again.

Bob fiddled with the knob. “A fire. We’re close!” He didn’t even bother hiding his excitement. “YEAH, BABY!”

Ochako giggled at his enthusiasm. “That’s usually not the kind of reaction you should have when you hear about a fire.”

“Unless you’re Bakugo,” Sero quipped, drawing a few chuckles.

The hothead in question didn’t even deny it, he was eagerly grinning at the screen. “Finally,” he growled in delight, “Some action.”

Lucius was much more reluctant but started up the engine anyway. He couldn’t help finishing his statement, though. “We’re gonna get caught.”

Bob whooped as the car drove out from the ally and into the street. “Fire! Yeah!” echoed through the air.

“Oh, you’re definitely gonna get caught,” Aizawa grumbled, digging through his ear, “if you keep hollering around. Especially about a fire, of all things.”

And the woman’s car silently trailed them.

With the high-pitched whine of a trumpet, the scene changed to a four-story building ablaze. The camera zoomed through an open patch of flames to the two heroes inside. Lucius was now sporting a baklava and carrying three unconscious people on his shoulders. “Is that everybody!?” he asked Bob who was descending from some stairs with even more people on him.

“Yeah, that’s everyone!” Bob replied through his own baklava, just before the stairs behind him and some more of the ceiling collapsed.

“Looks like they’re in a tight spot.” Mic looked at the tense students. “Alrighty, kiddos, what’s the game plan?”

Iida and Yaoyorozu nodded at each other before splitting off to chat with separate groups, each and every classmate providing helpful suggestions. One minute later, they reconvened and the latter spoke for all twenty. “Iida, Midoriya, Asui, and Ojiro are the fastest, therefore once Todoroki manages to clear a way in, they move first. Jiro, Shoji and Koda can provide reconnaissance from the outside while Kaminari and Tokoyami, seeing as their respective powers are of lesser help in this situation, can aid me in setting up a first relief station for injured rescues. The remaining will assist in clearing debris to enable safe recovery. If Todoroki can completely snuff out the fire, then our responsibilities can be less risky, but if not, I can provide fire-resistant equipment and extinguishers to further assist.” All present nodded wordlessly their assent to her game plan, confirming they were on board.

The three teachers nodded in return, then Mic spoke. “On a scale of one to ten, your plan ranks eight in my book.”

“Same score for me,” All Might agreed.

Aizawa stoically finished, “Seven-point-five. Good base for handling a possible scenario, still need to iron out a few details. We’ll go over the whole thing after finishing this.” Adequate.

“It better be,” Lucius grumbled, ice flashing from his hand. But it quickly fizzled away before it could even reach the flames. The retired hero tried again, only for the same result.

Bob finally asked, “Can’t you put this out?”

“I can’t lay down a layer thick enough! It’s evaporating too fast!”

“Well, what’s that mean?”

Lucius finally gave up and shouted, “It means it’s hot! And I’m dehydrated, Bob!”

Midoriya nodded in comprehension. “Right, his powers require significant moisture in his surroundings and a cold body in order to build ice. But surrounded by that much heat, he can’t generate enough before evaporation.”

“So Lucius would have a better chance of extinguishing the flames if he were outside, right?” Ashido offered. “The air would have plenty of moisture to counter the heat.”

“Yes, but it would also hamper his ability to secure the civilians,” Yaoyorozu added, cupping her chin. “Bob might be able to handle that part alone, but he can’t be everywhere at once.”

Hagakure turned towards their resident cryokinetic. “What about you, Todoroki? You froze the building Mashi and I were in during the battle trial.”

“A building that wasn’t completely wreathed in flames when I used my Quirk on it,” Todoroki replied thoughtfully. “If the flames hadn’t spread too far and the outside air isn’t too humid, I might be able to partially put them out so the civilians can be rescued, but it’s hard to say.”

“Another rescue scenario to practice…” Aizawa noted to himself.

Bob couldn’t believe it. “You’re out of ice?!” He asked incredulously. “You can’t run out of ice! I thought you can use water in the air!”

Lucius waved a hand at the blazing area. “There IS no water in this air! (“Exactly,” Midoriya noted) What’s YOUR excuse, run out of muscle?!”

Despite the tense situation, Kaminari and Kirishima snickered at that last line. “I am so using that line on you one day,” the former promised the latter.

“Bro, I never run out of muscle.” Red Riot joked back.

Uraraka was pulled aside by Ashido who whispered in a teasing tone, “You could make the same joke with Midori, you know.” The brunette’s cheeks reddened even more than usual, her mind flashing to the boy’s toned chest. She hurriedly focused back on the movie.

“I just can’t go smashing into walls! The building’s getting weaker by the second! It’s gonna come down on top of us!”

“I wanted to go bowling!” More of the ceiling coming down brought an end to their argument as they moved to shield their loads.

“You guys can go bowling another time, just get them out of there!” Jiro yelled in worry.

“They don’t have much longer before the entire structure falls apart,” Tokoyami pointed out.

“All right!” Bob moved to the side and shifted his passengers so they were all loaded up on one shoulder. “Stay right on my tail! This is gonna get hot!” With that, he broke into a yelling sprint straight ahead, Lucius following him. The music built up a swift beat in accordance with his movements. A brick wall illuminated by the fire grew closer, until with a last burst of speed, Bob smashed right through it and both rescuers fell to the floor, flinging their cargo in front of them.

And not a moment too soon; the building collapsed like a house of cards, flames roaring out of every exit. Both ex-heroes looked up as a cloud of dust washed over them, then back at where they had just come through. A cough and a groan made them see to their relief that the people they’d gotten out were all alive. “Yeah…” Bob shared a fistbump with his partner in celebration.

“Whoo, a manly rescue!” Kirishima cheered for them, others following his lead. “And I’d have done the same thing. With a little more training, I wouldn’t even need to go Unbreakable to get through the wall.”

“Showoff,” Ashido teased but didn’t doubt him.

Midoriya was also scribbling down how the rescue played out, unconsciously starting to imagine himself in Bob’s role and Todoroki in Lucius’. Once he put his pen down, the images of the two and their direct friends braving a burning building, Shoto counteracting the flames as best as he could, Deku blasting through any walls while Uraraka, Tsu and Iida got the civilians to safety, Yaoyorozu providing backup where needed, then exchanging a group fistbump at a job well done afterwards.

The fat man grabbed coughing onto the nearest thing to prop himself up and, still hunched over, looked up…

To find he was leaning on a display… and that he’d inadvertently crashed the group into a jewelry store. “Uh-oh.”

Jiro held up a hand to cover her snickering. “Of all the places…” she whispered between her fingers.

All Might shook his head. “Mister Incredible, I don’t envy your luck.”

He quickly straightened up, which turned out to be another mistake. Because he moved right into a couple of alarm beams. “Oh, good.” And right on cue, the lights flicked on, and a siren sounded inside the shop.

Earphone Jack yelped and moved her hands to cover her ears. But a pair of headphones slid over them. “Thanks, Yaomomo.” Her best friend simply smiled back.

“But are they gonna have to make a run for it now?” Sero asked.

“Two guys wearing ski masks in a jewelry store that now has a hole in the wall, surrounded by unconscious people.” Jiro listed off her fingers after removing the headphones. “I’d say, yeah, they’re in trouble.”

“Um, couldn’t they use their powers to escape?” Kaminari put up a point. “I mean, Bob probably can’t hit them without sending them across the street, but Lucius ought to freeze them, he’s out of the fire.”

“Depends on if he’s been able to cool down,” Todoroki answered. “His ice needs moisture and cool internal temperatures, from what I’ve seen.”

“Oh, now,” Lucius groaned as he got up, too. “That ain’t right.”

Patrol cars had surrounded the front soon enough, even as the two bickered over the mess they’d gotten themselves in. “We look like bad guys!” Lucius ranted. “Incompetent bad guys!”

The Bakusquad and Deku’s group burst collectively out in laughter. “Incompetent bad guys!” Kaminari howled. “Oh man, those ski masks are really a poor choice in fashion for rescue ops.”

“Ski masks are a poor choice in fashion, period.” Aoyama countered with a twinkling grin.

Iida chuckled out, “I would applaud their staying to face justice if it weren’t because they are too busy arguing with one another.” Uraraka let out another spray of tea at that.

“You can get water out of the air!”

A young police officer kicked open the door and aimed his gun at them. “FREEZE!!!”

“And now they’re in real hot water,” Mic commented.

The two complied, Lucius shooting his friend a look. But a glance to his left revealed a possible way out: A mostly full water cooler. The retired hero quickly snagged a paper cup and placed it under the nozzle.

Mineta wondered, “What’s he up to, is he gonna chuck a cup of water at the guy and freeze it so it brains him?”

“No, that’s too risky of seriously injuring the guy.” Aizawa replied. “Frozone’s a veteran, he knows better.”

The young cop shifted his weapon towards him due to the movement. “FREEZE!” He repeated.

Lucius stated, “I'm thirsty,” in a calm tone as he tapped the lever to pour water into his cup.

Asui understood. “He’s trying to rehydrate himself so he can use his powers, ribbit.”

“Assuming the cop doesn’t shoot him,” Bakugo muttered. “Guy’s a fucking jitterbug.”

Everyone watched with bated breath.

He stepped closer, gun trembling, “I SAID FREEZE!!”

“I’m just getting a drink.” Lucius kept his tone as calm as possible while he brought the cup up to his mouth and took a long drink, finishing it with a pleased sigh.

“Alright,” the rookie started, his trigger finger starting to look real twitchy, “you’ve had your drink. Now I want you to-“

Lucius dropped the empty cup and kept up his hands in mock surrender. “I know. I know.” Then he grinned as ice shot from his hands. “Freeze.” The officer was enveloped in the white substance, even as a gunshot rang out.

A couple of students cheered at the slick move the ex-hero pulled off. Todoroki nodded in respect. “I will use that myself one day, copyright be damned.”

“The ice move, or the one-liner?” Iida’s eyebrow rose.

“Both.”

Outside, more officers were listening to the police radio when they heard the noise. “Shots fired!” One called, prompting the others to charge through the front door, handguns at the ready. “POLICE OFFICERS!!” But Bob and Lucius had already escaped, and the kid that had attempted to arrest them was nowhere to be seen (at first). Some of the men knelt down to check on the civilians who had been saved from the burning building and were only now starting to wake up.

One walked around and suddenly gasped at something in front of him, prompting the others to look as well. The first officer was completely encased in ice, a bullet suspended in midair, connected by ice to his gun. His eyes darted to and fro as his colleagues gathered around him in shock.

Everyone just stared at the sight for a moment in total awe. “He… froze the bullet… in mid-fire…” Midoriya muttered reverently.

“Awesome…” Uraraka squeaked out.

“Unbelievable…” Yaoyorozu blinked; she could barely calculate the possibility of such a feat.

Bakugo finally found his voice. “Half-and-Half… you’ve been upstaged.” And his smirk.

Todoroki nodded once. “No argument there.”

Even the pros had honest respect for the ice hero, especially since he’d been out of the game for fifteen years now. Aizawa then turned to his dual-Quirk student and said, “Todoroki… if you’re game, we’ll see if you can pull off that move as well.”

“Hell yes.” Shoto gave an eager smile; he was going to reach Frozone’s level even if it took him years. In the meantime, I think I’ve found a role model.

Meanwhile, Bob smashed with a grunt through another wall, brging the two to Lucius’ car. Lucius was not happy. “That was way too close.” They both got into the car, but as he sat down, the driver angrily stated. “We are not doing that again.” Lucius then started the car and drove off, while Bob deflated a bit.

“Looks like Bob’s gonna have to settle for old-fashioned bowling now,” Sato pointed out.

“It’s understandable, they have families.” All Might said in understanding. “Getting arrested or worse exposed could cause trouble for their loved ones as well.”

Neither retired super noticed, though, that the silver-haired woman from before was parked right behind them, watching. “Verify you want to switch targets? Over.” Her car-phone queried.

“Trust me,” the woman replied. “This is the one he’s been looking for.”

“Ominous,” Kaminari noted.

“Engaging,” Tokoyami added.

“Sexy…” Mineta mumbled. “OW!”

With the next scene change, Bob had arrived home. He quietly opened the door to the kitchen where Helen had been washing Jack-Jack, closed and locked it, and began tiptoe with a whistle through the darkened house. He then spotted a large piece of chocolate cake on a tray and snagged it with a quiet chuckle, munching away as he left the kitchen.

“And another piece of the puzzle to his belly,” Uraraka teased.

“Lack of action plus extra snacking…” Ojiro snickered. “We might want to keep an eye on Sato.”

“Watch it, guys. Last I checked, you all enjoy my baked goods.”

Then as Bob moved through the living room, he froze and then spun around, free arm outstretched and hand holding the cake like a javelin.

A lamp was turned on, and a chair swiveled around to reveal Helen in a pink bathrobe, arms crossed, one leg over the other. And a very unhappy face. Crumbs dribbled from Bob’s mouth as he looked like a deer in headlights.

“Hand caught in the cookie jar.” Good one, Koda.

“I thought you’d be back by 11.”

Bob lowered his cake. “I said I’d be back later.”

“I assumed you’d be back later. If you came back at all, you’d be ‘back later’.” The last part was assisted by air quotations. And the same glare.

“And tensions are still high tonight, ribbit,” Tsu noted, nibbling on some popcorn.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. “This is why I never married.” One eye glared at his smirking best friend. “One word, and I will not be responsible for my actions.”

“Well... I’m back, okay?” Bob spread his arms wide and walked off into the house, still chewing on his snack.

Helen stopped him and turned him around to pick up a little pebble from Bob's jacket. As she got up from the chair, her brow furrowed at the piece, her husband flinching a bit. “Is this... rubble?”

Kaminari winced. “And now he’s really busted. Kudos for noticing that, though, seriously.”

Jiro shrugged. “She’s a former hero, too, probably picked up a few detective skills in her time.” Which further improved the pedestal Class 1-A’s girls had for Elastigirl.

“It was just a little workout,” Bob mumbled with his mouth full. “Just to stay loose.”

“You know how I feel about that, Bob!” Helen shouted in frustration. “Darn you, we can’t blow our cover again!”

“Again?” That worried both users of One for All, prior and current.

 “The building was coming down anyway,” Bob grumbled under his breath as he turned away.

“Too loud, genius.” Present Mic slapped his forehead. “And people call me a big mouth.”

Too bad it was still loud enough. “What!?” Helen almost shrieked as he slipped in front of her wincing husband. “You knocked down a building!?”

“It was on fire. Structurally unsound. It was coming down anyway.”

Helen sighed, slapping a palm to her forehead. “Tell me you haven’t been listening to the police scanner again…”

“For goodness’ sake, this is a regular occurrence?” Iida started to get livid. “Just how many times has Mr. Parr engaged in such activities of vigilantism?”

“Enough times for Helen to catch him, apparently.” Todoroki answered with a frown.

Bob was clearly getting frustrated too. “Look, I performed a public service. You act like that’s a bad thing!”

“Hell yeah, he saved lives tonight!” Bakugo yelled. “The woman should get off his case, if she wants to play housewife, fine, but don’t drag him into the same crap.”

“C’mon, bro,” Kirishima tried to placate him, “we all know it’s not that simple.” His “friend” just huffed in aggravation.

“It is a bad thing, Bob!” Helen shot back at her glaring husband. “Uprooting our family again, so you can relive the glory days is a very bad thing!”

“Uprooting?” Yaoyorozu looked between the parents in concern. “And that comment about three years earlier…” She bit the tip of her finger’s digit to think.

“Something bothering you too, Yaoyorozu?” She looked to see Todoroki staring at the screen with a… worrisome expression.

“…Just a thought at the moment,” She answered slowly. “Todoroki-“ but he just focused on the screen.

“Reliving the glory days is better than acting like they didn’t happen!”

“Yes! They happened! But this, our family, is what’s happening now, Bob. And you are missing this! I can’t BELIEVE you don’t want to go to your own son’s graduation!”

“She’s right, Bob,” All Might said, “you’ve had your time as a hero, now you have to be a responsible father. Your family counts on you to be there for him.”

Meanwhile, Todoroki tightened his grip on his biceps.

“…Wait a minute, graduation?” Ojiro asked perplexed. “I thought he was still in the middle of grade school.”

“It’s not a graduation,” Bob interjected through gritted teeth. “He’s moving from the fourth grade to the fifth grade.” His hands mimed picking up something and putting it somewhere else.

Helen’s hand was back at her forehead. “It’s a ceremony!”

“Seriously?” The class’s homeroom teacher had reached a new level for deadpan. “A ceremony for moving up. One. Grade. Do they seriously need that much pomp for that?”

“It’s psychotic.” Bob tapped his own forehead before pacing a bit, gesticulating at the absurdity. “They keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity but if someone is genuinely exceptional, then-“

Helen cut him off. “This is not about you, Bob! This is about Dash!”

“Yeah, I was gonna say, this is starting to look like he’s projecting,” Kaminari pointed out. He started rubbing his arms. “Wait, why do I feel chilly?”

Jiro fanned her hand a bit. “You kidding me, I feel like somebody cranked up the… heater…” She traded a look with him that moved towards a certain boy. Others acted similarily.

“You want to do something for Dash?!” Another sore point, apparently. “Then let him actually compete! Let him go out for sports!”

“I will not be made the enemy here! You know why we can’t do that!”

“BECAUSE HE'D BE GREAT!” Bob yelled in frustration.

Helen shouted back. “THIS IS NOT!! ABOUT!!!! YOU!!!!!!!!” Stretching above him with each punctuation.

Everyone then felt either a freezing chill or a heated wind rush through the room all of a sudden. As one, they turned to the likeliest source.

Shoto Todoroki sat with his arms crossed glaring right at the screen. His teeth were grinding so much they could hear it while frost gathered around his right limbs and ripples of heat his left. Aizawa quickly shut down the temperature chaos with his Erasure, and a simultaneous nudge from Izuku and Momo on either side of him snapped the boy back to reality.

Todoroki gazed across the room, registering all of the concerned (or wary, in Bakugo’s case) faces, his expression turning guilty. “…Sorry. The argument stirred up some… memories.”

The teachers nodded to each other but chose not to pry for now. The sight of the boy being quietly reassured by his circle of friends eased their worries that he’d be okay.

The two had paused in their argument as well at the sound of a magazine suddenly fluttering on the table. As the wife returned to her usual height, the husband hung his head. “Alright, Dash. I know you’re listening. Come on out.” He asked tired.

“Vi, you too, young lady.” Helen added, folding her arms.

“Come on. Come on out.” Slowly, Dash came from behind a chair while Vi, slowly regaining visibility, rose from the sofa, both kids looking worried in their pajamas.

Everyone watched in varying levels of sympathy for the two; Bakugo was used to fights with his mom, but actual fights between his parents were few and far between. As for Todoroki, well…

Let’s just say that nobody could blame Vi or Dash for looking a little anxious.

“It’s okay, kids.” Bob walked a bit into the living room. “We’re just having a discussion.” He glanced back at Helen.

Violet flipped onto the sofa while Dash swiveled around in his chair. “Pretty loud discussion.”

“Loud enough to drag them into it,” Uraraka lamented. She privately hoped that Eri would never have to witness something like that while she stayed at the dorms.

“Yeah. But that’s okay. Because what’s important is that Mommy and I are always a team.” He gestured off-handedly for to Helen to join him. When she finally did with a shake of her head, Bob wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “We’re always united against, uh,” he was racking his brain here, “the forces of, uh...”

“Pigheadedness?” Helen offered with lidded eyes.

A snort helped raise the mood again. “Elastigirl is my idol,” Ashido giggled.

“I was gonna say evil or something,” her husband muttered in defeat.

“Old habits die hard,” Mic muttered with a half-smirk.

“Especially if you try to keep them alive.” Aizawa was less amused.

Helen put on a more relaxed face. “We’re sorry we woke you. Everything’s okay. Go back to bed. It’s late.” The kids conceded, walking to their bedrooms and wishing their parents good nights. Bob smiled at them as they passed.

“In fact,” Helen gently nudged his arm off her shoulder, “we should all be in bed.” Bob’s face fell, but he lumbered off after his children. Helen stayed in the living room looking worn out, then she reached over and turned off the lamp.

And the whole classroom let out a collective sigh, relieved that the tension had ended. For now, anyway. “I had forgotten how loaded Pixar films can be.” Tokoyami leaned back in his seat, Dark Shadow popping up to pat him on the shoulder. “Heavy family drama abounds.”

“Tell me about it,” Todoroki muttered, still ashamed about his near outburst. And the really depressing fact? Their family life is still better than mine. I’m pretty sure Bob cares for his kids, otherwise he wouldn’t be so invested in Dash going for sports. But… He shook his head, not really wanting to think about his own father at the moment.

Aizawa collected his thoughts for a moment, then looked to his students with a forcedly neutral face. “I’m not going to tell you kids that you can’t be heroes and start families at the same time. It’s a fair bit of work from what I’ve heard, but very respectable in its own way.” He flicked his head towards the screen. “Just don’t let yourselves end up like Bob Parr. Disinterested, negligent, more focused on playing hero again than really in his own kids; that is not what a proper parent looks like.” And like hell am I going to act the same way with any of you, I swear on my life.

Toshinori sighed in thought. “No disagreement there, Aizawa, but let’s not forget, the situation isn’t quite the same. Bob was forced out of the hero life he sincerely enjoyed, now it’s hard for him to just ignore his old desires to help. Either way, this could be a problem later on.”

“Yeah, but come on,” Uraraka pointed out, “we’re still at the beginning, and it’s a Pixar movie. There’s bound to be development for Bob.”

“Uraraka’s right, Bob has the potential to change, and I think we can agree his heart’s in the right place.” Midoriya had finished drawing a sort of chart in his notebook. “And another thing I find great is the way their powers are linked to their family roles.”

“Yes, I noticed that, too.” Yaoyorozu clapped her hands together in thought. “Bob, for example, is the so-called breadwinner of the family, as well as tis pillar of support. Therefore, his power is enhanced strength.”

Kaminari chimed in. “Meanwhile, Helen is the housemaker for the family, and she’s definitely more adjusted to a normal life than the others. She’s flexible in a figurative and literal sense.” He scratched his hair. “Kinda funny how Mr. Incredible was the one wanting to start a family and Elastigirl wanted to keep going. Now look who’s doing what.”

“I know, right?” Shoji put up another finger. “Dash is the hyperactive kid, the one eager for attention and stimulation. So naturally, he has a power that lets him be all over the place.”

“And Violet,” Tokoyami took over, “is the ‘shrinking violet,’ as her name implies. Midoriya noted earlier how her powers fit well with her wish to avoid the notice of others.”

Dark Shadow popped out from behind his source. “Okay, but what about Jack-Jack? How come the baby doesn’t have any powers?”

“It could mean that Jack-Jack is still a blank slate, ribbit,” Asui tapped her lip. “Maybe he has yet to develop his powers, his potential is still limitless.” (Oh, dear Tsu, if only you knew…)

“Oh, and Lucius is the ‘cool’ surrogate uncle,” Kirishima realized after some thought, trying not to snicker with Ashido and Sero at the obvious pun. “The best friend to the manly dad who balances him out and has it good with the whole family.”

Mineta pounced onto the table, wagging his finger at the rest. “Ah, but you simple lot forget the most important piece to their power relations.” At the many questioning looks, he sighed. “Husband with strength. Wife with elasticity. Three kids. Can you really not imagine the se-“

A flurry of Quirk attacks pummeled the little imp across the room like a purple rubber ball. As it happens, yes, they could imagine, but they didn’t want to.

Iida cast a disapproving glare at his smoking classmate, then cleared his throat. “Either way, this is truly a multi-faceted film! One I have every interest in exploring! Perhaps it can teach us ways to further improve both as heroes and as people! Bravo!” He clapped his hands, arms straight above his head.

Bakugo snagged some hot-sauce chips. “Drama crap’s overrated, but the burning building and Frozone freezing a damn bullet in midair was awesome. So I’m sticking around.” He chewed up his handful. “But there better be some real fights in this movie.”

Phew, another part done. Sorry for the long, LONG wait, but I tried my absolute best to do this at least halfway right. My respect for Katana of The Blade and triscythe59 grows with each passage I write of this bloody story. No worries, though, I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t fun.

Now, reviews and comments are always welcome, especially the constructive kind. No flames, please, and I ask all of you, not order or demand, please keep it civil.

Focus on the positives, right? Anyways, till next time, with hopefully less of a gap in between. Hope you’re all safe and healthy!

Chapter Text

I do not own The Incredibles or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators. I mean no disrespect towards Brad Bird and Kohei Horikoshi. This story is purely for amusement, no copyright infringement intended whatsoever.

The next day, Bob was back in his office, dully typing something onto his computer while someone was requesting a certain claim from him.

Ojiro winced at the dull look from the cinematic ex-crime-fighter. “I’m guessing he hasn’t completely lost the taste of helping people from last night.”

“We feel his pain,” Sero, Kaminari, Sato, Ashido and Kirishima droned, fellow victims of having to endure particularly mind-numbing desk work after an adrenaline high (Wusses, Aizawa scoffed to himself). The others were less affected, though the adults were getting flashbacks of after-action paperwork. All Might even felt a jolt of guilt; Sir Nighteye had always taken care of that with eagerness…

Then his office phone chimed, prompting him to press the message button on it… and wince as Mr. Huph’s voice erupted from its speakers. “HAVEN'T YOU GOTTEN HIM, WHERE IS HE?!”

That voice further soured the mood. “Tiny prick,” Bakugo grumbled between chewing on his spicy chips.

Jiro groaned and braced herself, earphones at the ready. That midget was going to get even shriller, she just knew it.

A secretary drawled out to Bob, “Mr. Huph would like to talk to you in his office.”

“Now?”

“Now.” Pretty clear emphasis there. With no other choice, Bob got up, squeezed himself sideways out of his cubicle’s tiny exit and lumbered with a sagging face towards his boss’ office.

“And now the poor man has to get chewed out by his boss.” Midoriya shook his head. “For actually assisting his customers. It’s not fair.”

Aizawa slouched back in his seat. “Jobs like that rarely are, Problem Child,” he muttered. “But the money he makes supports a family of five. So he either has to tough it out or find a new line of work.” He sighed before conceding, “The latter may not be the worst thing when he currently has Mr. Huph for an employer.”

A few looked hopeful at the thought. “So… could he change jobs?” Koda asked meekly.

Mic gave the shy kid a regretful look. “In theory, but there’s always the question of whether or not anyone would hire a man at his age and… build. Jobs aren’t just available to everyone out there. Especially when he can’t use his best asset, his superstrength, in public.”

That of course brought another series of depressing thoughts to the class, as they imagined having to find non-superhero jobs while keeping their Quirks a secret. No one was eager to put it into practice, and All Might quickly hit the play button. Can’t let the flame die…

Meanwhile, the silver-haired woman from last night quietly slipped inside the cubicle he had just vacated as an ominous tune began to play.

The sight of her thankfully changed the mood from apprehensive and even depressing to curious. “What is she doing in his cubicle?” Yaoyorozu wondered aloud.

“How did she even get there?” Hagakure added. “No way a woman as mysterious as that actually works at an insurance company.”

“Well, she’s shady, so it’s a possibility.” Sero’s joke prompted a couple of snickers.

Mr. Huph sat in his office, pushing a pencil with the inscription, “Your Life is in our Hands,” into a mechanical sharpener until it had been honed to a tip. Satisfied, he placed it onto a calendar mat on his table where three other sharpened pencils lay, each perfectly straight and parallel to one another. From his disproportionately large chair, Huph then motioned with his hand to the front of his desk and said, “Sit down, Bob,” in an unexpectedly calm voice.

Bob plopped obediently into a much smaller (and uncomfortable) chair, accidentally causing the same pencil to roll out of alignment. Huph pushed it back into proper place before beginning to speak.

Another round of chuckles and giggling. “This scene gives new meaning to the term, ‘pencil pusher’,” Kaminari said, increasing the mirth.

Then Bakugo of all people chimed in. “Bet Four-eyes does the exact same thing when he gets ready for class.”

“There is nothing wrong with ensuring one’s office supplies are in proper shape and ready for use!” Iida interjected in a surprisingly only half-serious tone, raising the chuckles to laughter.

Aizawa didn’t scold them for the interruption. They needed to laugh, even he knew that.

Meanwhile, Midoriya had noticed something else. “Interesting inscription on the pencil.”

“Your Life is in our Hands, right?” Todoroki nodded. “Rather pretentious, but then, it is an insurance company.”

“Not sure I’d want my life in those stubby little hands,” Uraraka joked, drawing smiles from the others.

“I’m not happy, Bob.” Huph leaned froward, brow furrowing as he growled out the next words. “Not. Happy.” He got up and moved around his desk to pace in front of the bigger man. “Ask me why.”

Bob simply stared straight ahead. “Okay. Why?”

Mr. Huph paused in his pacing. “Why what? Be specific, Bob.”

“And now I’m getting detention flashbacks.” Another round of laughter courtesy of the resident human joy-buzzer.

Jiro added. “Think Principal Nezu would act like that, too, while scolding us?”

“Oh, he would.” All Might confirmed with a laugh.

“Why are you unhappy?”

“Your customers make me unhappy.”

“And here we go,” Yamada rolled his eyes. He saw this spiel coming.

This caught a bit of Bob’s attention. “What, you’ve gotten complaints?”

Kirishima frowned. “What kind of complaints could customers have for the manly guy that actually helps them get what they’re owed?”

“Complaints,” Huph self-assuredly straightened his tie, “I can handle.” Then the pacing continued. “What I can’t handle is your customers’ inexplicable knowledge of lnsuricare’s inner workings! They're experts! EXPERTS, Bob! Exploiting every loophole, dodging every obstacle! They're penetrating the bureaucracy!”

“Poor guy, ribbit,” Tsu drawled. “He’s used to pulling out all sorts of loopholes to avoid paying up but is horrified when the customers use loopholes against him. Such a pity, ribbit.”

Her friends snickered at the frog girl’s obvious sarcasm. Iida then added, “And this proves that Mister Incredible is indeed capable of aiding others even with his current restrictions.”

“Mes compliments to the monsieur as well,” Aoyama concurred with a little twirl. “To be able to have those that trust him with insurance twinkle through the darkness is nothing short of admirable.”

“Did I do something illegal?” Bob asked with some iron in his voice.

Mr. Huph growled out “No...” through his teeth.

All Might smiled broadly at his counterpart. “Yes, indeed, this is nothing illegal about explaining to your customers how they can receive their due. He can better lives even from behind a desk.”

“And this also proves that Bob or Mister Incredible isn’t just someone with superstrength,” Midoriya spoke up happily. “He would have to be smart enough to understand the full workings of Insuricare so he can work around its obstructions and ensure his customers aren’t cheated out of their help. All without breaking any of the company’s official rules.”

More respect for Bob Parr continued to grow among the students.

“Are you saying we shouldn’t help our customers?”

Huph paced another half-round. “The law requires that I answer no.”

“Ha,” Sero pointed at the boss, “Too bad, little guy, you’ve got to play by the rules with Bob around.”

“Don’t get too excited, Triangle Mouth,” Bakugo pointed out in a disturbingly quiet volume. “The half-sized bastard basically admitted he wouldn’t help the customers at all if he could help it.” His red eyes glared at the boss in contempt.

“We’re supposed to help people!”

Mr. Huph roared, “We're supposed to help OUR PEOPLE! Starting with our stockholders, Bob!” Now he actually sounded pleading. “Who's helping them out, huh?!”

“Only caring about his profits…” Ochaco was both disgusted and a bit worried. Considering she had become a hero out of a strong interest in gathering money… Was it possible she would-

Then she perked up at a certain hand squeezing her shoulder. The zero-gravity girl turned to see the gentle green eyes of a smiling Midoriya. “You’re nothing like him,” he whispered. “He’s likely not interested in more money for the sake of his parents’ retirement.”

Uravity smiled back at Deku’s sweet words. Of course he would never judge her for the dream she had confided to him. After giving him a silent thank-you, they turned back to the screen.

Huph took in a breath to calm down. “You know, Bob...” His hand drifted to a memo on his desk while he talked, “a company…”

“Wait a minute…” Iida suddenly paused the DVD and rewound it a bit, eyes squinting. More than a few were giving him looks for this behavior, prompting him to explain. “My apologies for the prolonging of this film, but I thought I could read the text on the memo there.”

Midoriya squinted as well. “It wouldn’t surprise me, Pixar films always pay attention to detail. But I can’t quite make it out…” All Might, Uraraka, Todoroki and Asui had joined him already, and the rest were contemplating it.

“Hold on a second, I’ve got this.” Shoji grew a series of limbs where one eye was at the end and aimed it closer to the screen. “Okay, got it. ‘Memo: Policy Notification,’” he began to read. “‘To: Employee,’ ‘From: Gilbert Huph.’”

“Due to financial cut-backs, you will be expected to self-expense all office supplies, including but not limited to pencils, erasers, pens, paper, stationery, folders, staples, paper clips, brads, and photocopies. All parking will now be metered by the hour. Electricity consumption and all telephone charges will be deducted from your paycheck.

“The Board of Directors at Insuricare wishes to thank you for your selfless sacrifice through this time of financial uncertainty. It is because of you, the employee, that Insuricare has recorded its highest profit in years. Remember, a successful company makes for successful employees. Every penny you save is another penny that goes in…” Tentacoole retracted the appendage and turned a flat look to the rest of the very unhappy class. “That’s all I can read, and good thing too, otherwise, I’m gonna smash the screen in hopes that I hit Huph.”

“Get in line,” Kirishima growled while cracking his hardened knuckles. “Jerk’s not only cutting back on his employees’ hard-earned money, but he’s actually forcing them to pay for working?!”

Acid was starting to bubble in Ashido’s arms. “This is seriously messed up!” She yelled, throwing up her arms (and forcing those next to her to dodge acidic droplets). She turned with an outraged glance towards the class’s #1 on tests. “Yaomomo, please tell me this isn’t legal!”

“It isn’t,” Momo answered with a stern look. “Office supplies, perhaps, maybe even parking meters, but not electricity or telephone use, those are essential to work with. A company should not have the right to blatantly steal from its own employees to increase profits. It goes against anything a union would stand for.” She was fingering a bo staff that had sprouted from her arm with a rare expression of aggression in her posture.

Not that anybody blamed her. Sato had crushed a porcelain dish for popcorn into dust (without taking a single grain of sugar), an aura of static surrounded Kaminari, Ojiro’s tail was twitching like that of a rattlesnake, Jiro’s jacks were pointed straight at the TV, wisps of frost and miniature flames had begun to gather around Todoroki, and even sweet Koda looked furious right now.

Asui meanwhile eyed with some concern a certain shape that had risen above the class. “Tokoyami,” she asked her bird-headed friend, “is Dark Shadow alright, ribbit?”

“Difficult to say,” Fumikage answered in a graver than usual tone. The sun still shined outside, lighting up the room pleasantly, but his Quirk was thrashing in the air a bit, and his eyes were glowing red, the same as when he was in absolute darkness. “I believe our collective distaste for Mr. Huph,” he ground the name out between his beak, “is provoking Dark Shadow into wanting to rampage. And if the man were here, I may not be able (or invested in) to rein him in.”

Aizawa thankfully helped to calm down Dark Shadow and didn’t even scold Tokoyami all that much. Nobody had gotten hurt yet and he shared a dislike for the little wretch. Still, he called out, “Alright, all of you relax. This guy, greedy little bastard though he is, is just a movie character. No need to get this riled up. And for the record, if this guy were to pop up in our world, the heroes would go after his company in a heartbeat.” This helped to ease the class’s tension.

Though Bakugo, Midoriya and even Uraraka still had their hands out, Quirks at the ready. Like they wanted to personally send Huph to the moon. Heck, Mineta was grumbling about the asshole “giving short guys a bad rep,” hefting his grape balls with impressive menace.

Bob’s eyes rolled away from the memo towards the ceiling. “…is like an enormous clock…” he whispered.

“Oh boy, he’s heard that lecture before…” Shoji crossed his multiple arms.

His boss continued for a moment, “Is like an enormous cl-“ then brightened when he registered Parr’s words. “Yes! Precisely. It only works when all the little cogs,” his twiddling fingers linked together with his next words, “mesh together.”

Mr. Huph began to pace again. “Now, a clock needs to be clean, well-lubricated and wound tight. The best clocks have jewel movements, cogs that fit, that cooperate by design.” He chuckled a bit in the middle of his talk. “I’m being metaphorical, Bob…You know what I mean by cooperative cogs?” But no answer. “Bob? Bob...”

“People aren’t cogs, and what you want isn’t some sophisticated machine, you greedy little shit,” Kaminari spat out, drawing more than a few looks from those sitting next to him. He wasn’t one to use crass language, but at their looks, he flatly stated, “I’m running out of things to joke about with this guy, and half the stuff he says ticks me off.”

Bakugo huffed. “No argument there, Dunce Face.” There was a hint of fresh respect in his words, though. And Jiro was eyeing her electric friend while continuing to watch. He can take things seriously too. Not bad…

And things remained serious with the scene’s progression.

The reason he hadn’t gotten any response was because Bob had drifted off towards the right, but then something caught his attention. He looked to his left and saw (alongside the audience) one man pulling another into a dark alley outside the window. The victim was forced behind a dumpster, rendering him unseen, while his attacker gripped its metal. Thudding noises could be heard, like a ball was being kicked.

Hagakure’s shirt ruffled as she brought her invisible hands to her invisible mouth. “A mugging’s happening right in front of him!” She exclaimed in horror.

All of the audience tensed up, their collective hero instincts pushing them to stop the criminal, even if he was just a fictional character. “Break the glass, man,” Kirishima called, “and take that jerk down!”

“How do he even notice that?” Todoroki murmured impressed even as he began considering whether a blast of ice or fire would be more suitable to get down there.

Midoriya’s mind raced while he answered. “Bob was a veteran hero for years, it’s possible that he developed some sixth sense for when a crime is in progress around him.”

“Good guess there, Midoriya,” Present Mic praised him, waving one of his cards. “I didn’t notice earlier, but it says in fine print that Mister Incredible is a special ‘Crime sense’ that alerts him to nearby danger.” *

This fact further excited the younger members of the audience. Maybe now Bob could help someone in a more direct manner like the old days.

Then his face was pulled over to where a furious Mr. Huph glared up at him. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, Parr!”

“That man out there,” Bob pointed out the window, “he needs help!”

“Do NOT change the subject, Bob! We’re discussing your attit-“

“He is getting mugged!”

“Yes, he needs to be stopped!” Midoriya agreed in an almost pleading tone. “You have to let Bob help, that civilian can still be saved!”

A beat, then Mr. Huph sneered, “Well, let’s hope we don’t cover him!”

Iida scrunched his nose in disgust. “Despicable!” He chopped his arm at the screen. “How could you show such callousness at the crime happening right in front of your window!”

“Huph’s not gonna be of any help, ignore him and save the guy!” Kaminari yelled.

Bob rose from his seat, “I’ll be right back,” and strode for the door.

“Why is he taking the door, that’ll just cost him time!” Jiro yelled.

“He still needs to maintain his cover and keep his strength hidden,” Momo pointed out tensely. “If he moves fast enough through the building, he might still be able to save the victim.”

“He’d need Iida or Midoriya’s speed for that!” Mineta screeched.

All Might shook his head in concern. “It may be feasible, but Bob Parr needs to act now!”

But just he pulled open the office door, Mr. Huph shouted, “Stop RIGHT now, or YOU'RE FIRED!!!”

That warning made the entire audience stiffen. “Oh no…,” Ashido put her left hand to her mouth.

“He can’t seriously be doing that…” Uraraka whispered in terror.

Todoroki glared at the boss. “He is. He’s coercing Bob to let a crime happen.” Fires danced along his scar. “This is just plain cruel.”

“Ignore the little shit and kick the mugger’s ass!” Bakugo shouted. “Who gives a damn about that job anyway? It’s eating the guy away.”

“M-maybe it is for the best…” Midoriya murmured, conflicted about the choice presented. “T-that job is draining at the best of times, and the man outside needs help right now. He should focus on saving the life…” he looked up towards his favorite hero, “…Right?”

All Might’s blue eyes gazed back at his green, then they closed in regret. “…Being fired isn’t as easy as that, Young Midoriya. He may be able to find a new, better job, but there is no guarantee. And that’s not good seeing as Bob has an entire family to support.” It almost broke his heart at how Midoriya and his friends deflated, but he’d told the boy long ago that he never lied.

“If Parr had an alternative to this insurance nonsense, he would’ve taken it by now.” Aizawa continued; it was his way of lightening the former Symbol of Peace’s load. “This job is a stable source of income (for the most part), and with four other lives to think about, he can’t afford to be picky. So, he has no choice but to dance by Huph’s tune.” The teacher’s fist clenched audibly. This died down any protests from his students as they watched with heavy hearts what the man had to do.

Bob froze at the words; he thought about Helen and the kids. Behind him, Mr. Huph grinned and lowered his voice to a regular level. “Close the door.” With no small reluctance, the bigger man did so. “Get over here...” Huph pointed to where his foot was tapping, like he was scolding a child, “now.”

Bakugo leaped to his feet, knuckles erupting with sparks. “THAT’S IT!!!” The Bakusquad quickly moved to restrain their “leader” before he could blast the screen to kingdom come. “Lemme go, dumbasses!” The hotheaded blonde thrashed about in their grips. “I’ll kill that smug little rat bastard!”

Aizawa wrapped his capture cloth around the agitated pupil while shutting down his Quirk. Never thought I’d get dry eye from watching a movie with my class… “Calm down, Bakugo,” he scolded. “If you wreck the TV, you’re gonna have to pay for it. And trust me, the line for pummeling Huph would start with me and go around the school. Twice.”

At the very least, Bakugo sat back down under his own free will. But he still growled like a feral beast. If anyone else shared his frustration, they didn’t voice it like him.

But it was still there.

Parr released the now deformed doorknob, crushed in his grip, and turned back to Mr. Huph with a scowl.

Jiro nodded tersely towards the screen. “Looks like we’re all on the same page here…”

Seemingly unaware of his employee’s distress, Mr. Huph repeated, “I’m not happy, Bob. Not happy.”

But as he took one last glance outside, the retired hero saw how the mugger tossed aside the wallet, looked both sides, and then bolted from the alley, his victim unmoving from behind the dumpster.

Bob growled, “He got away...” with narrowed eyes.

One of the worst moments for a Hero; the realization that they couldn’t save a life. That the perpetrator successfully escaped. Every single member of the audience mourned the poor victim, felt sympathy for Bob Parr, who had wanted to protect him from the faceless mugger, a form of proof that forcing the Supers underground hadn’t erased crime.

And they all felt no small amount of disgust towards one particular character in this movie.

“Good thing, too.” Huph scoffed, making a tiny gesture between his fingers. “You were this close to losing your j-“ Then a massive hand wrapped around his throat, cutting him off. A bug-eyed Huph could only paw at the larger fingers while a furious Bob held him aloft.

Katsuki’s growls faded as he grinned in delight. Others also showed subtler signs of satisfaction, Kirishima and Sato even mimicking the grabbing action unconsciously.

Other employees of Insuricare were meanwhile going about their business when a series of thuds sounded along the wall, then said wall burst apart as Mr. Huph crashed headfirst through it. The little man bounced once on the floor and landed against a metal cabinet, then slowly slid to the floor with a groan.

The bewildered workers stared at their boss, then through the hole. Well, holes, as did everyone else between the four punctured walls, at a wide-eyed Bob Parr. “Uh-oh...” was all he could mumble.

Bakugo laughed from the bottom of his heart at what happened to the slimy little shithead. “Da-hamn,” he wheezed out between his chortling, “that w-was e-hehe-ven better than I c-cohoho-ould’ve hoped for!” His respect for Mister Incredible skyrocketed.

Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, Hagakure, Sato, Dark Shadow, Mineta, and even Jiro joined in his laughter. Regardless of the consequences, Huph had totally deserved it.

But on the flip side, Midoriya, Uraraka, Iida, Asui, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Koda, Shoji, Tokoyami, Ojiro, Aoyama, and the teacher trio traded concerned looks. Much as they felt the catharsis of Bob’s boss getting his comeuppance, they knew that this superhuman act had just caused a heap of trouble for the man. And his family.

Scene change, this time to a hospital. Gilbert Huph lay on a bed, wrapped up in a full body cast with both arms and his right leg suspended. The only body parts visible were his fingertips and his still-bespectacled face. He glared silently through the room’s window at Bob slumping in guilt outside while calls happened over the intercom.

The sight of Mr. Huph dressed up like a mummy brought up mixed feelings of satisfaction, distaste, shame for these feelings, and in one or two cases, disappointment.

An older man in a dark gray suit and carrying a black briefcase opened its door to step out into the hallway where Bob was. He had short greying hair, a big nose, bushy eyebrows, and a face that seemed comprised of solely wrinkles.

Todoroki tilted his head in contemplation. “Didn’t we see that man at Bob and Helen’s wedding?”

“Yup,” Ashido confirmed excitedly. “He was in the front row, right next to a little person with big glasses and a black bob cut.” She giggled. “Memorable scenes for me.” Kirishima and Sero rolled their eyes in amusement.

“Lemme see…” Present Mic, brow furrowing, shifted through his cards until he found the right one. “Rick Dicker,” yeah, he snickered a bit along with some of his less mature students, “senior agent of the Superhero Relocation Program. Well-acquainted with many former heroes, he’s responsible for keeping them hidden in plain sight and stepping in when covers might get blown.”

Kaminari moved a little closer. “Huh, he kinda looks like Richard Nixon. Could be a homage.” He then frowned at the looks his fellow squad members were giving him. “What? Nixon was the 37^th President of America, he was mixed up deep with the Watergate scandal.”

“I know who he is, Short Circuit,” Bakugo shot back. “How the hell do you know about him? The guy wouldn’t be big talk in pop culture, so no way should you have any clue or even know which guy was President when.”

“We recited them all the time in my English class in middle school. Besides, I had to do a school paper on big American stories when I was 13, and I was assigned Watergate. Got a score of 88 on it.”

“Miracles do exist,” Jiro mumbled in half-shock, drawing a “Hey!” from her seat neighbor.

Sero pretended to wipe away a tear while wrapping an arm around his friend. “I’m so proud of our little dum-d-Umph!” He got his mouth clogged up with popcorn for the joke.

Iida brought his hand to his chin. “A government agent, then?” He mused. “It would make sense, considering the hero structure of that world seems to share similarities with the one from ours.”

Aizawa nodded. “And there aren’t many better ways to keep the supers out of the news than have an officially funded program for that specific parameter. He’s likely there to clean up Parr’s mess.”

“Right, the poor guy’s out of a job now,” Uraraka winced. “Plus they can’t have the employees telling everyone what Mister Incredible has been up to in his retirement.”

Rick shot a tired look his way, then began to walk the other direction. As Bob stood up and moved to join him, he waved off a black-suited agent next to him. “How is he?” He asked scratching the back of his head.

Rick rasped out, “He’ll live,” but pointedly looked straight on.

Bakugo clicked his tongue in disgust. “Resilient cockroach bastard…”

“I’m fired, aren’t I?”

Rick rose an eyebrow his way. “Oh, you think?” he asked rhetorically.

“Yeah, tossing your prick of a boss, while awesome, isn’t going to do your future employment any favors,” Ojiro quipped to Hagakure’s giggles.

“What can I say, Rick?”

“Nothing you haven’t said before.”

All Might released a tired laugh at that. “Oh, how many times have I had that kind of talk with Tsukauchi…”

“Someone was in trouble.”

“Someone’s always in trouble.” They stopped briefly to let some hospital workers with a patient on a gurney roll past them.

“A cold statement, but true in so many ways.” Tokoyami commented.

Asui tapped her thumb against her lip with worry. “But this sounds like this incident wasn’t the first time with Bob, ribbit.”

“I had to do something.”

“Yeah,” the agent drawled, looking up for a moment, but continued to walk. “Every time you say those words, it means a month and a half of trouble for me, Bob.” Both had reached the elevator where Rick pushed the down button. “It means hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars.”

“I know.” Bob conceded with a guilty look.

“We gotta pay to keep the company quiet. We gotta pay damages, erase memories, relocate your family. Every time it gets harder. Money, money, money, money, money.” Rick finally looked up in exhaustion at the underground hero. “W-we can’t keep doing this, Bob.”

The students listened in trepidation at the list of things Rick had to do now. And had done before, apparently. “I had a sense that this sort of thing had happened before,” Yaoyorozu admitted with a sad gaze towards the two men. “From what Helen said in their argument about blowing their cover again. That made it sound like Bob had been seen using his powers before.”

Kirishima’s eyes widened. “And that stuff before, about them being in their house for three years now, is that because they didn’t use to live there?” More than a few nodded in reluctance. “How many times has this happened?”

Ojiro felt a bit sick. “How many people have had their minds wiped so they couldn’t blow the secret out of the water?” Mental manipulation was a bit of a sore subject for him.

Midoriya then realized. “How many times have Violet and Dash been pulled from whatever schools and friends they might’ve made because someone accidentally discovered their family’s powers? How many times have they had to make a fresh start?”

Kaminari cringed. “No wonder they’ve been acting out.”

“We likely won’t learn, but from the sound of it, enough times that Agent Dicker’s tired of it.” Aizawa’s mouth was a straight line. “Bob Parr’s attempts to relive his precious glory days have forced his family to be relocated more than once, expended large sums of money just to sweep up the pieces, and exhausted this official’s patience for him doing it over and over again.” If his words weren’t clear enough in their meaning, the disapproving tone, the same one when he would berate them for making stupid choices, made it clear to his class about how his opinion towards Bob currently veered.

The elevator doors slid open with a ding, and Rick continued even as he stepped inside. “We appreciate what you did in the old days, but those days are over. From now on, you’re on your own.”

“So,” Shoji scratched his head in concern, “that’s it? They basically patch up Insuricare, make sure nobody talks about Bob’s throwing Huph around, and leave him out to dry?”

“Looks like it.” Asui watched in pity. “Having to relocate an entire family must be too much trouble for them to keep doing it, ribbit.”

Bakugo was livid about one part in particular. “What’s with the ‘we appreciate what you did in the old days, those days are over,’ crap? Is this how they show their gratitude for all the times the guy saved their sorry asses?”

“Bob’s probably worn out that gratitude by now,” Todoroki countered. “Do you think they have to pop up every time to clean up the fallout of Bob’s history being discovered?” The blonde glared at him but kept silent; a sure sign of how much he understood and hated Bob’s situation.

And the same words the boy had focused on resonated with his favorite hero as well. All Might wondered, What if I had never met Young Midoriya? Would it have gotten to the point where I am like Bob? Living my glory days again and again until One for All was finally burned out, along with the last of my friendships?

He decided not to dwell on that possibility but be grateful for the road he had taken alongside the successor he was proud to have chosen.

With that, the doors began to slide shut. But then he put a hand to the closing metal, stopping them for a bit. “Umm...” Rick shook his head before raising it again. “Listen, Bob. Maybe I could relocate you. You know, for old times’ sake.”

All Might smiled at the scene. “Friends still look out for each other.” That simple statement made classmates trade looks as if to assure one another that they would have each other’s backs in any tight spot.

“No. I can’t do that to my family. Everyone just got settled. I’ll make it work. Thanks.”

Rick nodded. “Take care of yourself.” He let the door go, allowing the elevator to close with another ding. Then a sighing Bob was alone.

Nobody said anything for a while, digesting the current situation. Finally, Aizawa paused the movie and spoke up. “Bakugo.” The pomegranade shifted his frustrated gaze to meet his teacher’s calm, stern, yet somewhat sympathetic eyes. “What I’m about to say goes for the whole class, but I hope you in particular pay attention.

“Mr. Huph deserved what happened to him. Thoroughly. No argument there. But unfortunately, Bob’s actions have now cost him and his family dearly. He’s now without a job or government support, and he’ll have to explain to Helen how this all happened.” Even Bakugo winced along with the others at the idea. “And I hate to say it, but you’re going to run into people like that plenty of times when you go pro. They’ll annoy you, they may try to break your spirit, they may even prevent you from saving someone.

“Don’t let them get to you. Don’t overreact like Mister Incredible did, because whatever satisfaction you might feel in that moment isn’t worth the trouble of lawsuits, bad publicity, or whatever other consequences might get thrown your way. And you’re better than that anyway, Bakugo. All of you are better than that.” He baffled the students present with that line and more so by addressing them all with a sneaky little smirk. “So do me a favor and don’t let all the hard work me and the others have put into making you top-notch heroes.”

Bakugo absorbed all of this, then returned the smirk. “You got it, sensei.” Sure, he’d prefer to blow up such assholes, but after the fallout witnessed for another hero…, something worth thinking about, even he admitted as much.

A part of him was even happy when all of the others, including Deku and that Half-and-Half bastard, echoed that same promise with resolute determination. Looks like we’re gonna shake things up when we turn pro. Poor little assholes.

Bob then drove his rattling tiny car back up the driveway of his house, hanging his head even more than yesterday. After the engine wheezed to a stop, he stepped out and swung the door closed (and this time, it stayed closed without the window breaking again), then perked up.

He turned around to see a familiar face. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“Aw, kid’s probably looking for another awesome scene.” Sero commented.

“Or he’s doesn’t wanna get almost crushed again,” Sato added, slurping his soda.

The kid shrugged by his trike’s handlebars. “I don’t know... something amazing, I guess...”

Bob just sighed. “Me too, kid.” He walked into the house.

“I think we all are,” Izuku mumbled quietly as he eyed the others sitting about.

Inside, he opened the door to his old office, flipped on the lights and lurched inside. The room was covered in articles, toys, awards and more paraphernalia dedicated to the hero he had once been. Even the old Mister Incredible costume stood on display against the left wall.

Uraraka glanced at what they could see of the stuff, then said with a wide grin, “I’m getting Midoriya vibes now~” to reignite the humor.

And luckily, it worked. The others all started chuckling while a certain moss-like hair blushed. “U-Uraraka!” he whined. “I-I-I only collect All Might’s merchandise, not my own. I don’t even have my own merchandise yet!”

“Not yet, but one day.” Toshi teased his pupil. “And then, well, we’ll see which collection is bigger…” The poor kid buried his face in his hands to escape the embarrassment.

But Bob ignored it all as he went for the desk, loosened his tie, and opened his briefcase. First, he pulled out his Insuricare Employee Manual, something he ripped cleanly in half before dumping it into the trashcan by his desk. Sheets of paper followed it, then Bob simply picked up the whole case and shook it out over the can, dumping away every last part of that toxic job.

That’s when he heard something heavy thud inside it. “Huh?” The music started up.

Everyone else heard the sound too, wondering if this was where the story was going to get wild.

He looked back at the trashcan to see a folder sticking out at the top. Picking it up, Bob examined it before opening the bottom, allowing a black tablet that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the viewers’ current setting to slide out into his hand.

“Pretty good tech there,” Kaminari noted before frowning. “But isn’t it a little too advanced for a setting in the twentieth century?”

“It is,” Iida nodded. “From the office equipment of Insuricare and the hospital’s machines, such a device should technically be beyond the current level of technology.”

Jiro shrugged. “It’s a animated movie, there’s gonna be a couple of anachronisms. As for how it got there, that chick with the silver hair must’ve snuck it into his stuff. The bigger question is, what’s she want with Bob?”

“And the timing’s a little too convenient.” Midoriya was adding the info of Bob being fired and essentially an Untouchable government-wise. “Right before he loses his job.”

The tablet’s screen glowed as it somehow turned itself on, then a dot of light appeared in the center that expanded into a circle. It in turn shrank and returned to its original size with each blink as something else appeared. Two little words flashing in blue, that Bob read with squinting eyes. “Hold still?”

Suddenly, his whole face was lit up in a grid system, divided in four sections that lit up one after the other. “Match: Mr. Incredible.” A mechanical voice reported from the tablet before the big man dropped it with a surprised yelp.

“Whoa!” Others bounced back as well, startled by the sudden change of events.

Todoroki had been less jumpy, but it still surprised him. “Some kind of recognition software…? Not the kind you’d expect from any normal touchscreen.”

“I hope not…” Uraraka shivered. That one just felt… ominous.

But the device was undamaged. A thin rod flipped open next to the screen and emitted a scan of light that rotated a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees along the room, Bob having backed away from it in caution. “Room Is Secure,” the tablet reported, retracting its probe. “Commence Message.”

Mic grew anxious. “And that,” he pointed at the probe, “is sure as heck not regular tech.”

“An elegant device, if worrisome,” Aoyama murmured.

“What kind of message would Bob get that warrants this level of security?” Sato asked out loud.

Bakugo’s eyes gleamed in anticipation. “One that isn’t meant for Bob Parr.” The others caught onto the implication. “It’s a message for…”

“Hello, Mr. Incredible,” A voice the audience already knew sounded from the machine as its screen showed the woman from before. Behind her seemed to be an array of screens. “Yes, we know who you are. Rest assured, your secret is safe with us.” Bob had slowly circled around to where he could see the message from the right angle. With the most dumbfounded look one could imagine.

“Mysterious message from a mysterious woman with mysterious music in the background,” Kaminari commented, rubbing his hands in delight. “It’s starting to look like a spy movie now.”

“From a mysterious sexy woman, you mean,” Mineta added. He then suddenly ducked his head to avoid Tsu’s tongue. “Ha! Not this time-“ But he couldn’t escape the ice block a straight-faced Todoroki trapped him in. Don’t worry, Yaoyorozu was kind enough to provide a tiny heater. He’d thaw out. Eventually.

Jiro and Uraraka were concurrently too busy sputtering in laughter at Bob’s face to contribute.

“My name is Mirage.” He picked up the tablet and tilted it a bit, marveling at the image’s resolution. “We have something in common. According to the government, neither of us exist.”

Aizawa glanced to his colleague. “No announcing the new character, Mic?”

“Would if I could,” Hizashi pouted, “but the Mirage card only has a question mark printed in shimmering text on it.” He held up the piece of paper as proof: sure enough, no other info.

“Please pay attention, as this message is classified and will not be repeated. I represent,” Bob was watching the message, then he quickly threw himself over to his desk, “a top-secret division of the government, designing and testing experimental technology,” he reached for something to write, tried scribbling down only to realize he’d picked up a screwdriver, threw it aside, grabbed a real pencil, but it didn’t work, threw that away too, “and we have need of your… unique abilities.” and found a proper working one to jot down notes.

Midoriya fell into stitches at the man’s antics. As his friends looked to him in surprise, He gasped out, “Be-be-heen the-hehehere, had the same p-problems,” as he tried to right himself.

They smiled at his laughter, Bakugo going so far as to joke, “And here I thought Deku would never run out of usable pencils.”

“It happens,” his rival replied with a goofy grin. “Even to me.”

The rest were curious about Mirage and the government situation. “Must be serious if they want to pull a superhero out of retirement.” Ojiro’s tail swished around in excitement.

“Not just any superhero, the best and manliest hero.” Kirishima grinned.

Sero thought about something. “Hold up, wasn’t Mirage -cool name by the way- tailing Lucius at first?”

“Perhaps Frozone was the one they already had under surveillance, but when he rescued those people from the burning building alongside Bob, they realized who he was and that would be a more suitable candidate,” Tokoyami offered.

This sparked a curious look in Mic’s eyes. One his best friend recognized. Aizawa leaned in to ask, “Something wrong?”

“If this message is from the government, then why didn’t Agent Dicker mention it?” The voice hero wondered in an unusually quiet tone. “His friend just lost his job, it would’ve been a good moment to tell him there was an opportunity to do the thing he wants the most.”

“Maybe Dicker wasn’t aware of it. Top-secret division, right? He may not have been informed of whatever’s going on.” Shota’s eyes, however, showed traces of suspicion.

“Sure, that could be it.” But neither seemed convinced. Yagi had similar doubts but didn’t voice them. Something seemed off between Mirage’s surveillance of the once-crimefighting friends and her present demeanor. What is it, though?

Mirage’s message continued unimpeded. “Something has happened at our testing facility.” The screen shifted to show what looked like the cover of a digital file for something called an “Omnidroid.”

“Omnidroid?” Four separate eyes of Shoji blinked. “So it’s some kind machine that’s going nuts?”

“Honey!” Helen’s voice sounded through the door.

Bob glanced up from his note-taking. “Huh? What?”

“Dinner’s ready!”

“Oh my.” Aoyama put a hand to his mouth. “Le normalité is intruding once again.”

“Now he may have to decide between the mission and his family,” Tokoyami intoned. “Which path of fate shall he choose?”

“Okay!” But he continued listening.

Dark Shadow popped up. “Anyone else saw that coming?” A chorus of raised hands answered his question.

Iida tutted his tongue. “Dinner with your family should not be neglected, sir!”

“But it’s not like that message has a pause button, ribbit,” Asui pointed, making her bespectacled friend sit back with a huff.

The tablet was now displaying schematics of some gigantic robot with tentacles. “...has escaped control. Although it is contained within an isolated area, it threatens to cause incalculable damage to itself and to our facilities,” the images changed to other schematics of the machine, “jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of equipment and research…”

“Looks like you were right, Shoji,” Todoroki praised his multi-limbed classmate. “Must be a new kind of robot.”

“One that is now putting others at risk,” Yaoyorozu added, “and not just because it represents a confidential project.”

Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Sato and even Ojiro grew excited at this news. A chance for a hero to fight a giant robot? Delicious. Ashido, Jiro, and Hagakure just looked at them before smirking to each other. “Boys.”

Uraraka and Midoriya traded a nostalgic smile at the day they first met and took the entrance exam for UA. The latter was still smiling while he added the mission on a blank page in his notebook.

Helen spoke up behind the door. “Is someone in there?”

“It’s TV, I’m trying to watch.”

Aizawa facepalmed. “That is a weak lie if I’ve ever heard one. Is there even a TV in his office?”

“Well, stop trying! It’s time for dinner!”

“One MINUTE!” Bob yelled back in frustration.

“Whelp, she seems to have bought it.” All Might commented before grinning. “And it could be a logical ruse instead of a lie, right, Eraser?”

“My ruses are logical, hence the name.”

Sato laughed. “He sounds like a kid with his mom.”

A smiling Kaminari spoke up. “Anybody here who’s had that kind of moment with their parents before?” Everyone except Iida, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki put their hands up with a chuckle. Even Mineta’s ice block thumped a bit as he tried to comply. The three outsiders felt a bit lonely but their friends quickly assured them that it was just some harmless fun.

Mirage’s face appeared again. “If you accept, your payment will be triple your current annual salary.” Bob scribbled down “BIG $” on his notepad. “Call the number on the card. Voice-matching will be used to ensure security. The supers aren’t gone, Mr. Incredible.” But what really made the poor man look more alive than before he’d found this message were those words. “You’re still here. You can still do great things. Ooor,” her tone turned teasing, “you can listen to police scanners. Your choice. You have 24 hours to respond. Think about it.”

“He’ll be taking on the mission,” Midoriya stated with full confidence while jotting down the final pieces. “He won’t be able to sit idly while knowing people need his help.”

“And this could be a good thing for the whole family,” Uraraka agreed. “If Bob’s going to be rewarded with I assume is a hefty paycheck…” Her eyes turned as she tried to imagine such a sum.

Yaoyorozu put a finger to her chin, running some mental calculations. “Average annual salary of a regular employee for an insurance company in that period,” she counted down on her fingers, “convert that sum from dollars to yen, triple the final sum…” she hummed in thought. “By my estimate, his payment ought to be twice what a Pro Hero in the top ten ranks makes in one year.” A chorus of jaws dropped to the floor as everyone (except for Todoroki but including the teachers) tried to imagine that kind of scratch for one job. Momo then commented, “A tidy little sum.”

The class collectively fought the urge to faceplant on the floor from her relaxed words. She’s so damn sweet we can’t even get mad at her for rubbing her rich nature under our noses…

The tablet shut itself, leaving Bob to sit in contemplation.

And as he did, his eyes drifted towards the wall of memory of when he had been Mister Incredible. Triumphant music swelling in the background, the former superhero smiled in nostalgia at the framed newspaper articles with headlines like “MR INCREDIBLE SAVES HUNDREDS” and “INCREDIBLE RESCUE AT SEA”, the front covers of magazines, an automatic gun with its muzzle bent out of shape, a jar full of metal pieces and labelled “BULLETS THAT BOUNCED OFF ME,” a golden key, even pictures likely drawn by little kids with messages of gratitude. And the trip down memory lane ended with him shifting towards the costume he had once worn proudly.

He knew what his answer would be.

 And so did the viewers.

The younger members could only gaze in awe at the vast collection of memorabilia, each one a sign of the tangible good Mister Incredible had done for people, regardless of the later lawsuits. And each and every one of them, boy or girl, couldn’t help but wonder if they could have such a wall like that once they were seasoned pro heroes. If they could gaze at all these reminders of villains beaten, crises averted, lives saved, with the same level of satisfaction.

As for All Might, he remembered his own, pictures articles, prizes, and perhaps most precious to him, child drawings of the many adventures he had gone on. Even now, in his powerless state, the onetime Symbol of Peace could look back on those times and think for the most part that his hardships had been well worth it.

Eraserhead and Present Mic didn’t have nearly the quantity of souvenirs that Mister Incredible did, but they knew that same feeling, that sense of accomplishment. Even the Erasure Hero, for all his cynicism and regrets, knew that feeling well. Like whenever he heard a certain horned little girl laugh happily. As much as he had serious issues with Bob Parr’s way of thinking, Aizawa admitted to himself, In this situation, I’m not sure I would act differently.

And the older generation couldn’t wait to fill their walls with the stories depicting the adventures of the students that sat with them right now.

A sudden beep made Bob look back down at the tablet, where a white card ejected from its bottom. He picked up the card to see Mirage’s name and a phone number had been printed in shimmering ink onto its surface, even as the device continued to beep.

And then it had one last announcement to make. “This Message Will Self-Destruct.” The beeping intensified.

Bob’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh...”

A sentiment echoed by the audience. In the exact same tone, no less.

A deep thump resonated outside the room, then Bob burst coughing out of his office, smoke trailing out. Which of course set off the house’s sprinklers. The rest of the family yelled in shock (or delight in Dash’s case) as a sudden cascade of water came down on them. “BOB!!!” Helen’s voice echoed through the halls, followed by a whoop from their blonde-haired son.

Everyone laughed heartily at the scene, enjoying the brief humor after such an emotional scene. “Dash sounds like he’s having a good time,” Kirishima said with a snicker.

Ashido giggled. “He’s the family hotshot all right.”

“The chef in me weeps at the prospect of an entire dinner ruined by the water…” Sato was grinning when he said it, though.

That made Tsu pause in her happy ribbiting. “Wait… why would a regular suburban family house have sprinklers, ribbit?”

Uraraka scratched her head. “Maybe because it’s a suburban superhero family?”

“That could be it,” Midoriya agreed with a finger snap. He put his finger to his chin. “There are three children inside the Parr household, two of which have already discovered their powers. The government helped them relocate, so they probably set up the house and its garden with additional security measures in case them or Jack-Jack accidentally causes a fire or some other household incident. It’s likely standard procedure, and if one considers the grown parents’ Quirks as well…” Yeah, he was gone by that point. Lucky for the up-and-coming Symbol of Peace, Iida shook him out of the Mumble-Storm© before an irritated Bakugo could throw an explosion his way.

A little later, Helen was in the dining room, picking one chair off the dining table and placed it on the drying ground. “You...” she walked over to her husband, who was busy drying off book pages with a hair dryer, “are one distracted guy.”

“You could say that about any guy,” Ashido joked, drawing a “Hey!” from ten of her male classmates and a bout of laughter from the other girls.

Tokoyami eyed the many books being aired out from their shower. “Drying off the entire house and its contents must be tedious.”

“It is,” Todoroki confirmed. “They should be grateful they don’t have to get out anything charred or smelling like smoke.”

“And how would you- Ah right, fire quirk.” Sero answered his own query. “Sorry, man.”

Bob shut off the dryer with a “Hmm? Am I? I don’t mean to be.”

“I know you miss being a hero and your job is frustrating.” She rubbed his arm, not noticing how he flinched at a certain word. “I just want you to know how much it means to me that you stay at it anyway.” She kissed his cheek.

A couple of guys looked uncomfortable. Namely those who had to break bad news about their schoolwork to their parents. “Yeah…” Kaminari rubbed the back of his head, “about that…”

Jiro gave him a flat look. “What’s he gonna say? Sorry, honey, I got fired today because I threw my asshole of a boss through three walls-“

“Four actually.” Now Koda was getting the look.

Jiro continued. “…and our old buddy Rick said the government wasn’t gonna help us out anymore. But hey, no worries, a mysterious woman has been stalking me and offered me a chance to smash some crazy robot for a paycheck with a lot of zeroes?”

Her friend mulled it over. “Well, he wouldn’t start with that, I hope.”

Bob looked guilty. “Honey? About the job?”

“Guy’s a man,” Kirishima said, “owning up to that.”

Helen had reached the chair. “What?”

“Something’s happened.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“What?” She was looking at him again. Very attentively.

“Oh, boy,” Hagakure winced, her clothes shuffling. “She seems to know where this is going.”

Present Mic shrugged. “It’ll sting, but the job was lousy anyway.”

Everyone braced for the oncoming tirade…

“The, uh...”

“What?”

“The company is sending me to, uh, a conference.”

And did a collective double-take at what they just heard.

“A conference?”

“O-out of town.” Bob stammered but kept to it. “And I’m just gonna be gone for a few days.” But he looked like he knew she wouldn’t buy it.

Tsuyu frowned at the words. “He’s actually lying to his wife about what’s happened.”

Kaminari scratched his cheek. “Actually kind of smart, what Bob came up with. It would explain why he’s heading off but lets her think he’s still employed.”

“Do not encourage such deceit, Kamnari!” Iida chopped his hand in disapproval. “Helen has every right to know the true state of his employment.”

Jiro shrugged. “Eh, it doesn’t look like she’s gonna be fooled anyway.”

“They’ve never sent you to a conference before...” Helen murmured, making him wince. Then she nodded. “This… is good, isn’t it?”

Jiro blinked. “Wait, she actually bought that?”

“Yeah, she said it herself, Bob’s never gone to any kind of conference for Insuricare before, and she knows he’s tired of that place.” Shoji was also confused.

“Quit trying to put logic into this, extras!” Bakugo barked at them. “If Helen buys his excuse, then Incredible gets to go beat the crap out of a robot and is even paid big time for it. Win-win for everybody, and I’m tired of the domestic bits! Where’s the damn action?”

Kirishima looked torn. On the one hand, he was itching to see the fight too, but lying was kinda unmanly in his eyes. Well, I guess if Bob tells the truth later on…

“Yyyes,” Bob answered hesitantly.

Helen had walked back to him. “You see? They’re finally recognizing your talents, you’re moving up!” She placed her hand to his chin.

“Yes.”

Momo sighed a bit. “I suppose it’s mainly wishful thinking on her part. Helen must be hoping that he’s telling the truth and receiving some well-deserved recognition in the process.”

“W-well, like Kacchan said, taking on this mission for the government will help the family as well as Bob himself,” Midoriya pointed out uneasily.

“But he’s still going behind her back.” Uraraka countered with a worried look, making him shrink a little more.

And yet, Todoroki thought in melancholy, still a better relationship than what my parents had.

“Honey!” Helen hugged him. “Awww...This is wonderful!”

“Yes, it is.” Bob still looked regretful about it.

Aizawa just shook his head. “Good intentions or not, this is likely going to blow up in his face later on. Maybe in hers too.”

“No matter how well-hidden in the shadows,” Tokoyami intoned, “every secret is pulled into the light one day.”

“Okay, that actually fit the situation pretty well, so kudos, Tokoyami,” Ojiro praised him, others nodding their assent. Much as they liked and admired Bob as a hero, they were finding a hard time to condone this sort of behavior.

None of them noticed how three individuals had stiffened about the subject of secrets. All they could do was pray that One for All, along with the many other facts connected to it, didn’t see the light of day any time soon.

Nevertheless, once he was back in his office, Bob was sitting phone in hand, gazing at the number on Mirage’s card.

After one ring, someone picked up. “Hello?”

“This is Mr. Incredible.” He swiveled his chair around to eye his suit. “I’m in.”

“Well,” All Might began, “regardless of how it happened, Bob has now taken the chance to become Mister Incredible again, even if it’s just one last time. So,” he clapped his hands, “let’s make the most out of this situation.”

After a moment, they more or less simultaneously answered, “Right!” and focused onto the screen. And sure enough, Bakugo wasn’t the only one eager to watch some action.

Midoriya’s pen hovered at the ready, notebook open on his lap. Just like old times.

A high-tech plane zoomed at supersonic speed through the clouds (some whistled in appreciation at the sleek tech). Inside, Mister Incredible, clad in his old suit once more (though the skintight fabric highlighted the bulk he’d picked up over the years of inaction), gazed out the main window before it darkened and Mirage approached. She moved to sit on the opposite side of a sort of control panel where a holographic screen appeared.

“The Omnidroid 8000 is a top-secret prototype battle robot.” The woman explained, typing some commands on a keyboard, making the screen show schematics of the robot from before. “Its artificial intelligence enables it to solve any problem it’s confronted with. And unfortunately...”

Izuku dutifully wrote down “Omnidroid” and the few schematics he could see onto a fresh page, mentally comparing it to the UA robots he and the others had battled over the course of the semester. But those were simple training bots. This one has been designed for active military use. How would it stack up against a veteran hero? He noticed the pronounced bulge of Bob’s stomach and added to himself, A veteran hero fifteen years out of practice?

The others, student and teacher alike, sensed it as well. This ought to be interesting.

“Let me guess,” the hero interrupted her gently. “It got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders.”

“That’s how it usually goes with robots and Ais,” Kaminari leaned back in his seat and munched on some more popcorn. “Just look at Terminator.”

“Or I-Robot,” Jiro pointed out, earning a high five in respect. She looked up towards one of the teachers with blonde hair. “No announcement yet, Mic-sensei?”

The vocal hero waved it off. “Not until we actually see the thing. Official announcer code of honor, listeners!” Most sweat-dropped at the DJ pose he took, but Aoyama discreetly took a few notes.

“We lost control,” Mirage conceded, “and now it’s-it’s loose in the jungle, threatening our facility. We’ve had to evacuate all personnel from the island for their own safety.” The screen now showed an image of the island they were heading towards, lush with a vibrant jungle and ecosystem and an active volcano.

Kirishima whooped at the topography. “That island’s got a volcano on it! Must be a heck of a manly place. I wonder if it’s active?”

“With Bob’s luck and the rule of drama in movies,” Mina joked, “it most likely is.”

“Here’s hoping the thing doesn’t erupt in the middle of the fight,” Sato muttered before getting an elbow in the side. Not that it was meant to hurt.

“Don’t jinx him now, bro,” Dark Shadow warned him half-seriously.

“How am I going in?”

“The Omnidroid’s defenses necessitate an air drop from 5000 feet.” Mirage had the panel display a simulation of a plane flying over the land and dropping something off. “Its cloaking devices make it… difficult to track. Although we’re pretty sure it’s on the southern half of the island.” Part of the island was highlighted, giving Incredible a clue.

Bakugo tapped his fingers against the sofa arm. “So, he’s first got to track down the rust bucket before he can scrap it.” A predatory grin stretched across his face. “I wouldn’t say no to a good hunt.”

“And it’s a good representation of how heroes regularly have to search for villains in hiding.” Midoriya continued to add to his notebook’s data about the Omnidroid-mission.

“But most heroes don’t get dropped from a plane at 5000 feet as part of a mission,” Shoji pointed out. “Of course, they don’t usually have to avoid a giant robot noticing them.”

“Oh, one more thing. Obviously, it represents a significant investment.”

Mr. Incredible replied, “You want me to shut it down without completely destroying it.”

Mirage smiled. “You are Mr. Incredible.”

Iida nodded in understanding. “Another facet to a hero’s regular mission, the necessity to avoid causing excessive damage.”

“Not to mention this division has placed heavy sums of time and expenses in this project,” Yaoyorozu considered. “It would only make sense that they would wish to avoid any unnecessary stress to their budget.”

“Seeing as they’ve already offered a ton of scratch to a retired hero…” Hagakure added.

“Then let’s hope Mr. Incredible doesn’t get too carried away in his assignment.” Todoroki brought up a crucial point. “Heavy damage to property and civilians is a big part of why he was forced to retire.”

“That fact doesn’t seem to bother him, though,” Shoji commented. “He’s completely calm about the situation.”

That could be a boon and a problem, All Might mused. It’s certainly good that he isn’t panicking, but Bob might be forgetting that he isn’t in his prime anyone. Well, he’s my counterpart. The ex-hero felt a familiar smile creep onto his lips. He should be fine.

So, he sat down into a different chair, pulled a harness overhead, buckled up, and pulled back the lever on the side to make the chair fall back. Now horizontal, Incredible flashed a grin and a thumbs up to a soldier in grey armor and a black visor, who returned the latter before pressing a large button on his control panel. The crimefighter slowly slid with a mechanical whirr into a small shuttle…

Everyone watched the sequence in silent elation.

Until he suddenly stopped (as did the music). Both men looked surprised, then the guard pressed the button again. Same result. Turns out Bob’s belly was getting in the way. Three more tries got the same result, much to Incredible’s rising frustration.

Midoriya, Iida, Bakugo, Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, Ashido, Hagakure, Sato, Shoji, Mineta (even while still frozen) Present Mic, and All Might (blood splashing from his mouth) burst into laughter at the pod trouble.

Uraraka and Jiro were sputtering out giggles like crazy.

Asui, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Ojiro, Aoyama, and Koda hid their relatively quiet laughter behind their hands.

Even Todoroki and Aizawa let out brief snorts of mirth, though the latter tried to cover it up with a shake of his head.

Then the soldier twisted the button a bit and slammed it down. That got the job done; Bob was sucked into the pod, where the top slid automatically over him. The entire piece was then sent into a launching slot.

Mirage approached him one last time before takeoff. “I’ve got to warn you,” he could hear her through the shuttle’s radio, “it’s a learning robot. Every moment you spend fighting it only increases its knowledge of how to beat you.”

Midoriya tilted his head as he wrote down and underlined “LEARNING ROBOT”. “Yet another important detail and challenge. Mister Incredible can’t drag the battle out without risking it growing too skilled for him. He’d have to finish it as quickly as possible.”

“A couple of villains out there like that,” Aizawa told him. “Either their Quirks allows them to analyze or process information super quickly, or they’re just that skilled. Either way, the best approach is to hit them hard and fast, before they have a chance to come up with a counter.”

Bakugo remembered his fight with Midoriya a few weeks ago; that nerd he used to pick on was a prime example of the archetype the teacher had described. Much as he hated to admit it, if he’d given Deku more time to figure out a game plan, the fight might’ve ended differently. He cracked his neck. Is this robot anything like that?

“Shut it down. Do it quickly. Don’t destroy it.” Mr. Incredible summed up his mission.

“And don’t die.”

He grinned. “Great. Thanks.” And the shuttle blasted off, straight towards the island. No sooner did its booster cut out did a set of four propeller blades flip out and steer the pod close to a large volcano. It landed with a small cloud of dust.

Mic whistled. “Sweet exit. Why can’t we get launched out onto missions like that?”

“Because we haven’t been contacted by mysterious branches of the government with big pocketbooks.” He huffed at his best friend’s tone even as the students snickered.

Getting out was a different story, though. Mr. Incredible tried slipping through the upper hatch, but his girth got in the way. Eventually, he went back in with a grumble and shoved, blowing the pod apart.

More chuckling at the struggles with the tech. “I can think of three in this classroom that would have the same issues.” Todoroki’s comment earned him besides an increase in good humored reactions half-hearted glares from Sato and Shoji and a pout from Koda that quickly turned to blushing when some of the girls called it adorable.

Now free, Mister Incredible began some basic limber-up maneuvers, shoulder-rolling, touching his fingertips to his toes, stretching high (where his belly showed under the costume). Finally, he said, “Showtime,” and began to sprint into the jungle.

Jiro glanced away with a wince at the belly showing. “So did not need to see that…” she groaned, shooting a dirty look at a certain blonde classmate.

“Wow, Mirio-senpai really did a number on y- whoa!” Kaminari barely dodged the jack that went straight for his right eye. “Okay, okay, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Just no more acoustic therapy, please.”

“Good boy.” An explosion between the two made them shrink back by instinct.

Bakugo’s hand smoked. “Shut. Up. And. Watch. The. Action.” They wisely obeyed.

First, Mister Incredible ran along the road of a rocky cliff, huffing away. Then as he came to an edge covered in plants and moss, he paused to catch his breath, clapped his hands, then continued to run, even sliding a bit, down the grass while an exotic bird called out.

He was next seen pushing a large leaf out of his way, absentmindedly shooing an insect buzzing near his face, then slid down a short distance before continuing on foot. But no sign of the Omnidroid yet.

Bob then ran panting through a less dense part of the jungle until he slowed down and finally came to a stop near a gigantic tree to catch his breath.

Everyone’s favorite red-haired sharp-toothed hero-in-training groaned and threw his head back. “Oh, come on. How long can it take to find one giant robot?” he whined.

“It’s a big jungle, with an expansive wildlife, on an even larger island, so even with him having a general idea of where to look…” Koda trailed off as his shyness overtook his desire to speak.

“Not to mention the big guy’s out of shape,” Ashido patted her horn buddy’s shoulder. “He needs to take a couple of breaks if he wants to get anywhere, let alone fight.”

Ojiro eyed the other one most invested in fighting. “You’re awfully calm about the lack of action, Bakugo.”

“I know it’s coming. This is just the buildup.”

 That’s when he noticed part of the tree’s trunk had been carved away, like something had violently scraped against it. And as he looked down, he found a heavy X-shaped footprint embedded in the ground. Mr. Incredible frowned at it.

Aizawa’s gaze sharpened. “That thing came through there. He must be close.”

Suddenly, trees were pushed aside behind him and he turned around in wide-eyed surprise to see the Omnidroid looming over him; it was a giant sphere of metal with a blue visor on its domed head and five long tentacles, claws at the ready.

“WHOA!” Half the audience jumped in surprise at the Omnidroid’s entry. “Okay,” Eraser noted dully, “didn’t think it would be that close.”

“That thing’s stealthier than it looks,” Mic agreed before drawing the right note card. “The Omnidroid 8000, a combat robot designed to counter the toughest threats. Equipped with near-impenetrable armor, five segmented legs that brandish rotational claws, bi-polar sensor clusters, and a high-speed processing unit that analyzes any opponent it encounters and formulates strategies to neutralize them.”

Bakugo’s grin widened. “Oh, yeah.”

Incredible sidestepped the first lunge and rolled away from the followup, but the third strike clipped his shoulder, tearing the fabric and drawing blood.

“He took a hit!” Hagakure observed in concern.

Iida adjusted his glasses. “The Omnidroid can wound him, but the cut appears shallow. Shouldn’t impede Mr. Incredible’s abilities.”

Mr. Incredible covered the injury with his other hand and leaped with one good bound over the next attack, over the Omnidroid itself, before landing behind it. Its head swiveled around just in time to see the hero pull back his right fist. The resulting punch sent it flying through the jungle before crashing against a tree, arms hanging limply by the side. Mr. Incredible grunted in satisfaction.

Midoriya, Uraraka, Kirishima, Kaminari and Sato cheered at the successful hit while Iida clapped his hands in approval. Maybe this was enough to take out the hunk of junk.

Then its limbs pushed the Omnidroid back up, and the head turned towards him again. “Uh oh...” was all Incredible could mutter before it charged again.

Yeah, they had celebrated too soon. “Of course it’s not that easy,” Ojiro grumbled.

He made for another leap just before it reached him. But inside the robot’s processors, it began to calculate the arc of its target’s jump and lock onto a certain point. This translated into Bob getting smacked out of the air by a rear claw. He slammed against a tree hard enough to make it topple towards the Omnidroid, only for it to retract its head and limbs and roll out of the way.

Shoji flinched at the blow. “Wow, that thing really does learn quick.”

Izuku nodded, circling the “LEARNING ROBOT” in his notebook. “It already learned from the first time Mr. Incredible jumped over it and determined the right moment to knock him down in the middle of the second. The Omnidroid was even able to avoid something unexpected like the tree crashing towards it.”

“Most bots wouldn’t be able to process a danger that quickly,” Todoroki agreed. “Whatever programming they put into it isn’t making this an easy fight.”

“So he can’t just blindside it or do a random trick.” Uraraka finished, reflecting on her martial arts training. Sometimes, Gunhead had taught her, the best way to defeat an opponent was to perform an unexpected maneuver, throw off their own strategy. But in this case, the robot seemed too smart to fall for something like that. How was Incredible supposed to beat it?

The Omindroid reverted to its battle mode for only a second before becoming a ball again and rolling straight for the upright again hero. Incredible barely dived out of the way but found himself running for his life as it looped around and came after him, trees crushing under its armor. He sprinted across the jungle, panting like crazy, trying to stay just ahead of the rolling sphere of doom on his tail.

“Indiana Jones reference?” Ashido asked Kaminari despite the tension.

“I can practically hear the theme song.”

Finally, he dived suddenly to the right, straight off a cliff, with the robot right behind him. As Incredible slid along the rock side, it remained in ball form, tumbling after him until it hit an outcropping that catapulted it high. The Omnidroid’s tentacles stretched out to let it land safely on the ground below.

A boulder thrown against it by Mister Incredible fell to rubble against its armor. The machine countered by hurling rocks of its own. Its target managed to avoid two but a third struck him, forcing him against the cliff wall. He barely escaped impalement from the Omnidroid’s claw and ran away, the claw pulling free of the rock and splintering any pieces with its opening. The robot jumped right after him and landed on the ground hard, breaking it apart. Bob fell through the cracks and air until landing with a hard thud below, his enemy one second after him.

Yaoyorozu chewed her nail. “This isn’t looking good for Bob. The Omnidroid isn’t just intelligent, it’s relentless. He barely has any opportunity to move, let alone counterattack.”

“Sometimes the most dangerous villains are the ones that don’t bother with posturing or monologues, they simply attack without hesitation.” All Might agreed.

“And Mister Incredible isn’t in top shape to deal with this kind of threat, ribbit.” Asui looked worried. “He’s slower than he could be, which the Omnidroid is exploiting.”

They were now close to the center of the volcano, molten lava surrounding their battlefield. Incredible got up just in time to catch a claw heading straight for him. It then turned into a test of strength, the Omnidroid slowly pushing him toward the scorching liquid. Bob looked behind to see the bubbling lava, then up towards the emotionless visor of the machine about to kill him. Just as he was forced against the edge.

Many looked on in worry. Mineta mumbled something from his ice cell that sounded like, “He’s gonna get melted!”

“Like hell he will!” Bakugo shouted, steeling his red eyes straight at the scene. Midoriya did as well, the same thought between the two boys. A hero always finds a way to win in the end.

But then Bob yelled in defiance and suddenly stepped to the side while releasing his grip. Propelled forward by its own unrestrained might, the Omnidroid fell into the lava where it sank like a rock. Soon there was no trace of it.

The kids erupted in cheers at the seeming victory, clapping hands and hugging each other. “Hell yeah!” Kirishima yelled after high-fiving his friends. “He took down that bot in one damn manly way. That was a victory well earned!”

The teachers agreed with the enthusiastic assessment, though Aizawa was of course critical of his fictional colleague’s performance. Well, passable considering his current physical abilities. Though I’m surprised he didn’t-

Mr. Incredible laughed triumphantly and pointed towards the lava, only to let out a pained yelp as he twisted his upper body to the side. “Oh my back!” he whimpered.

The cheers turned into sympathetic winces; that had not sounded good. Throw out his back, Aizawa finished his thought from before with a bit of pity.

All Might was rubbing his own back in reaction.

“…Okay,” Kirishima changed to a compassionate voice. “Maybe he should take a moment to sit down, straighten himself out after a little rest.”

“No,” Tokoyami disagreed in a grave tone. “The crack was an omen. His battle has yet to end.” Oh boy.

Yeah, his problems really weren’t over; the Omnidroid suddenly burst out of the lava through the platform in front of him, splitting the rock. Including where Incredible was standing. Still holding his back, he stepped with a wince to the larger piece as the tiny portion floated away.

The robot then pulled its forward claws from the pool, the metal red-hot, and began to spin them like helicopter blades. Now Mr. Incredible couldn’t touch them at all and was forced back up ever closer to the edge. He finally leaped on the chunk of rock that broke away to escape but the Omnidroid snagged his feet with its (thankfully cooled down) claw and slammed him to the ground. Bob was then hoisted up and his arms grabbed by another claw, where both began to pull in opposite directions.

Once again, most watched in fear, some like Kirishima, Bakugo, Uraraka and Midoriya looked like they wanted to spring through the screen and rescue their hero from the machine. But all they could do was watch and hope.

Mister Incredible groaned as the robot slowly tried to pull him apart. The groans turned into a yell of pain… before something popped. Incredible blinked, then began to laugh before snapping his hands forward, ripping the claw holding them off its tentacles.

Everyone relaxed again, most of the kids cheering again for the hero. “That was awesome,” Sero exclaimed, “but what the heck just happened?”

“The stupid robot fucked up is what happened.” Bakugo’s grin was now triumphant.

Ojiro, an experienced martial artist, began to explain. “At that moment, Mr. Incredible’s biggest problem wasn’t really the Omnidroid, but his back problems. When the Omnidroid grabbed him and started pulling his upper and lower body in separate directions,” he mimed the action with his own hands, “his back was then snapped back into place. Like by a chiropractor.”

“And because he doesn’t have that pain anymore, he can go kick that piece of junk’s round butt!” Hagakure cheered.

The Omnidroid had lost its grip on him, now searching for its target. It even deployed a second head on its underbelly to find him.

Not realizing that the hero had slipped right under it and was matching pace to avoid its detection. Then he suddenly appeared with a battle cry in front of its lower sensor cluster to rip it off with both hands, toss it into the pool, and then climbs inside the robot. Realizing what just transpired, the Omnidroid began to strike its own body, gouging holes with its claws in an attempt to retrieve him. But all its attacks accomplished was inflicting massive damage to itself while Bob sat smugly among its wiring. The robot staggered, sparks flickering off its many holes, before coming to a weakened stop.

“Missed him, dome-head!” Kaminari called out tauntingly, the others watching in delight as the veteran finally gained the upper hand.

“The Omnidroid’s programming to eliminate him must be interfering with its learning capabilities,” Iida realized after some thought. “A brilliant move on Mr. Incredible’s part.”

Aizawa was impressed himself. “He may have been retired, but he hasn’t forgotten how this works.” A half-smile played along his mouth. “Now here comes the finishing touch.”

Mr. Incredible then punched off its remaining head and popped up. As the sensor cluster plunked onto the stone, he whistled and patted the robot’s side to taunt it. A claw lashed out in one last try to pull him out, but he dodged the attack, causing it to inadvertently tear its own power core out. The battered machine stood motionless for a moment, crucial piece still clutched tightly in its claw, allowing Mr. Incredible to jump out and casually walk away, then collapsed with a clank to the ground. Game over.

The younger audience alternately laughed at how the machine’s last-ditch attempt to crush the hero had taken itself out and applauded at Mister Incredible’s first successful mission in fifteen years. He’s still got it.

The teachers clapped their hands as well in respect of his work. They collectively agreed that there had been a few bumps, but considering his being out of shape, the Omnidroid’s learning capabilities and the surroundings, his victory was well-earned. “The thing’s even still mostly intact,” Mic praised. “Less chance of them taking the damage out of his pay.”

A relief for Bob and the rest of the Parr family (not that they knew).

The triumphant hero didn’t realize, though, that he was being watched by a blue macaw. And even if he had, it would’ve taken sharp eyes to notice its eye zero in him. Like a machine’s optic.

Koda had perked up at the sight of the exotic bird, but when he realized it was a machine, he shrank away with a shiver. “Unreal… mockery…” he whispered to himself, worrying the others. Noticing their reactions, the rock-headed hero-in-training put up his hands to reassure them. “I-I’m okay.” He signed haltingly. “Just… I was a little spooked at how… convincing the imitation was.” Tsu patted him on the shoulder and Shoji gave him a one-sided hug, helping the poor animal-lover smile again.

As for who was on the other side, the scene shifted to Mirage and a man with hair pointing straight up watching Incredible’s victory over the Omnidroid. “Surprising,” the mysterious man murmured in an impressed tone. “We must bring him back. Sound the all-clear,” Mirage moved to follow his instructions.

“And,” the man rose a gauntleted hand, “invite him to dinner.” She smiled.

“Huh?” Most of them asked.

“The guy does know he’s married, right?” Jiro pointed out.

“Maybe not, could be they don’t have a clue about him marrying Elastigirl,” Kaminari offered.

Iida spoke up after some thought. “Then perhaps this is a simple way to congratulate him on a successful mission. My parents told that they would sometimes be invited for a meal or ceremony in celebration of their achievements.”

“He’s right,” Todoroki agreed. “It’s a common practice, especially for big-name clients.” The teachers nodded in agreement; even Aizawa as an underground hero had been invited once or twice (not that he accepted often).

The next scene was in a broad hall with red walls and dimmed lights, a white pod sliding into place before the door slid open. Bob stepped out of his transport dressed in a dark blue suit with tie and his domino mask. Walking down the hallway, he came to a set of stone doors with intricate carvings and opened the one to his left side.

The next room was massive, its light source coming from the waterfall of lava that was nearly the entire left wall. Two colossal statues similar in shape to the ones on the Easter Islands flanked either side of the natural wonder. The right side, on the other hand, had been designed to slant towards the top and provide a beautiful view of the jungle at night. A dining table had been intricately set up in the center.

An impressive setting for the audience. Kirishima in particular appreciated the lava flow for a wall, Bakugo vocally admitting that it was badass.

Yaoyorozu meanwhile was intrigued with the entire architecture and its intricate details. “A truly original setup, in a way taking the base core of nature and altering it ever so slightly for someone to dine there.” She praised, wondering who could’ve come up with it. Midoriya had considered sketching it out, but for one, he doubted his abilities were sufficient to capture the room’s entire awe properly, and it wasn’t really hero-based. So he simply watched in wonder.

But no one else seemed to be there. Incredible checked his watch to see if he was on time and made to step inside, then a sudden noise drew his attention. Quietly pulling the door a bit more closed, he watched in wonder as the lava flow split down the middle to allow Mirage to stride out in an exquisite dress. She then stopped as the man from before chatted with her while still between the two halves. His voice was barely audible, and the molten liquid further obscured his features.

The man told her something that he couldn’t fully make it, something about them appreciating his abilities. He then paused as both heard a sound from where Bob was.

Some like the Bakusquad were surprised at the lava flow’s special feature, others like Bakugo and Todoroki had their suspicions raised at the conversation, more such as Deku’s group were worried about Bob being caught eavesdropping-

But before anything could be said, the sound of something cracking stopped them in their tracks. Everyone slowly turned towards a certain mound of ice, with a tiny heater next to it.

The block creaked and groaned a bit, then it finally blew apart in a flurry of ice shards as the one trapped inside shrieked in perverse delight. “WHO-HOOO!!” His eyes roamed every part Mirage’s body, her dress illuminated by the lava’s light. A creepy giggle bubbled up from his slightly foaming mouth. “Thank you, Pixar…”

A giant collective sigh. The beast has returned.

Heels clacking, Mirage crossed the distance and opened the door to see her guest supposedly right as he was stepping out of his pod.

Mr. Incredible pretended he had just arrived. “Am I overdressed?”

“Actually,” the woman replied with an appraising look, “you look rather dashing.”

“He’s married.” Ashido stated flatly, backhanding Mineta offhandedly. “I won’t accept cheaters in my ships.”

“Good to know…” Jiro cautiously eyed the drippings from her fingers sizzling on the floor.

Both sat at opposite ends of the long table, but no third diner joined them. Mr. Incredible finally asked, “I take it our host is...”

“Yes,” Aizawa leaned forward in suspicion, “where is he?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Mirage answered, picking up her champagne glass. “He won’t be dining with us. He hopes you’ll understand.”

“Of course. I do usually make it a point to know who I’m working for.” He popped a shrimp in his mouth.

Eraserhead clicked his tongue in annoyance. “So do I. And so should you kids.” The students looked to him in curiosity. “Never take up a job without knowing as much about it and your employers as you can.”

“Solid policy.”

“He prefers a certain amount of anonymity. Surely, you of all people understand that.”

“I was just wondering, of all the places to settle down, why live-”

“With a volcano? He’s attracted to power. So am I. It’s a weakness we share.”

“Seems a bit unstable,” the hero pointed out.

“Yeah, I’d be a little more cautious around a volcano,” Shoji nodded in agreement. “Especially one that’s active.”

Mirage played with her glass. “I prefer to think of it as misunderstood.”

Parr chuckled a bit. “Aren’t we all?”

Ojiro, Shoji, Tokoyami, Koda and Hagakure looked away at that part. Mutation types, poor guys often had it rough.

“Volcanic soil is among the most fertile on Earth.” Mirage gestured to the banquet between them as Bob sipped from his own glass. “Everything at the table was grown right here. How does it compare?”

Kirishima nodded. “She’s right, it’s been proven that the soil after a volcanic eruption contains even more minerals than regular stuff due to tephra, the ash from a volcano.”

“Hold up,” Kaminari raised a finger to his best friend, “I heard somewhere that the most dangerous part of a volcano going off wasn’t the lava itself, but the ashes. They were supposed to be toxic.”

“They are when inhaled. It takes time, weathering and some chemical processes for the ashes to release the nutrients in the soil, but when that’s done, you can grow some serious stuff there afterwards.” Eijiro blinked at the many stares his explanation had earned him. “What?”

“…How precisely do you know all of this?” Uraraka tried to ask tactfully. “Not that it’s not impressive, but the knowledge is surprising, considering, well…”

Aizawa cut in bluntly. “Considering you didn’t score that much better than Kaminari and Ashido on the tests.”

“AiIZAWA-SENSEI!”

The hardening hero shrugged. “For my report in middle school, I chose to look up volcanoes. They’re manly as heck, more so after I learned about them.” His homeroom teacher accepted this with a nod, pleased that there was more to his students than at first glance.

Sato was curious, too. “Wonder if I’ll ever get a shot to try working with that stuff. Now I just have to find a spot where a volcano went nuts.”

“Or you could look for someone with a lava Quirk,” Tokoyami offered. Midoriya’s face lit up at the idea.

Mr. Incredible answered, “Everything is delicious.”

She rose her glass to him as a silent toast.

Uraraka quickly grabbed her steaming friend’s pink shoulders to hold her down. “Easy does it, Ashido,” she soothed. “There’s no way Bob would cheat on Helen.”

“Yeah, there was zero flirting in his dialogue there,” Kaminari confirmed. “If he wanted to hit on her, he wouldn’t have asked about her boss.”

“And the guy wasn’t frustrated with his wife or family, but with nobody letting him be a hero again.” Bakugo bluntly added. “Relax, Racoon Eyes. If he went and knocked her up three times, then I doubt he’s interested in ditching her for some chick.” His left eye glared at a certain midget who opened his mouth. “One innuendo and I’ll cremate you.”

And with an upbeat rhythm of bongo drums followed by some good-times trombone music, the scene changed to an airplane landing…

And then to Helen watering the garden by their home, and Bob spinning her around to pull her into a kiss. Surprised for only a second, Helen melted into it as the hose sprinkled water over them.

Mina squeaked in utter delight, accidentally pulling Kirishima into a choke-hold in her excitement. He might have to change his Hero name to Blue Riot if this keeps up.

Midoriya and Uraraka barely managed to evade her grip.

Violet was inside the house, headphones on and reading a magazine while her parents fooled around behind her. She finally noticed the commotion and looked up just in time for Bob to kiss her on the nose.

Jiro hung her head in embarrassment. “Poor Violet…” she felt her fellow introvert’s pain.

The next morning, father and son were racing toy cars, the latter winning nonchalantly as the former looked at his remote in mock frustration.

Bob even kissed Jack-Jack on the cheek.

Asui’s smile grew wider. “Looks like Dash got out of a kiss and traded it for a game, ribbit.”

“Dash would’ve bolted to the other side of the city if he’d tried,” Kaminari laughed.

Ochaco and Izuku couldn’t help but giggle while recalling how affectionate their own parents tended to be. And they honestly loved it.

Todoroki, on the other hand, suppressed a groan. He appreciated that his father was making a sincere effort to better himself, but the touchy-feely moments were starting to crop up. Doesn’t he get I’m too old for that stuff?

Later on, Helen still in her bathrobe waved off Bob while he drove away in the Stubby-mobile…

And returned that evening in a sleek black car with flip-up doors. He then showed his wife another car, red with a bow of the same color tied around it.

The boys whistled in collective appreciation. “Sweet wheels,” Sero commented.

“Also nice of him to buy another new car for Helen,” Hagakure swooned.

“Triple his annual salary.” Mic admired the engineering beauty. “Plus he’s technically got more free time in his hands.”

All Might noticed his pupil flipping through his pages to an earlier entry. “Yes, Young Midoriya,” the boy looked up to return his mentor’s knowing grin, “it’s likely no coincidence that Bob bought a new car with heavy similarities to the Incredibile.” Bakugo sighed in wistful memory of that badass vehicle. I’ll get me a car like that, and if I have to sweep through all of Japan’s villains for it.

Later, the parents passed each other through the house, Bob giving her a little pinch as he passed.

He then felt something that made him turn around with a laugh to watch Helen’s retracting arm.

A sense of dread washed over Mineta as six girls loomed over him, Quirks out and ready for punishment. One spoke after the other.

“Do.”

“Not.”

“Even.”

“Think.”

“About.”

“It.”

Mineta wisely decided to concede to their… wish. As did all of the other males present.

In the evening, he would spoon-feed Jack-Jack while making funny faces.

Out on a long field of grass, Bob hurled a football out, which an eager Dash zoomed off to catch and then return to his dad’s embrace in one second.

Bob was then seen looking at himself in the mirror, his face drooping at the bulge of his tummy.

“Yeah, you’ve got a decent bit to work off there, big guy,” Shoji pointed out.

“No worries!” Kirishima punched the air with a grin. “With all the energy he’s got in him, I bet he can whip himself into shape easy!”

Iida smiled at the ball-catching scene, recalling how he used to have a similar routine with Tensei back when he was younger. An excellent exercise for both of their Engine Quirks. Who knows, the newest Ingenium wondered with a slight melancholy, but still hopeful mood, perhaps we can still do that during summer break. His arms’ engines still work excellently.

So, he shared a goodbye kiss with Helen, then drove off in a pristine suit…

And was later pulling a series of train wagons by the tracks at a trainyard.

Kirishima smiled. “Oh yeah, now that he doesn’t have to go to work, he can train off that fat.” His sharp teeth grew more exposed. “And that is an awesome way to train!”

“Tell me about,” Toshinori agreed. “I’ve pulled around a few cars myself every now and then.”

Bob checked himself again with some measuring tape and was disappointed that the number read 50.

Shoji shrugged. “Fat doesn’t go away that quickly, especially once you’ve reached a certain age.”

Later in the living room, Bob was checking out some fitness magazine while Helen vacuumed the floor, lifting his feet and the couch when needed.

Iida approved of this. “Excellent! He’s grown more attentive of his surroundings and easing Helen of her workload.”

Back in the trainyard, the hero was lifting a single train car up and down like a barbell.

And in another scene, Bob made to go to “work”, only for Helen to snag him by his tie and pull him in for another kiss.

Ashido and Hagakure cooed again, while hands suddenly appeared in front of Midoriya and Uraraka’s eyes. “Hey!” the latter yelped.

“Todoroki!” Deku complained to his friend.

“Just working to preserve your innocence a little longer,” the dual-color-haired student argued with a rare grin, drawing laughs from his fellow viewers.

Yaoyorozu had a particular hard time controlling her laughter, much to the duo’s embarrassment.

Bob was cycling a different car on his feet, then quickly plopped it back on the tracks just in time to salute a passing train.

Mic nodded in respect. “Good, he’s paying more attention to keeping his strength hidden. Even while exercising.” Midoriya and All Might recalled the former’s time of training, where the latter had to constantly duck out of sight so no one would see the Symbol of Peace’s true form.

And another moment where he tried to leave the house, only for a pair of elastic arms to reel him back in. (Deku and Uravity desperately batted away more arms playfully trying to cover their eyes).

Then came the time where Bob was pulling up a train car one at a time, the cars wrapped up securely in chains underneath small cranes, as his newest exercise routine.

All of this training culminated into the moment where the hero once retired and now seemingly back in business checked his belly with the measuring tape again, nodding pleased to himself at the fact it was now fifteen inches shorter.

The kids applauded the successful completion of his bulk loss. “The monsieur looks far better now,” Aoyama commented with an appraising eye.

“And that was one seriously manly exercise routine!” Kirishima pumped his arms. “It makes me want to go out to a trainyard and use the cars for a workout!”

Izuku looked towards the teachers. “Is it possible for us to do some of that?”

“It is,” Mic confirmed. “But only for third years with enhancement Quirks. Those things are heavier than Parr made them look, trust me. But ask again in a year or two, and we’ll see.” That further increased their excitement.

Jiro looked over to a certain blonde grinning like a serial killer. “Satisfied with the smackdown, Bakugo?”

“Oh yeah.” Katsuki released a delighted sigh, as if he had finished an excellent meal. “The whole fight was everything I’d hoped for, and more. That Omnidroid was a serious fighter, and with part of the fight happening inside a fucking lava pit, Incredible had his work cut out for him. But he still pulled through like a real hero.” His grin broadened. “And that little shithead of a boss getting shot through the walls was a sweet appetizer.”

Kaminari stretched his arms high with a happy sigh. “And it’s real great to see Bob so happy again. And all it took was one fight with a robot gone crazy.”

“Not to mention all the more time he’s been able to spend with his family.” Yaoyorozu pointed out happily. “The insurance business had drained away Bob’s energy day after day, being told to exploit their customers instead of actually helping and then being reprimanded when he did the opposite. Now with more free time, Bob can spend it being happy with his family again.”

Todoroki agreed. “The family profits from it as well. Not just in the sense of money, but because a little time messing around with Helen, feeding Jack-Jack or even giving Dash a chance to run around a bit proves to them that he cares.”

“Though Violet might object to the love, ribbit,” Tsu teased.

Her bird-headed friend shrugged to that. “So long as he doesn’t coddle her in public, or in front of Tony Rydinger,” Ashido let out another delighted squeak at the crush’s name, “I believe she can tolerate it.”

Aizawa for his part had kept silent this entire time. But then he finally said, “Just don’t forget that Helen still thinks Bob is steadily employed at Insuricare. So far, it’s smooth sailing for the family, but one slip-up, one misunderstanding, and the Parr marriage could be at risk.” He then sighed at the drop in good mood. “But I sincerely hope that the good times don’t end here for them.

The teacher flashed a toothy grin. “As for you lot, I’ll admit that I was impressed with my fictional colleague’s handling against the Omnidroid. A few bumps, but he handled himself very well even with his negligence of keeping his skills sharp. So, that in mind and witnessing Incredible’s training montage, I do believe that I’ll have to kick your training a few notches higher.” Some students shivered a bit at his tone. “Buckle up, boys and girls.”

“We’re dead ducks,” Mineta whimpered.

Chapter Text

I do not own The Incredibles or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators. I mean no disrespect towards Brad Bird and Kohei Horikoshi. This story is purely for amusement, no copyright infringement intended whatsoever.

All Might stood up from his spot and stretched a bit. “I’m going for a snack refill, any special requests?”

“More drinks, please.”

“Especially green tea,” Ashido added to Uraraka’s request with a sly look towards her and Midoriya, though neither understood its significance. Dear sweetly oblivious cinnamon rolls…

Aizawa rose a finger. “Some salty licorice would suffice.” This killed Ashido’s mirth. Along with that of the others who had to take remedial classes.

No one else said anything, so Toshinori walked off with Midoriya in tow; the latter would always help his idol out. And naturally his closest friends went along. They were back soon enough, their arms filled with popcorn, drinks, licorice, all the works. A quick round of distribution and thanks (or a grunt in Bakugo’s case), then Mic hit the play button.

Bob was in his bedroom, fingering his supersuit. The cut the Omnidroid had made in his shoulder had long since healed, but the fabric, unfortunately, was another story. He could stick his whole hand through. “ Ah, jeez. ” He grumbled.

Iida pushed his glasses higher. “Ah, I had almost forgotten that the Omnidroid had managed to injure Mr. Incredible in the prior battle. His shoulder cut may have healed up, but the suit’s damage is a serious concern.”

“Correct, he can’t accept more assignments with a damaged costume,” All Might agreed with the diligent student. “Presentation is always vital for heroes. Regardless of how exhausted or battle-worn you are, you have to maintain a good appearance for clients. It gives off at least the impression of professionalism and assurance.”

Mineta scratched his ball-covered head. “Think he’s got a spare suit then?”

Sero shook his head. “If his cost anything like ours, on a desk jockey’s salary no less, then I doubt it. Heck we’re still students.”

 “Hurry, honey!” Helen called from outside the room. “Or you’ll be late for work!” So he quickly stuffed the suit into his briefcase and walked out.

Aoyama’s eyes glinted, fingers at his chin. “Ah, perhaps the monsieur shall be heading off to have it repaired today.”

“Well, his workout has paid off,” Shoji added, “and that gives him something to do during his ‘work time’.” Two pairs of arms made air-quotes for the last part.

Then in the garage, Helen hugged him while the door slid open for the car. “Have a great day, honey. ”

“Thanks. ”

“Help customers, climb ladders... ”

“ Bring bacon? ”

Helen kissed his cheek. “ All that jazz. ” She then watched with a smile as her husband got into the car and drove off apparently for work.

Ashido and Hagakure swooned over the lovey-dovey interactions while Bakugo grimaced. “I’m gonna be sick…”

Uraraka, Asui, and Yaoyorozu meanwhile traded conflicted looks. “I’d be able to enjoy these moments more if I didn’t have to think about Bob lying to her this whole time,” the creation hero confessed to her classmates.

“Same, ribbit,” Tsu nodded. “I doubt she’d be this happy if she knew the truth.” A glance at the male faces closest to them showed they had similar reservations.

Uraraka sighed a bit. “Well… at least there aren’t any real problems right now. So maybe it can work somehow.” She wished she could sound a little surer.

Bob’s new car then drove up to some larger estate with tall white walls and a metal gate that had laser beams for horizontal bars. It stopped next to a booth with a screen, likely meant to address visitors.

“Woah,” Kaminari commented, “that looks like some sweet tech there.”

“And the one that owns it all must be loaded,” Sero added. “Wonder what kind of support the heroes used to get there.”

Midoriya shivered slightly. “I’m sure whoever they are, they’re nowhere as…” he racked his brain for the nicest word to describe a certain member of the support class before settling on, “spirited as the ones we know.” A tick mark popped up on Iida’s head while Uraraka’s stare turned blank. They knew exactly who their friend was referring to. “They’re probably calm professionals.”

The screen booted up to show a dark-skinned man in shades. “ You have an appointment? ” he asked.

“ I’m an old friend. I just wanted to... ”

But the man was unfazed.   “All visitors are required to make a reser-“ He suddenly threw up both hands and stumbled out of the frame.

Bob watched perplexed as a little woman in a dark dress and short black hair in a bowl cut chased the guard away. “Hey, get back to work! Go check the electric fence or something!” She then pressed her face up to the screen, revealing large round glasses with black rims over tiny, flared nostrils.

The students jumped at the sudden shift before recoiling when the woman’s face got that close. Todoroki was among the first to recover, cocking a white eyebrow towards a stunned Midoriya. “…Calm professionals, you say?” The green-haired boy could only chuckle embarrassed while scratching his head.

Mina on the other hand looked a little closer. “Hey… I think that woman was front row at the wedding, too.”

“What, like a guest of honor or something?” Jiro asked.

“Or she could have been a personal friend of the couple.” All Might offered. “It’s not uncommon among pro heroes and support designers either.” Mic nodded in agreement, ruffling through his ID cards with a sly look.

“What is it? Who are you? What do you want? ” Bob simply pushed down his sunglasses a bit so she could see his eyes. “My God, you’ve gotten fat. Come in, Come, come! ” The lasers deactivated and the gate opened, allowing him to drive up to the manor.

“Ex-cuse me?!” Kirishima barked insulted while the rest of the Bakusquad cracked up. “Don’t go dissing all the hard work behind his super-manly routines! He was a lot worse off than he is now!”

Midoriya paused in his own snickering to point out, “She still let him in pretty quickly. So their friendship’s intact, I’d say.”

The two were then shown walking down a white hall, priceless vases displayed in both walls. “Yes, things are going quite well,” Edna Mode mumbled in a bored tone as she powerwalked on her tiny legs. “Quite well. My God, no complaints. But, you know, it is not the same. Not the same at all.”

“Wow,” Mineta squinted at the screen, “I think she’s even shorter than me. And that’s saying something.”

Bakugo cast a side eye towards Present Mic. “So, who’s this extra, sensei?”

Mic flipped up a card. “Edna Mode, fashion designer without equal for Supers! Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and Frozone are just a few names among the heroes for whom she provided top-notch suits in their line of work.” He pushed up his sunglasses to squint for a closer look, then added, “Oh, and tiny bit of trivia in case you were wondering about her accent, she’s half-Japanese and half-German.”

The viewers ah’d collectively in comprehension. “America, the big melting pot,” Aizawa mumbled his own two cents.

Midoriya added the character to his notebook. “So, she really is -or was- the main support for the heroes, then. I imagine Ms. Mode had to enter some form of retirement with the law as well.”

“But she appears to have a distinguished taste.” Tokoyami gestured towards the vases lined across the room. “Add that with the property and the advanced security, and it seems that she is quite well-off despite superheroes being banned.”

Iida raised a hand. “What sort of work would she be doing now, I wonder, that finances such a lifestyle?”

Bob asked, “Weren’t you just in the news? Some show in Prayge... Prague?”

“Milan, dahling. Milan.” They walked into a wider room. “Supermodels. HA! Nothing super about them. Spoiled, stupid, little stick figures with poofy lips who think only about themselves.” She made a disgusted sound before gesturing towards a proud statue/waterfall surface. “I used to design for gods!”

Yaoyorozu nodded. “Oh, she’s a designer for regular clothing now. I suppose that’s only a logical step for using her skillset in the current situation.”

Hagakure shifted closer. “She doesn’t sound happy with her current arrangements, though. Looks like Bob’s not the only one missing the glory days.” She puffed her cheeks (not that anyone could see it). “I used to wish I could be a model.”

“You ain’t missing out on anything, See-through,” Bakugo said over Jiro’s smacking Kaminari and Sero upside the head for not-so-subtle daydreaming. “The midget was right on the money about models, no wonder she misses the old days.” He flashed a little smirk. “I’m starting to like her.”

“Now I’m officially scared,” Kaminari quipped, rubbing his cranium. His “friend” just growled an irritated warning.

  She then turned back towards her old friend with a sly grin. “...But perhaps you come with a challenge, eh? I was surprised to get your call. ”

As she approached, Bob held up his suit. “E, I just need a patch job. ”

Edna accepted the costume and began inspecting it, mumbling,  “Hmm. This is megamesh. Outmoded, but very sturdy. And you’ve torn right through it!” Her eyes, wide at how easily her arm slipped through the opening, narrowed toward the man. “What have you been doing, Robert? Moonlighting hero work?”

“Bingo,” Aizawa answered.

“Uh,” Bob’s eyes darted away, “m ust have happened a long time ago. ”

Todoroki eyed his seating neighbor skeptically. “Does he really think she’d buy that?”

“Doubtful,” Midoriya shared his expression. “She knows better than anyone what that suit is capable of withstanding, so she ought to have an eye for how fresh the tear is.”

Momo chimed in with, “Besides, if it happened long ago, then why would Bob want it repaired now after fifteen years of inaction? That seems a little too suspicious.”

“I see.” E didn’t sound convinced, but her attention turned back to the clothing. “This is a hobo suit, dahling, you can’t be seen in this!”  She shoved the suit disgusted into a trash chute before walking away. “I won’t allow it! Fifteen years ago, maybe, but now?”

“Hobo suit?!” Kirishima called out in outrage. “That suit’s manly as heck!”

Jiro shrugged at the scene. “Lucky for him, she’s focusing on the fashionista side of her work.”

“But that’s kind of harsh,” Kaminari replied while side-eyeing his agitated friend, “throwing away the suit he likes that much.”

Yamada smirked. “I can think of someone who would get that same kind of label for his choice in cloth-OW!” He rubbed the back of his head from the smack an irritated Aizawa gave him.

Bob quickly fished it back out. “What do you mean? You designed it.” He pleaded.

 “I never look back, dahling.” Edna seated herself at the O-shaped table. “It distracts from the now.” Her gaze sharpened in thought. “You need a new suit. That much is certain.”

Ashido quickly started patting her horn buddy on the shoulder. “See, Eijiro, it’s all good. Bob’s going to get a new suit, one that’s probably even manlier than the last one.”

Everyone else perked up at the prospect of a Hero getting a new suit. A smiling Izuku flashed back to his very first one, homemade by his mother, further upgraded over the course of the semester. But it would always have his family’s contribution at its core. All Might himself reminisced happily over the many different versions of his costume. Each one had been a sort of marking point of reaching a new level.

Bob’s new suit isn’t just a sign of him restarting his Hero career, the onetime Symbol of Peace mused. It can be a symbol of his growth.

“A new suit?” Bob slumped defeated into a chair behind him. “Where the heck am I gonna get a new suit-“

Edna interrupted him. “You can't! It’s impossible! I’m far too busy. So ask me now, before I again become sane.” She looked away from him with a puffed lower lip.

Sero snorted. “Before I again become sane? Not exactly the most encouraging thing to say to get someone on board with your work.”

“Is she trying to encourage or dissuade him?” Ojiro wondered semi-seriously.

Hagakure giggled. “I bet she’s just playing hard-to-get.”

“Wait…” Bob gave her a look. “You want to make me... a suit?”

“Oh,   you push too hard, dahling! But I accept.” She was grinning broadly.

“Push too hard, yeah right,” Aizawa grumbled in exhaustion. “That woman’s practically badgering him to let her make a new suit for him.”

“But how can she be that excited?” Sato wondered. “Seeing as being a Super has been illegal for years now, it’s likely a crime to create any Super-related gear.”

Bakugo scoffed. “If the alternative’s coming up with skimpy clothing for some wimpy supermodels, getting a chance to make real badass clothes again is worth breaking some shitty law. Besides,” he waved a finger near his skull, “she’s obviously nuts.”

“’Eccentric’ is the word, Bakugo,” Kaminari joked. “Poor people are called crazy or nuts, rich people are eccentric.” Yaoyorozu gave him a slight stinkeye for that comment, which then shifted to one of mock-betrayal when she noticed Jiro and Uraraka snickering.

Aoyama rose to his feet in a pose, proclaiming, “She is an artist as well, a woman who has dedicated herself to a craft. Her enthusiasm to return to her true passion is to be lauded, no less because it will undoubtably make Monsieur Incroyable dazzle all the more!”

Their teacher just sighed at the collective enthusiasm of the class. They’re not unaware, I guess. I’ll let it slide, but we’re refreshing proper following of laws later.

The designer quickly pulled open a drawer by the table and pulled out a sketchpad and pen. Clicking on the latter’s button, she proclaimed, “It will be bold. Dramatic!”

“ Yeah… ”

“ Heroic! ”

The students all grew more and more invested in the plans being drawn up, even those like Asui, Tokoyami and Todoroki having their curiosities piqued. The teaching trio traded amused glances but understood their elation.

Every single person in the room knew this wonderful feeling of planning how they would look as a Hero.

“Yeah, something classic, like,” Bob brightened at the memory of one hero, “Dynaguy! Oh! He had a great look! Oh, the cape and the boots-“

A crumpled-up ball of paper bounced off his forehead. “No capes!” E glared at him before turning back to her block.

The sudden non-sequitur deflated the excitement. “Uh…” The male members of the Bakusquad droned in confusion

“…BLASPHEMY!!” Aoyama finally shrieked in outrage. Jiro hissed from the high pitch before glaring at her classmate, but the Francophile was too busy crossing his arms in front of his chest. “No! Unacceptable!”

Iida chopped his own hand at Aoyama in admonishment. “Aoyama! You are being unnecessarily loud during this scene-“

“Look who’s talking.” The speedy student shot a side eye at an unrepentant Bakugo while he continued. “And weren’t you praising her not even a minute ago for being a proud artist, Sparkles?”

“That is a different matter!” Aoyama shot back in defiance. “I applaud her drive but cannot condone her fashion choice!” He spun in place, showing a trailing off cape like he would in costume. “A cape is a symbol of splendid heroism, a sign of triumph! Why, even the great All Might wore one in his earlier costumes, right up to his Silver Age version!”

“True…” The hero mumbled deadpan (though Aoyama swelled with pride nevertheless); he had enjoyed the sensation of a cape fluttering behind him during his adventures, but the young man’s enthusiasm made it hard for him to say it outright.

Besides, there had been a few little… difficulties with that accessory…

“ Isn’t that my decision? ” Bob’s eyebrow lifted in amusement towards her.

Her eyes narrowed over the edge of her pad. “Do you remember Thunderhead?” A proud hero was shown in front of dark clouds, wearing a blue costume of varying shades and a long cape. “Tall, storm powers. Nice man. Good with kids.”

Midoriya’s hand blurred as he copied the information down. Asui glanced alongside a couple others at Mic, but he shook his head. “No card on him.”

“Wonder what’s so important about him, then…” Jiro mumbled.

“Listen, E -”

Edna jumped onto the table without her notepad, raising a finger towards him. “November 15th of ‘58.”

A dwarfish supervillain with an eyepatch was shown cackling evilly with a detonator in hand, then he took a sudden punch to the face that knocked a tooth and his lights out. “All was well, another day saved when...” The scene shifted to Thunderhead on a rocky outcropping, pushing a missile aimed at the city towards the open sky. He then cockily bowed to a blond girl in a torn white dress.

Mineta nodded in approval. “Quality work from a pro,” he said with a straight face. And eyes trained on the lady.

Ashido scrunched her face in disgust before her eyes caught hold of a little detail. “Hey, isn’t his cape snagged on-“

“… his cape snagged on a missile fin. ”

The projectile took off. And Thunderhead along with it, leaving behind his boots and a high-pitched scream. No one could be sure if it had come from the damsel or the hero.

The kids jumped at the sudden launch, then some burst in laughter. They felt guilty about their reaction to a hero’s death, sure, but the black comedy behind how he got caught and the scream mitigated it.

It’s a kid’s movie, and they call it “black comedy” for a reason.

“Moron,” Bakugo cackled.

Jiro paused in her giggles to eye Kaminari and Mineta cruelly. “Better pay attention, boys, or the same thing might happen to you.”

The blonde smiled cheekily. “Maybe to shortstack with his cape,” he thumbed over to a betrayed midget, “but not me! My jacket’s nowhere near long enough.”

All Might dabbed at his bloody lips with a napkin before adding his own two yen. “Watch yourself, Young Kaminari. Even I’ve had some trouble with my cape every now and then.”

“Really?” Midoriya turned to him with more than just adoration for once. “I remember there being a supposed occasion where you were fighting Razor Tooth and suddenly jerked backwards with a ‘Ggrkk!’” Uraraka and Iida burst out laughing again at the scrunched-up All Might face their friend pulled. It then shifted back to normal. “Is that true?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny,” His idol patted him playfully on the back, drawing another laugh from him.

Aizawa loomed over a cheeky-smirking Mic. “One word,” he growled quietly enough that none of the others could hear. “One. Word. About that one time with my cloth, and I. Will. End. You.”

His best friend shrugged all while keeping that damnable smirk.

A straight-faced half-blanchette, half-redhead turned to a certain classmate. “Still want to keep that cape, Aoyama? Jokes aside, it could cause you trouble.” The addressed simply turned his nose up with a huff.

Tokoyami, on the other hand, drummed a finger against his beak in thought. He’d had a few initial stumbles with his cloak…

Bob tried to reason with the designer. “Thunderhead was not the brightest bulb...”

E cut him off again. “Stratogale! April 23rd, ‘57.” A young girl in a caped superhero costume was seen righting a plane in midflight, then she moved to the side where she could wave at the passengers. “Cape caught in a jet turbine.” She was abruptly pulled backwards with a gagging sound, then one of the passengers winced as an alarm rang out.

Every single person cringed at that scene. That… was not a funny way to go.

“Stratogale... went in headfirst, didn’t she?” Kaminari asked hesitantly, face scrunched up in horror. Aoyama, Yaoyorozu, Koda, Midoriya, Uraraka, Jiro, and Hagakure (sort of) looked pretty green right now.

“Yup…” Bakugo himself didn’t feel right at the thought. “Least it was quick, then.”

“ E, you can’t generalize about these things -”

But she was nowhere near done. “Meta Man, Express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex!” A series of clips played, depicting the rather nasty ends of all these unlucky heroes before the scene returned to a closeup of Edna’s resolute face. “NO CAPES!”  

“A-All right, Miss Mode, we get it!” All Might called to the screen as more students went for the restroom or nearest trash bin. Needless to say, everyone grew to understand just why the designer was adamant about this rule.

Aoyama in particular had grown ashen faced. He rubbed his arms and shook in place. So many heroes that fell, not even to villains or while saving lives, but from a simple accident with their wardrobes… “A-a-are… are capes that l-life-threatening?”

Everyone, even the more stoic or… confrontational members of his class looked to him in sympathy. They had all given some thought to adding a cape to their costumes at one time or another. It’s an awesome accessory, no argument there. Momo had decided to add a cloak to her winter gear partially because she appreciated the sense of style.

But this sequence of heroes dying because of their capes, that was… a painful lesson. Some like Midoriya or Iida or Uraraka opened their mouths before shutting them again. What could they say?

Aizawa sighed again, this time in sympathy, and made to speak again. Then he stopped in slight surprise.

Surprisingly, it was a certain student with a bird’s head that placed a comforting hand on the cheese-loving student’s shoulder. “They…” Tokoyami’s breath hitched but he pressed on. “They can be. If we’re careless with our costumes, they can burden us. Maybe even cause us… lethal trouble. But the same can be said of a mask slipping on our faces or boots weighing us down.” Dark Shadow emerged as well, a strangely encouraging glow in his yellow eyes. Tokoyami nodded to him before continuing. “The lesson here is not to never wear capes, my friend. It’s to be mindful of what we wear while performing our duties.”

“Y-yeah!” Mineta ran over with a shaky smile. “I mean, it’s scary what happened to all those superheroes, but I wear a cape, too, and it hasn’t gotten in my way yet. Not for you guys either, right?” Aoyama managed a shaky nod, followed by Tokoyami. “There we have it, Tokoyami’s right! We’ve just got to be more careful with our capes!”

“Mine’s technically a cloak, but yes.”

“Oh, you know what I mean!”

Fresh laughter heralded a lengthy applause from the rest of the audience for the two unlikely lifters of spirit. Aoyama was among those who applauded the loudest, but Tsuyu gave Tokoyami a happy nod and Aizawa had a genuine smile on his lips as he clapped. These kids…

Once the applause had died down, Midoriya then had one last suggestion. “If you’re worried about your cape but still want to keep it, Aoyama, maybe you could consider a breakaway cape.”

“Quoi?”

“A breakaway cape, Young Aoyama,” All Might took over his protégé’s explanation, “is fastened a certain way that lets it stay on normally but comes off once you tug it tightly enough. I’ve experimented with that myself a couple of times.”

The boy’s eyes dazzled brightly once again as everyone went back to watching the show.

“ Now, go on. Your new suit will be finished before your next assignment. ”

“ You know I’m retired from hero work ,” Bob tried again.

“As am l, Robert.” She looked back at him with a sly smile. “Yet here we are.”

Shoji nodded. “Yeah, she’s smart enough to know that you don’t ask for a hero suit if you’re not going to seriously be a hero again.”

“But she’s still on board with the idea,” Uraraka added, “despite the risks. They must really go back a ways, considering E was at Bob and Helen’s wedding, too.”

“E,” he said one more time, “I only need a patch job. For,” he offered her his old suit, “sentimental reasons.”

“Huh?” Sero scratched his head. “Why’s he still talking about the old suit? Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool and all, but he’ll be getting a whole new suit.”

Bakugo scratched his chin before an idea came. “He’s giving her an excuse.” Everyone looked to him in confusion. “If some government shithead sees Incredible back in action and gripes to E about it, she can claim that she just patched up his old suit.”

Other ah’d at the logic, then Koda wondered, “And he might be telling the truth about sentimentality…”

“Most likely,” Mic assured him. “I’ve still got my Hero costume as a student somewhere in my home.”

E sighed. “Fine. I will also fix the hobo suit.” She snatched the costume and walked up the stairs.”

Bob called after her with a laugh, “ You’re the best of the best, E. ”

“Yes, I know, dahling.” True to her word, she didn’t look back. “I know.”

Sato huffed a laugh. “She’s not a humble one.”

Aizawa shook his head. “I’ve seen bigger egos.” Nevertheless, he was impressed. Both with the realistic undertones in the film and with how his students had shown such care for one another. Oh hell, I’m getting hooked up on this movie after all, huh?

“Well,” Kaminari shrugged. “We’re gonna see later whether or not she’s earned. Gotta say, though, she’s pretty tame compared to some of the guys from the Support Course.”

A certain trio of students felt a collective tremor down their spines. Watching Edna interact with Bob had been fun, but they had a bad feeling that more was coming down the line with her future scenes. Maybe it was just lingering trauma. Maybe it was something more…

Chapter Text

I do not own The Incredibles or My Hero Academia, they belong to their respective creators. I mean no disrespect towards Brad Bird and Kohei Horikoshi. This story is purely for amusement, no copyright infringement intended whatsoever.

Helen was now shown hanging shirts in their bedroom’s closet only to notice something. She plucked a single, long, silver hair off of her husband’s suit jacket, eyes widening. It definitely wasn’t one of hers.

“Uh oh,” Jirou muttered. “Looks like Bob’s secrets are about to be blown out of the water.”

“But how did Mirage’s hair get onto his jacket?” Sero scratched his head in confusion. “You don’t think that she-“

An eerie hiss cut the tape hero off. “No.” Mina Ashido intoned, something haunting reflected in her black eyes that sent shivers down some of the others’ spines.

One of said others, the one who had known her the longest, racked his brain until coming up with a sensible solution. “M-maybe it just came loose and fluttered onto him?” Kirishima quickly babbled out, flinching as twin acidic pits of darkness focused on him. He noticed Kaminari and Sero shooting him thumbs-up from behind her as encouragement and rallied. “Y-yeah, they shook hands goodbye and the hair happened to fall on his jacket…”

The pink girl stared him down for what seemed the longest time. Then she took a breath and continued in a thankfully calmer voice. “…Yeah, that’s probably what happened. I refuse to entertain that possibility.” Shipping was serious business for the Alien Queen. Thankfully, she was appeased for now.

More than a few sighed in relief, and Red Riot received plenty of pats on his once-again unhardened back for abetting the storm.

“A single strand of hair, and the first cracks appear in her trust of him…” Tokoyami intoned to bring the topic back on point.

And then the phone began to ring. Still visibly concerned about the hair, she made to get the phone when Bob’s voice rang through the house. “I got it, I got it!” Helen paused in her action but visibly suspicious. “Don’t answer it, honey, I got it!”

“And that kind of behavior is bound to widen those cracks, ribbit,” Asui noted.

Inside his office, Bob sat attentive at his desk, huddling over his phone. “Hello?”

“ We have a new assignment for you ,” Mirage replied from her base.

Sato scratched his head in confusion. “Okay, was Bob expecting that call? If so, how?”

“Mirage probably arranged it with him prior to his heading home,” Ojiro offered. “Seeing as she acted like they’d ask him to work with them again, and he was obviously eager…” he trailed off with a shrug.

Helen finally picked up the receiver, accessing the call, in time to hear an unknown woman’s voice.   “How soon can you get here?”

“ I’ll leave tomorrow morning , ” Bob answered, making his wife start.

Aoyama somehow posed and winced at the same time. “Poor timing for the madame…”

“Why?” Todoroki raised an eyebrow in confusion at the flat gazes sent his way. “What? All Helen heard was her husband telling a woman over the phone that he’ll leaving- Oh. Nevermind, I get it now.”

Bakugo rolled his eyes in annoyance, grumbling, “Only half-and-half can be real smart and dense as fuck at the same time…” under his breath.

“ See you there. ”

Bob leaned back beaming in his chair, eager for his next Super mission. “Goodbye.” He set down the phone, spun around in his seat, and made for the door. He opened it to find Helen standing in front of him, arms crossed in front of her, flat look on her face.

“Uh oh,” Kaminari muttered at the woman’s expression.

Then she smiled. “Who was that, honey? The, uh, office?” She placed a hand on the doorway.

“Alright,” Uraraka cheered, “she’s not accusing him of anything yet, she’s giving him a chance to explain himself.”

“Very thoughtful of her,” All Might nodded in respect. “Helen understands she doesn’t know the context behind what she overheard, and she’s willing to give Bob the benefit of doubt.”

Momo chewed her lip. “It’s all the more impressive considering the obvious questions around that hair strand she found. Helen has every right to expect him of having an affair.” She quickly waved her hands to forestall her friend’s indignation. “N-not that I suspect Bob of that, Mina, I agree with Bakugo’s earlier assessment of his loyalty. It’s just… the evidence points toward it…”

“Another conference,” Bob replied quickly with a thumb behind him. He worked his way around Helen while continuing to lie.“Short notice, but you know...duty calls.” He laughed nervously before walking past her.

Helen kept her smile until he stopped looking at her, then it fell away as she eyed the inside of his office warily.

Shoji shook his head. “Too bad Bob doesn’t take the chance, which of course furthers her suspicions.”

“He’s in too deep anyways,” Aizawa added with his usual frown. “Helen’s sharp enough to realize something’s going on even if it isn’t an affair. Parr coming clean about being basically unemployed save for performing questionably legal hero service these last few months puts not only their marriage but their covers at risk.” He scoffed. “I can’t say I like it, but at this point, keeping his mouth shut will be less of a hassle.” A couple others murmured agreements to his assessment of the tricky situation.

Midoriya averted his eyes from the screen, shame creeping in about keeping his own secrets of One for All. His mentor had similar thoughts. At this point, he’d been hiding the truth about that Quirk for so long and persuaded the young boy to do the same, it was second nature. It’s for the best, Toshi told himself. One for All remains the best weapon against All for One in part because it’s not common knowledge. Young Midoriya’s doing the right thing.

His stomach still felt a hundred times heavier, though, while watching.

The next morning, Bob, dressed up in suit and shades, slipped into his sleek new car, ready to leave. He started up the engine while the garage door slid upward behind him. Then Helen still in her bathrobe walked to his door. “Bob?”

It wasn’t just the girls who felt sorry for the housewife as they saw this scene.

“ Yeah, what’s up, honey? ” He fiddled with the rearview mirror, not really addressing her.

Helen clearly wasn’t happy, but she drew in a deep breath and bent over to give him an encouraging smile. “Ha - have a great trip.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” Bob glanced behind himself to check the driveway was clear. “I’ll call you when I get there.”

Iida sprang up from his seat, hand chopping in fury. “Show some more sensitivity, Bob Parr! Your casualness is highly disrespectful to your loving wife!”

“Plus, she’s likely feeling like her worries are being justified with how he’s acting,” Uraraka sighed. She knew all too well what it was like to put on a smile even when it felt so hard.

All the while, Todoroki had kept only one eye and ear visible during these scenes.

“I love you.” He paused at her words. “So much.” Helen added with a hint of desperation.

Bob turned back to face her, sliding down his shades in the process, and said, “I love you too. ” He leaned out to give her a kiss, then drove smoothly backwards out of the garage and onto the street. Helen gave a hesitant wave at his departure.

Ashido sighed with a tinge of sadness. “Really wish I could enjoy the romance here…”

Not even the old joke of covering innocent eyes (Midoriya and Uraraka) was attempted here. Bakugo finally let out a large grunt. “C’mon, it’s a Disney film, you morons. The sad moments never last, so don’t go opening up any waterworks.” His words, abrasive as they always were, did help lighten the mood again. Including his own, not that he’d ever admit it.

Shota simply leaned back in his seat, content that he didn’t need to step up.

The scene changed to a dark manta-themed plane drifting high above the ocean.

Inside, Mr. Incredible leaned back in his chair, wearing the brand-new red suit E had designed for him. Instead of the old black and blue color scheme, this was a striking bright red with black shorts, gloves and boots. A gold-colored belt was buckled over his slimmer waist. The “i" had also changed in design from a large one stretched down his torso to a smaller one over his chest with golden accents circling it and a white dot. Only the black domino mask on his face remained the same.

Seeing the hero in his new duds loosened the prior tension even further. Kirishima was particularly enthusiastic about the new look. “Whoo, more red, more manly! He’s looking real better in shape, too!”

“All that exercising really paid off,” Midoriya agreed while sketching the suit in his notebook and comparing it to the old one. He tapped his pencil against his lower lip. “Honestly, I kind of like his new insignia more than the old one.”

“Me too!” Uraraka nodded, pointing at the screen. “The i being part of a circle makes it look more inviting than the one that just stretched down his chest.” While a few others murmured in agreement, including Iida slightly grudgingly, she turned to the former #1. “You’ve changed color schemes, too, right, All Might?”

He returned her smile. “Indeed I have, Young Uraraka! Young Midoriya could surely give you a full slideshow presentation about the many costumes I’ve worn,” he paused to chuckle at his successor’s embarrassed stuttering, “but I have experimented with colors a fair bit in my time. Sure, I ultimately went back to my original, but trying a new look is an experience I recommend especially for you zygotes. You’ve already made slight altercations since first arriving here, and you are bound to upgrade more even after turning pro.”

He was enjoying shrimp with red sauce when a familiar mechanical voice queried, “This Is Your Automated Captain. Would You Care For More Mimosa?”

The hero hummed in delight. “Don’t mind if I do.” He dropped his empty flute glass into a metal cylinder that rose up beside him and received a full one half a second later. “Thanks.”

“What’s a mimosa?” Kaminari asked out loud.

“It’s sort of a simple cocktail,” Yaomomo answered. “Champagne mixed with cool orange juice, though other citric juices are sometimes used. It’s often served at brunches, parties or on first-class flights due to not being as high on alcohol as wine or other beverages. Not bad.”

Present Mic nodded. “She’s right, me and Eraser have gotten that served a few times on after-mission or faculty parties where sake would’ve been a bit much. I prefer mine with lime juice instead of orange, though.” He flicked his finger to the screen. “Careful, though, listeners, you can still get a decent buzz if you drink too much of that stuff. Just ask your homeroom teacher.” Eraser grumbled at the chuckles that traitorous comment provoked.

Aoyama tilted his head with his usual sparkles. “Taking the shrimp appetizer and the open view into account, and the monsieur is certainly enjoying a first-class fight to his next mission.”

Rikido was meanwhile wondering if he knew any good seafood recipes.

“You’re Welcome.” The plane veered smoothly to the left and began to descend. Its passenger could now clearly see the same island where he had battled the Omnidroid.  “Currently 78 Degrees In Nomanisan,” the voice reported. “Perfect Weather For Flying.” Mr. Incredible smiled at the island’s beauty while approaching it.

As the plane flew over the dense jungle, slightly curving around the volcano as its altitude decreased gradually, the voice rang out again. “Please Fasten Your Seat Belt. We’re Beginning Our Descent.” Bob obeyed the instructions as his ride suddenly picked up speed a bit. One moment, they were nearly skimming the surface of the water before the beach, the next, they had dived into the water and swam underneath the beach towards a particular wall. It opened to reveal a landing pad which swiftly drained the water within while the doors slid back shut.

“Sweet tech,” Shoji commented, multiple eyes darting about to look at all the details. “I wonder how much work they put into all this.”

“The one who designed this island’s features in-universe, or the filmmakers?” Tokoyami asked.

“…Both, if I’m honest.”

A metal tube had extended to meet the plane, and as the Super undid his seatbelt, the door to his left slid open to reveal his seated employer. “ Hello, Mr. Incredible. Nice suit. ” Mirage greeted him smoothly.

Mina and Tooru shot stinkeyes at the woman/possible homewreaker.

Minoru on the other hand was quietly admiring her legs, though he kept a nervous watch that nobody notice it. Particularly his female co-students.

He rose from his chair, picking up a thin briefcase in the process, and smiled back at her. “Thanks. Nice to be back,” he glanced around the pod holding them both before sitting down opposite from her, “Mirage.” The pod closed and sped off on rails, carrying them through a tunnel just wide enough for the transport.

The pod then traveled outside through a jungle until it reached a waterfall hundreds of meters high. But instead of turning for another direction, the falls were parted to reveal a large spiral where pods could easily travel. A couple swirls later, Mr. Incredible’s ride was back in a dark tunnel, the man glancing about while still in conversation with Mirage. Two clamps took hold of the pod from either side before carrying it swiftly upwards.

Kaminari watched all of this with some awe. “Okay, Shoji’s right, this level of tech looks pretty sweet. Heck, those pod things alone would be pretty awesome even if it weren’t that waterfall system. They’re so sleek, so roomy.”

“Yeah, roomy.” Jiro gave a pointed look at Ashido and Hagakure. “You two can relax already, Bob’s been sitting on the opposite side of Mirage this entire time. He’s keeping it professional.” That did ease up their glares a bit, and though the earphone hero would never admit it out loud, she herself was relieved.

The scene changed to a more common elevator opening, showing Mirage explaining more. “You’ll be briefed on your assignment in the conference room at two.” Mr. Incredible stepped out to view the classy apartment he now found himself in while she remained in the elevator. “D Wing, room A-113.”

“2:00. Got it. ” He nodded to her before sauntering on.

“ See you there. ” Mirage smiled mysteriously at him just before the doors closed. He hadn’t noticed, casually dropping off his briefcase onto the bed and heading straight for the balcony. Plucking a pear from a nearby fruit bowl, Mr. Incredible took a bite and leaned against the railing to enjoy the view.

Sero whistled in appreciation. “Hero missions aside, I wouldn’t mind relaxing on that island for a couple days.”

“You and me both,” Mineta sighed while leaning back on his seat. “It’d be nice to explore the place without having to fight a giant killer robot.”

Jiro and Asui were silently waiting for the inevitable innuendo that would come from the little twerp any second and grew surprised when none came. Maybe he was finally starting to learn. …Maybe.

“Incredible isn’t there for a vacation,” Aizawa reminded them all dully, “and all of you would do well to remember, work first, play later. Assuming any of you have time to play with the work I give you.” He smirked at the many panicked assurances he received; this kind of fun was worth grading papers.

Back home, Helen was busy vacuuming the hallway next to Bob’s office. Then as the vacuum moved near the door, a weird rattling sound could be heard. She pulled it briefly away before sliding it back; same result. With a loud groan, Helen opened the door and followed the vacuum into the office even as the sounds continued.

Ochaco giggled. “Somebody hasn’t been keeping his room clean. Typical of boys.” The other girls promptly joined her in laughing at how affronted the class’ males grew (or pretended to in cases like Kaminari or just blinked in confusion like Todoroki).

Iida in particular did not appreciate his friend’s comment. “I take great pride in keeping my room tidy as well as organizing the cleanliness of our homeroom, so I must protest your comment, Uraraka!”

“While I respect your dedication, Iida,” Tokoyami then directed his class rep’s attention to the screen, “there is a greater concern looming on the horizon.”

Tsu nodded while others grew confused. “Helen’s in Bob’s room, which means she might stumble onto a clue towards her husband’s actions, ribbit.”

That comment stilled the humor among the rest. “Is it really that simple?” Todoroki tilted his head in thought. “Bob’s been able to hide his undercover hero work for months now, he’d be sure not to leave anything suspicious lying around.”

Then as he stepped near the display of Bob’s old super suit, her eyes inadvertently caught hold of an odd detail. He shut off the vacuum and leaned closer to the glass before gasping at the freshly patched tear on the left sleeve. “Edna.” Helen said to herself with a frown.

“Whoa,” Kaminari whistled impressed (and by that, not in a lecherous way). “She noticed the patch-up with just one look?”

“We’ve seen her pick out a piece of rubble and a single strand of hair before,” Ojiro pointed out, “and she’s lived with her husband for fifteen years, so she’s seen his suit enough times that she’d notice when something was different about it.”

Shoji scratched his masked chin. “For that matter, Edna’s probably the only person around that can fix a hero costume.” His frown was hidden by the cloth over there. “So, it looks like Helen is getting closer to the truth after all.”

One scene change later, Helen was on the phone in the kitchen. “I'd like to speak with Edna,” she asked pleasantly while glancing about.

“ This is Edna. ” A familiar voice answered.

“Oh, boy,” Sero winced. Looks like his multi-limbed classmate was right.

“ E? This is Helen. ”

“Helen who? ” E sounded honestly confused.

“Huh?” Hagakure made a confused sound. “Doesn’t she recognize Helen?”

“That’s kind of weird, considering she’d ought to remember her former clients… though she may not keep in contact with them as much as possible due to the law…” Midoriya frowned thoughtfully.

Uraraka gave him a deadpan stare. “You do remember how certain members of our own support group aren’t all that invested in remembering our own names, right, Deku?” The green-haired boy shivered at understanding who she was talking about.

Helen frowned. “Helen Parr? You know...” She took the speaker away from her mouth to sigh before returning it in exasperation. “Elastigirl.”

“Dahling!” The sudden exclamation startled Helen so much she accidentally loosened her grip on the phone and began to juggle it while Edna continued to speak excitedly. “It’s been such a long time after all these years! So long!”

Todoroki, Bakugo and Aizawa were the only ones who didn’t jump in surprise as well. Nor did they join in the following laughter of the rest. “Well, she may have trouble recognizing names, but Miss Mode isn’t lacking enthusiasm in speaking with her old customers again.” All Might coughed up amidst his chuckles.

Though three certain students felt a chill creep up their spines. Too much sitting next to Shoto, maybe?

It fell on the floor, but the retired heroine snatched it back up and spoke hastily. “Yes, yes, yes. It’s been a while.” She then cleared her throat to take a sterner tone. “Listen, there’s only one person Bob would trust to patch his supersuit and that’s you, E.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Edna replied from her end. She was lounging about in a dark, Japanese-themed room with a fireplace. “Marvelous, isn’t it? Much better than those horrible pajamas he used to wear.” She folded up a magazine on her lap and tossed it to a table.

A tickmark popped up on Kirishima’s head. “Horrible… pajamas?” His sharp teeth ground out insulted.

Denki patted his friend’s shoulder while mumbling, “Funny she calls the old Incredible suit that when she’s the one who designed it.”

“She takes that ‘never-look-back’ thing pretty seriously, I guess,” Jiro shrugged. “Who knows, maybe some of us will be saying the same thing about the costumes we wear now, ten years later.”

“Some of us may already be feeling that way about our first designs,” Todoroki muttered, making Midoriya glance away with cheeks reddening in embarrassment. Truth be told, though, the heterochromatic student had been referring to his own primary choice in costume. The whole ice motif had been a bit much, in hindsight.

“Uh... huh?” Helen was audibly confused.

Not that E noticed. “They are finished. When are you coming to see?”

Midoriya perked up from his blushing. “They?” Was she talking about what he thought she was talking about?

“ Look, I’m calling about... ”

“Don’t make me beg, dahling.” E examined her nails with a playful smile. “I won’t do it, you know.”

“Beg? Uh, no.” Helen clearly didn’t have a clue what her old friend was talking about. “I’m-I’m calling a beg-about suit.” She stuttered through her words before closing her eyes and trying again. “Ab-ab-about Bob’s suit! I’m calling about Bob’s suit!”

But Edna didn’t seem to have understood her inquiry. “You come in one hour, darling. I insist, okay? Okay. Goodbye." With that, she hung up, leaving behind a visibly frustrated, confused and suspicious Helen Parr.

The audience shared at least her confusion. “…Okay,” Sato finally mumbled, “I have no idea what Edna was talking about.”

“Join the club.” Mina scratched her pink hair. “And it sounds like a little too much for Helen to process at first, too.”

Yaoyorozu drummed her fingers against each other. “But one way or another, I feel like this is where she is going to find out what Bob has been up to. Interesting how something as simple as him having Edna repair his suit would be the thread that unravels his deception.”

“Most people consider that a cliché in stories, but the potency of tiny details like that does apply in real life,” her teacher replied. “Keep your eyes open. At the end of the day, regardless of what crime you’re solving, it’s the ‘little things’ that can help you put together the whole picture.”

As for Bob, he was walking through an oval hallway with light colors before turning right and heading down a more rectangular one towards black double doors. He opened one with a smile in greeting, only for that to fade. The dark room held a long wooden conference table with seats lined up on either side and a stylized “S” across its face… but not a single other person.

The viewers started at the perspective change before blinking at the odd scene. “Quoi…?” Aoyama tilted his head in confusion. “Has the monsieur arrived too early for his meeting?”

“Even if he did, there ought to be at least a couple of extras in the room,” Bakugo said in a relatively quiet tone. He frowned at the screen. “Something’s wrong here.”

Mister Incredible glanced up to the clock above the doors: sure enough, it was two o’clock. Humming in thought, he let the door fall shut behind him and stepped towards the table. He sat down in the closest chair, drumming his fingers while looking about.

Then the wall on the far side of the room retracted to reveal a brand-new Omnidroid.

Many of the students yelled “WHOA!” in surprise, Bakugo, Midoriya and even Todoroki instinctively readying their Quirks. The teachers themselves snapped into battle-ready modes, All Might taking on his muscle form; all three of them had been suspicious about this whole thing, but they hadn’t quite expected that.

Koda shivered as he stared worried at the TV, whispering, “…Another Omnidroid?!”

“And a brand-spankin’-new model, too, from the looks of it!” Kaminari barely held back an involuntary discharge.

Surprised, Mister Incredible tried to scramble out of his chair for the exit, but a claw snagged him. Next thing he knew, the hero was tossed out into the jungle. He bounced a few times in the dirt before colliding with a large boulder. “It’s bigger!” A new voice rang out on speaker as Incredible was grabbed again. The Omnidroid held him for only a moment before throwing him again, then grabbed him again the moment he stopped bouncing. “It’s badder! ” For the third time, Incredible collided with the ground with a grunt.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it's,” Then he was snagged as he tried to scramble away. “Too much for Mr. Incredible!” But this time, the robot didn’t settle for throwing him around. Instead, it hoisted its captive to head level, made two of its unused claws spin like propellers, and brought the whirring blades dangerously close to his neck. A captive Mr. Incredible gritted in anticipation before frowning up towards the unknown speaker. “Whoa, whoa!”

“Damnit,” a deflated All Might muttered to himself as he and the rest watched with rising concern. “That robot doesn’t just have a new color, it must be programmed with all of Mr. Incredible’s moves. It’s not giving him any chance to recover let alone fight back.”

Iida was looking all over the screen. “But who’s that voice speaking? Is it the man who gave Mirage her orders after Incredible defeated the previous Omnidroid?”

“Yeah, that’s definitely the same voice.” Jiro had moved her jacks closer towards the TV’s speakers. “And… there’s something about it… I think we’ve heard it before even earlier than that.” She shook her head after a moment, jacks swinging. “I don’t know.”

And with one last “Whoa!” a man in black and white swooped out of the sky on boots with blue flames coming from the soles. “It’s finally ready!” A black cape rippled behind him while his chest presented a large “S” in white. A domino mask covered his eyes between red hair styled upwards like a flame and an excited grin. “You know, I went through quite,” he tapped a button on his left metal gauntlet, causing the claws to stop spinning and have Mr. Incredible be brought closer to him, “a few supers to get it worthy to fight you, but man,” the man chuckled before leaning closer to his captive, “it wasn’t good enough!”

“…So, the villain of the story makes his big entrance,” Sero commented. “Flashy duds.”

Mic clicked his tongue while shuffling through his cards. “Hairstyle’s not half bad, either, I’ll give him that… ah, here we go!” He held up one card while speaking. “While he hasn’t given us his name yet, I think it’s safe for me to introduce him: Syndrome, Supervillain in a world without Supers! Armed with a genius intellect and a knack for inventing advanced technology, he’s as prepared to fight heroes as he hates them.” Aizawa gave him an inquisitive look, prompting his friend to shrug. “All it says on the card.”

The eraser hero hummed with a heavy frown. That “hates heroes” part was bound to be elaborated on soon.

“Syndrome, huh?” Hagakure tilted her invisible head. “Guess we know what the S stands for.”

Todoroki glared at the newcomer. “And he’s the one who designed the Omnidroid and had Mr. Incredible brought in. All that talk about them losing control of the previous model was just a ploy to pull Bob out of retirement and lure him to the island.”

“And doesn’t it sound like Bob wasn’t the first one to fall into his trap?” Ochaco brought up in concern. “He said, ‘quite a few supers,’ right?”

“He did,” Midoriya nodded to his friend while jotting down information into his notebook. “Plus, it sounds like he was preparing the Omnidroid specifically to fight Mr. Incredible.” He frowned at his newly written “Syndrome” page. “The question is, why?”

Bakugo growled. “We’re gonna find out, Deku, so just shut up!” He was itching for a fight.

“After you trashed the last one, I had to make some major modifications. Sure it was difficult,” he conceded with a shrug, “but you are worth it. I mean, after all...”

He smirked as his volume lowered. “I am your biggest fan. ”

That little sentence made everyone freeze. “What…?” A certain green-haired fan whispered in mounting horror. His pen slipped from rapidly numbing fingers.

Mr. Incredible was surprised, too, as his eyes narrowed in recognition. “… Buddy? ”

The man’s smirk turned into a frown as he made to tap a new button on his gauntlet. “My name is not BUDDY!” The last word came out in a furious shout while Bob was unceremoniously dropped to the ground. He fell with a grunt in front of a giant stone.

“And it’s not lncrediboy either!” Buddy declared while landing on his rocket boots. He strode closer to his former hero who was trying to get back up. “That ship has sailed.”

The audience watched and listened to all of this in collective shock. And fear. “…No way…” Mineta finally whimpered. “That fanboy in the prologue… is the villain of this movie? No…” his hair wobbled as it shook from side to side, “they can’t be the same guy, right?”

“…No, it’s him,” Jiro muttered, eyes wide as saucers. “I didn’t notice until now, but… I’m positive they have the same voice.”

Tenya stared at the boots the villain was wearing. “Those are his rocket boots… they’re a sleeker model of the ones he showed off to Incredible after following him into the bank.”

“A-and… who else…?” The others collectively turned with rising concern to the speaker. “Who else would know how to build a robot so effective against heroes… against Mr. Incredible…” a trembling Midoriya whispered in mounting horror. “Than… the one who’s his… n-number-one fan?”

The future Symbol of Peace couldn’t look away from the villain on the screen. The anger in his posture, the spite in his voice directed at the superhero he had idolized in his youth… Midoriya hadn’t felt this terrified since that time he’d encountered Shigaraki at the mall. He drew in a long breath to steady himself, then managed a shaky smile to the many concerned looks he was receiving. “L-let’s keep watching.”

Still, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, Asui and even Todoroki kept a very close eye on their friend. As did All Might, slightly scooting closer to his protégé. One other, too.

“All I wanted was to help you. I only wanted to help!” Buddy spread his arms out in anger. “And what did you say to me?!”

The scene shifted into a flashback of that night inside the robbed bank. “Incrediboy” stood in the exact same pose, but Mr. Incredible turned away with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Fly home, Buddy. I work alone. ”

Kaminari frowned at the screen. “Hold up… that’s not how the scene went. Where’s Bomb Voyage?”

“And Mr. Incredible may have said those words,” Yaoyorozu agreed, “but he never made that posture or looked away, he was busy restraining Bomb Voyage at the time.”

“He’s rewritten his own memories.” Shoto shook his head, a darker part of himself fairly familiar with that practice, unfortunately. “Bud- Syndrome’s probably replayed those words so many times that he’s warped the situation he heard them in… shaping it better to justify his anger.”

Shoji scratched his chin again, this time with more disdain. “…Does he even remember the rest of that night? Him flying off to get the police, getting an explosive snagged onto him by Bomb Voyage, and Incredible jumping after him to save his life?”

If he does,” Aizawa growled from his spot, “then it’s likely been twisted so he thinks he did nothing wrong.” He couldn’t help but notice one boy still shivering.

A young Buddy was now glaring upward in his room, still wearing his costume but without the mask. Incredible toys and memorabilia lay all around him. “It tore me apart. But I learned an important lesson.” He then ripped a massive picture of his idol off the wall and hurled it away. “You can’t count on anyone.” A grown Buddy hissed at his target. “Especially your heroes.”

Izuku Midoriya flinched from the venom in the man’s words. The feeling of disappointment, helplessness, being cast aside by the hero he had admired more than anything else in the world…

For just a brief time, he had known all of that. And maybe, just maybe… the resentment of others who seemed blessed to be great, to become heroes when he couldn’t. People are not born equal, that simple truth the budding hero learned at age four reverberated inside him. Is… is this who I could’ve been if All Might hadn’t changed his mind about me?

Bob had propped himself up against the stone. “I was wrong to treat you that way,” he said sadly to the younger man. “I’m sorry.”

All Might briefly glanced away from the screen, shame creeping into him as he recalled a moment only over a year ago. To those words he had spoken so bluntly to a little boy hoping he could still be something worthwhile even without a Quirk. I thought I was letting him down gently, but… his blue eyes focused on his counterpart. Was I any better than Bob?

“See?” Syndrome rolled his eyes in dismissal. “Now you respect me, because I’m a threat. That’s the way it works.”

“…I don’t think I have anything to say other than how messed up that statement sounds,” Jiro mumbled, still shaken by the reveal.

Another remark from Syndrome that bit into both holders of One for All, but it also had an effect on the one other watcher aware of their secret. Bakugo leaned back, trying not to let his own unease about respect through being threatened show. He didn’t need babying.

Incredible was panting from the repeated tossings and this revelation when he noticed a hefty looking log close by. “Turns out there’s a lot of people, whole countries who want respect.” The hero slowly inched toward it while Syndrome continued to talk. “And they will pay through the nose to get it.”

Sato leaned closer in confusion. “What is he-“ Then his eyes widened. “Oh, he’s getting closer to the log so he can use it as a weapon.”

“Not only that,” Tsu was sitting a little straighter, “but he’s making Syndrome monologue, too, so he doesn’t realize, ribbit.”

A smirk began to play on Tokoyami’s beak. “Just like what Incredible and Frozone reminisced about that night in the car.” That memory improved the mood of many sitting there, and they watched with bated breath.

“ How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons. And now I have a weapon only I can defeat. And when I unleash it, I’ll get- “ Then Mr. Incredible snapped forward the log, cutting him off. Syndrome barely dodged the projectile; it smashed into splinters against the Omnidroid’s leg.

Disappointment swept through the viewers, Sero and Kaminari swearing, “So close!” in unison.

“Bastard’s got some decent reflexes,” Bakugo growled next to them. Not to mention, he added to himself, he knows better than most how his hero fights.

The same thought went through quite a few others’ heads as anxiety returned. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight, everyone knew.

The villain then pointed his index finger at a charging Mr. Incredible, trapping him in a strange energy field. “You sly dog!” He snickered. “You got me monologuing! I can’t believe it.” Then he spun around, pulling the immobile hero with him before slamming him against the rock.

“Quoi?!” Aoyama blurted out in surprise. An energy beam from the villain’s fingers? “I thought he had no powers.” He got out in confusion.

Yaoyorozu peered frowning at the screen. “…It must be another invention of his. Some kind of energy that captures its target?”

“It didn’t just capture Mr. Incredible…” She glanced over in worry at Midoriya’s subdued voice unlike that of his usual enthusiasm in analysis. “It froze his actions completely and made him light as a feather, allowing Syndrome to toss him around.”

Uraraka frowned, both because it reminded her a bit of her own anti-gravity powers, and because her friend’s eyes were glued to the screen. And not in a good way.

“It’s cool, huh? Zero-point energy.” Syndrome bent forward over Mr. Incredible’s snarling head. “Yeah, I saved the best inventions for myself.” Another energy beam caught hold of Bob, hurling him high. “Am I good enough now?!” He was free for only a moment before the next beam captured him and tossed him towards the ground. Then he was caught again. “Who’s super now?!” Syndrome snarled angrily between his attacks.

The students winced in accordance with every time the hero was slammed against something. All Might, too, was growing concerned. “Syndrome’s not letting up for a second. Like,” his words hitched for a second but he collected himself, “Young Midoriya said, he knows better than most how Bob fights. He’s not going to give any openings.”

“Plus, he’s got the Omnidroid on standby,” Mic added, mouth set in a cold frown. “Even if Incredible manages to get the upper hand, that bucket of bolts will jump in for its own fun.”

Bakugo clenched his jaw. He couldn’t believe a top hero like Incredible would be having so much trouble with some Quirkless geek with a grudge. Then again… he sighed to himself.

“I’m Syndrome! Your nemesis and-!” The villain pointed dramatically into the air… before doing a double-take. Turns out, his last move accidentally sent Mr. Incredible hurtling away into the jungle. He rolled his eyes with a grumble. “Oh, brilliant. ”

“…Lucky for Parr, though,” Aizawa facepalmed, “he can always count on the rule of villain monologues. Especially with a lunatic like Syndrome.”

Two other students had leaned closer to each other to discuss similar thoughts. “Syndrome doesn’t strike me as someone who actually knows how to fight,” Todoroki murmured.

Iida gesticulated in agreement. “Indeed, he’s certainly familiar with that zero-point weapon he built, but he would have little practice in actually battling heroes if those he lured to the island were as out of practice as Bob.”

“That’s assuming he actually confronted them and didn’t leave them to his robot.” Bakugo snorted from his spot. “Guy’s never been in a real fight before.”

The super had crashed into a river leading towards a smaller waterfall. He surfaced quickly and pulled himself coughing from the water onto a rocky outcropping. But he had no time to rest as Syndrome soared through the skies towards him. Mr. Incredible rushed without hesitation and jumped off the waterfall just as his airborne adversary launched another zero-point blast at him. He dived into the waters far below.

“All right,” Syndrome removed from his left gauntlet a slim piece of technology with a circle at the top, “try this one on for size, big boy.” He tapped the circle, causing a red, audible beeping to emanate from it, then dropped it into the falls.

Koda shrank back in his seat fearfully. “Bomb?” he whispered.

“Probably,” Sero gulped before forcing a triangular smile. “B-but hey, it’s a real tiny one, how powerful could it be?”

“The one from Bomb Voyage wasn’t that big, either.” Jiro pointed out, already moving her earphones into place. “And that one caused a train wreck.”

Mr. Incredible caught sight of it while it sank slowly past him, eyes widening in comprehension. He whirled about in the water, bubbles escaping from his mouth, and swam as quickly as he could away from the bomb. His path took him into an underwater tunnel.

The bomb continued to blink, up to the point it hit the bottom and detonated. A geyser erupted high into the air, nearly reaching Syndrome’s perch. The concussive force travelled through the water into the retreating hero. He was promptly swept up with the power and blasted into a grotto.

Sero sighed at the many flat looks those seated around him sent his way. Jiro’s somehow sharp and flat at the same time. “Yeah, yeah, I retract my previous comment, but to be fair, it doesn’t look like that explosion killed Bob.”

Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Course it didn’t, Triangle Brain.” That fact was about the only relief some viewers could feel at the moment.

He landed hard onto the ground, groaning and coughing up water, but alive. Bob slowly lifted his head upwards…

And bolted in shock away from the skeleton he’d come face-to-“face” with.

The kids jumped as well at the sudden scare, even Tokoyami and Shoto. For most of them, this was the very first time they had ever seen a corpse. Fumikage actually refrained from making one of his trademark “edgy” comments.

The teachers had picked up a certain… tolerance to such gore, allowing them to pick up quicker on the clothes the skeleton was wearing. “That helmet…” Mic mumbled. “It’s too stylized to be for military… gotta be part of a hero’s-“ the words caught in his mouth as his thoughts went down a dark turn. “Oh hell…” Ojiro, Hagakure, and Shoji, the ones sitting closest to the teacher, glanced at him concerned by his whisper.

Panting, Mr. Incredible crept hesitantly back towards the corpse, noting its clothing and the odd visor in front of its sockets. Rubbing the dirt off the spot above it revealed a stylized “GB.” “ Gazerbeam… ” he mumbled in sad recognition, realizing what had happened to the missing retiree.

“…May I suggest a moment of silence?” Iida offered quietly to his equally shaken classmates. All accepted the proposal, even Bakugo, by bowing their heads towards the plasma screen and the deceased hero. Even if it was just a movie, they all felt Gazerbeam deserved this moment of respect. And Bob deserved some compassion for his discovery.

Aizawa and Yamada stilled at the reveal. Neither could help but flash back to the aftermath of that battle years ago. The rubble collapsing onto Shirakumo, Shota managing to fight on and defeat the bastard because of his words still pushing him forward… and then the two learning that Oboro had died amidst the rubble. And now they learned that another hero had been killed because of that maniac Syndrome.

Toshinori too was remembering the moment where Sir Nighteye, his former sidekick and friend, had passed. The sheer helplessness then reverberated now. But what sickened him the most was that unlike Mirai, Gazerbeam never had the chance to say goodbye to his friends or loved ones.

Most of all, Izuku shrank into his seat, bile and dismay rising in him at what Buddy, Syndrome, his counterpart had done.

Then on a whim, the living hero looked to the wall behind him. The last thing Gazerbeam would’ve seen before dying. He traced his fallen friend’s line of sight with his fingers and slid in front.

Sure enough, there was a single word burned into the wall. “KRONOS?” Mr. Incredible read out loud, eyeing the skeleton again before starting at a new sound.

The moment of silence ended with that fresh bit of information. “Kronos?” Ashido scratched her head. “Isn’t that Greek?”

Momo nodded. “One of the Greek Titans was named Kronos, yes. The father of Zeus and many other gods whom he all ate as infants because he feared one would overthrow him.”

“Turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy when Zeus grew up and paid him back, couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” Kaminari added before frowning. “But why would Gazerbeam in his dying moments carve the name of some mythological figure into the rock?”

“Obviously because that word has some relevance,” Katsuki grumbled next to his “friend.” “If Incredible finds a way out of that cave, and he will,” he added that part with a confidence that took the others aback, “that word might come in handy.”

“First he needs to get out of there,” Mezo pointed out while a freshly grown index finger pointed at the screen, “and from the sound of things, he’s about to get company.”

A tiny device flitted out of the pool he’d entered, scanning its surroundings with a blue screen. A red light and beeping emanated from it, then it flew deeper into the grotto.

“A mechanical probe to scan for Mr. Incredible, ribbit,” Tsu surmised along the rest. “Syndrome’s crazy,” she mentally slapped herself at how Midoriya tensed up before quickly adding, “but he’s not taking any chances.”

But Mr. Incredible was nowhere to be seen. The probe scanned Gazerbeam’s remains and the area around it but only gave the same negative reaction after a moment. Thus, it flew back out the way it came. Mr. Incredible peered out from behind the remains to confirm the coast was clear.

Denki whistled impressed. “So, he uses the c-” he bit on his tongue for second, then rephrased his words (scoring some sensitivity points in others’ books), “his friend to fool the probe into thinking he’s dead. Clever, and to think he came up with it on the fly.”

“You’d have needed a couple minutes for that, right?” Kyoka teased him, earning a grumble from the blonde. “But is that trick really enough to fool tech like that?”

“Depends on how thorough the scan is,” Aizawa murmured thoughtfully. “Syndrome’s built some advanced toys, but that probe of his only took a couple of seconds. Could lead to it missing Incredible.” It said something about how invested he’d grown in watching the movie himself that he didn’t object to his students crossing their fingers and voicing quiet prayers.

High atop the waterfall, Syndrome awaited his creation’s results. The probe affixed itself to a slot in one of his gauntlets and reported, “Life Readings Negative. Mr. Incredible Terminated.” Syndrome smirked pleased at the result, then sauntered away from the edge.

The audience collectively breathed a sigh in relief. “It worked…” Midoriya breathed out, the color in his voice reassuring his friends and teachers as well. With how silent he’d been, they’d worried that the young hero had been too shaken by the truth behind Syndrome to enjoy the film. But it looked like he had recovered.

The truth was, though, Izuku was trying with all his might not to shiver at that delight on the villain’s face, the pleasure at believing the hero he’d idolized was now dead. For just a moment, the boy had seen his face in place of Syndrome’s… it terrified him.

Meanwhile, Helen was having a much less violent meeting.

“This project has completely confiscated my life, dahling,” Edna Mode explained as they walked down a flight of stairs. “Consumed me as only hero work can. My best work, I must admit.” They reached the bottom and walked down a dark hall. Lights activated as the women passed, illuminating models of super suits in both walls. “Simple, elegant, yet bold. You will die.” E waved a slim pointer to emphasize her words.

The scene change did even more to levy the mood, Midoriya only one of a couple slumping back relieved in their seats. After the heavy drama Bob was now in, this was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Even if Uraraka felt a slight foreboding. Call it a hunch, but…

“ E, I just... ”

Helen’s attempts to speak up went unnoticed. “I did Robert’s suit, and it turned out so beautiful, I-I had to continue.”

Aoyama’s eyes sparkled. “Ah, so she did indeed make more hero suits besides the one for Monsieur Bob! I had a hunch, but now it is true! Madame Helen shall soon be amazed.”

“Or aghast!” Iida countered, chopping his arm in disapproval. “Superheroism is regrettably still illegal in that world, Miss Mode has no right to enable the couple by making another suit for Helen!”

“The woman sees herself as an artist, and artists often don’t themselves be stopped by something as trivial as the law,” the flamboyant student countered with one of his trademark poses, the word “trivial” making Iida sputter in outrage until the others shushed him.

Helen tried again with a firmer tone. “E, it’s great to see you, but I gotta tell you I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just-”

Edna finally turned to her with an intense gaze. “Yes, words are useless.” She flapped her free hand about like a chattering bird. “Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble! Too much of it, dahling. Too much! That is why I show you my work.” She pointed her tool straight at a perplexed Helen. “That is why you are here!”

Mic eyed his old friend from the side. “Bet you agree with her about there being too much talking.”

“Especially when you’re around,” Aizawa shot back, drawing a laugh from his colleague.

She then turned around to rapidly tap her pointer into a special code by the door. Next came a hand scanning, she pulled down her glasses for a device to check her eyes and finally spoke clearly into a microphone. “Edna Mode.” A double-barreled machine gun suddenly sprang out from the ceiling, its sights trained on Helen. She snapped into a defensive stance before E added, “And guest,” nonchalantly. The gun promptly retracted into its space.

“…Sweet security.” Kirishima mumbled in half-shock. “Does she really need it, though, when she’s just making costumes for heroes?”

“Depends on the material and other devices used for testing and the like, Young Kirishima,” All Might replied, his thoughts turning to the seriously expensive toys Dave would employ both for the retired hero’s equipment and for his own work. “Sometimes, added measures for warding off intruders are well warranted.” His wound ached at the memory of I-Island.

Three sets of doors slid open for the two to walk into a larger room filled with high-tech equipment. One side showed a drawing desk with paper and tools, and they walked past tables with outlines for people and spikes from the ceiling affixed over them. Helen watched a set of three torso models slide back into the wall as she walked by. Another piece of machinery that looked like a printing device folded into itself.

The students stared at the display of machinery with varying levels of curiosity; some like Yaoyorozu and Midoriya tried to puzzle out how certain devices would work for making hero clothes, others like Hagakure, Ashido, Kirishima and Aoyama wondered what sort of designs Edna may’ve come up with in her time, and one or two like Bakugo just wanted to move past the boring stuff and see something exciting.

“Come. Sit.” Edna directed her to a low coffee table with tea set on top and two swiveling chairs. She sat down in one and poured a cup of tea. As her guest cooperated, the smaller woman offered her the cup. “Cream and sugar?”

“ Thanks. ”

They swiveled around in their chairs towards a viewing room separated from them by glass. “ I started with the baby. ” Edna began her explanation.

“Started?”/”Baby?” Midoriya and Uraraka repeated in unison before looking away with matching blushes at the accident. Not that it stopped some classmates’ eyes from glinting in delight.

“ Started? ” Helen did not sound happy with that word, either.

“Shh, dahling, shh!” A tiny baby model in a smaller version of Mr. Incredible’s current suit came out of an opening of the viewing room. “I cut it a little roomy for free movement.” The model was perched onto a metal beam while its stubby hands and legs mimicked crawling actions.

Mina inadvertently cooed at the (mechanical) little tyke before realizing the significance.

Conflict marred Momo’s expression. “On the one hand, it does look adorable…” she admitted, gnawing on her thumb. “But on the other… the implications about a baby performing hero work…”

Edna continued to explain to an increasingly worried Helen as their seats moved alongside the display. “ The fabric is comfortable for sensitive skin …” Then the entire display went up in flames.

The entire audience jumped from the sudden eruption, some like Kaminari and Hagakure yelping in shock. Even the teachers were visibly surprised. And a little horrified.

Helen watched in fright as the model’s definite form and more importantly its clothing could still be made out through the inferno. “…And can also withstand a temperature of over 1000 degrees.” E was sporting an utterly manic grin now, her glasses reflecting the flames.

The diminutive woman’s expression triggered a series of haunting memories for Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida, all surrounding a certain student from the support class.

Then the flames receded, and E turned professional again. “Completely bulletproof.” Four machine guns rose up to fire at the “baby” but didn’t leave a single tear in it or the suit. “And machine washable, dahling. That’s a new feature.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Jiro mumbled with eyes wide in fear. “Because what Helen really cares about in a hero suit isn’t that you can pump it full of lead without damaging it but that she can throw it into the washing machine.”

Ochaco leaned very slowly over to her fellow victims of support class madness. “…Do I sound crazy when I worry about Hatsume performing the same tests on us?”

“If by ‘us,’ you mean she wouldn’t bother using mannequins to display her ‘babies’ but force us to try them out?” Her secret crush whispered back. He received a frightful nod. “Then no.”

“You are most certainly not crazy, Uraraka,” Tenya agreed, a haunted look behind his glasses.

Helen stared aghast at the display before asking, “What on earth do you think the baby will be doing?!”

“Doing child labor at a steel factory?” Sero offered.

“Crawling into active warzones?” Kaminari suggested.

Yaoyorozu turned to them horrified, earning the two boys head slaps from Jiro, while Bakugo scoffed. “Taking down villains, duh.” That of course did little to placate the well-off girl.

“Well, I’m sure I don’t know, dahling.” E shrugged. “Luck favors the prepared.” The wall opened to allow the mannequin to “crawl” out of sight. “I didn’t know the baby’s powers, so I covered the basics.”

“ Jack-Jack doesn’t have any powers ,” Helen countered as the designer sipped her tea.

“No?” She paused at that before shrugging. “Well, he’ll look fabulous anyway.” With that, the chairs and table slid back to their original spot so quickly Helen nearly slipped off her seat.

Todoroki stared for the longest time at the screen before finally speaking. “…Sitting in those chairs for too long is bound to give you whiplash.”

Now, that was just an honest observation, no humor intended. But somehow those words coupled with his usual deadpan tone triggered a series of snorts that erupted into full-blown laughter within seconds. All of Class 1-A just laughed long and hard for a little bit, joined by a coughing All Might and snickering Present Mic while Aizawa just shook his head so no one could see his smirk.

All the while, Shoto Todoroki just stared confused at his friends leaning against each other, holding their sides from the sheer amusement. …Was it something I said?

Bakugo for his part would never forgive himself for succumbing to the mirth caused by one of his biggest rivals, but at the moment, he couldn’t help himself.

Finally, their homeroom teacher cleared his throat loud enough when everybody had calmed down somewhat. “Now then, how about we get back to the movie, with, y’know, Edna Mode has apparently making superhero costumes for the whole Parr family?”

“Oh yeah.” Sato’s chuckles slowly died down. “E said she started with the baby…”

Edna, on the other hand, was unfazed, already presenting a new, boy-sized mannequin wearing a smaller version of Bob’s current suit. “Your boy’s suit I designed to withstand enormous friction without heating up or wearing out. A useful feature.” The display was performing running motions at high speed all without damaging its clothes.

Iida adjusted his glasses for a better view of the suit. “Impressive…” he mumbled, comparing the friction resistance to that of his own suit. That reminds me, I should have a word later with my costume suppliers about updating the fabric so it can handle Recipro Turbo.

Then once again they returned to their starting point. “Your daughter’s suit was tricky.” This time, a female doll wore a suit whose gloves stretched up to its elbows and the boots went past her thighs. “But I finally created a sturdy material that will disappear completely as she does.” Two large contraptions folded out on either side and channeled an electrical current through it; sure enough, the entire display, clothes included, turned invisible within a second.

Jiro whistled impressed. “Okay, she might be nuts, but props to Edna for making that thing.”

Hagakure squealed in frustration. “Oh, come on! Vi can shut off her invisibility and has another power, and now she gets a suit that turns invisible along with her, so she doesn’t have to run around naked?!” She crossed her transparent arms with a huff. “I’m so jealy right now!”

“Who knows?” She whirled around to a head-scratching Mashirao. “Maybe with another year or so, one of our own colleagues in support can make you a suit like that.”

He then flinched back with reddening cheeks as the invisible girl leaned over him. “Really, you think so, Mashi?” She asked with such hope that he could only nod hesitantly, drawing a delighted squeal from her (and neither noticing the frantic, slightly desperate head-shaking and negative gesticulations from Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida).

Third time’s the charm, the duo was brought back to the beginning, where a slightly bigger version of the previous suit awaited. “Your suit can stretch as far as you can without injuring yourself and still retain its shape.” Two sets of robotic arms grabbed hold of the hands and feet, then simultaneously pulled and twisted their holds like in a taffy machine. “Virtually indestructible.” Two missile launchers sprang up and discharged their payload, but the suit had sustained zero damage throughout this presentation. “Yet it breathes like Egyptian cotton,” E whispered almost reverently.

Helen stared at all this with an open, silent mouth, and Edna finished her demonstration by pulling out a red device with an antenna on top. “ As an extra feature, each suit contains a homing device, giving you the precise global location of the wearer at the touch of a button. ” She passed the housewife the device, which displayed an image of the globe on the screen before zooming in on their location when Helen pressed the black button.

Yaoyorozu perked up at the second part of the demonstration, recalling an earlier adventure she had taken part in. “Remarkable though the suit’s durability is, I admit the homing device feature is very clever. With something like that, we could find any member of our hero teams who are lost or captured by villains.”

Bakugo’s jaw clenched a few seats away from her, but the others were more focused on talking about this kind of idea. “How come real hero suits don’t have homing devices?” Sero asked out loud.

The teachers shrugged and replied as one. “Tight budgets.” Their expressions were so flat no one could tell if they were joking or sincere.

“ Well, da h ling? What do you think? ” Their ride came to a stop.

Helen scoffed in disbelief. “What do I think!? Bob is retired! I’m retired!” She put down the homing device and stood up, obviously not happy. “Our family is underground!” She began to pace in her frustration. “You helped my husband resume secret hero work behind my back?!”

Uraraka winced at the mother’s outrage. “Yeah, I can’t blame her for being unhappy about all this.”

Bakugo on the other hand just rolled his eyes. “For cryin’ out loud, so what if Bob’s been doing hero work behind her back? He’s got bigger problems to worry about right now, like taking down Syndrome.” Midoriya stiffened again at hearing that villain’s name, but his childhood friend continued without missing a step. “And before any of you gripe about him keeping secrets from her or breaking that stupid law, I bet she wouldn’t be making this much of a fuss if she were the one putting on the suit.”

Before an argument could break out, Kaminari quickly hit the play button, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Well, I assumed you knew, dahling,” a still seated Edna replied not quite so innocently. She swiveled to look away from her. “Why would he keep secrets from you?”

“And that there’s the bigger problem than the illegal stuff,” Jiro sighed, sympathetic for Helen.

Helen flinched at that. “H-he wouldn’t,” she stuttered, “-didn’t-doesn’t.”

Yaoyorozu rubbed the side of her arm, sharing her best friend’s feelings. “Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true.”

E hummed in thought. “Men at Robert’s age are often unstable. Prone to weakness.”

Iida glanced away from the screen, shame creeping into his voice. “Not just at Robert’s age…”

He felt two hands patting his back and looked up to see Midoriya and Todoroki smiling at him in reassurance. And understanding, the grateful class rep noted.

“ What are you saying? ” She clearly didn’t like where this was heading.

“ Do you know where he is? ”

“Of... cours-“

Edna spun around to fix her with her stare. “Do you know where he is?”

Iida wasn’t the only male student growing uncomfortable with the conflict on Helen’s face. “Yeah,” Mineta scratched his spherical hair, “about that…”

Kaminari nodded at that before thinking out loud, “Is it me, or does it look like E’s trying to help Helen learn the truth?”

“Could be,” Kirishima cupped his chin. “She was pretty pushy about showing Helen the suits, and she must’ve known something was up when Bob showed up with his old super suit.”

“Woman’s crazy, but she’s sure as hell not stupid,” Bakugo agreed. “I bet even if she doesn’t know exactly what Incredible’s been up to, she’s bound to have a good idea.” His brows drew together while replaying the family’s suits’ display. The homing device… He’s got one, too…

Back on Syndrome’s Island, day had given way to night. Mr. Incredible had climbed to the top of a cliff and was peering over the edge. He then huddled back down as a pod of the same model that had transported him and Mirage hummed steadily by. He crouched, then pushed himself off the ledge and dived down through the air. Grabbing onto a palm tree’s trunk slowed his fall, then the hero dropped almost silently on top of a second one.

“Okay, back to Incredible now,” Mic mumbled, settling back into his seat. “Think he’s heading back to Syndrome’s base to find out what the guy’s planning?”

“Has to be. I don’t think Syndrome built the Omnidroid just to lure heroes to their deaths.” Eraserhead crossed his arms, noting with a pinch of guilt how Midoriya flinched again. “He mentioned during his little monologue he was planning to unleash it.”

Despite his own internal conflict and concern for his pupil, All Might concurred with the assessment. “The question there is where and why. And there’s no better place on this island to answer those questions than at the headquarters.” His eyes tracked his counterpart’s movements, nodding in approval before speaking up. “Consider Mr. Incredible’s actions another lesson, Young Heroes: sometimes, you’ll need to move with stealth on your missions. Make as little noise as possible and stick to the shadows before striking at villainy.”

While most absorbed this wisdom without complaint (Midoriya jotting it down for later), Sero gave his teacher a weird look. Funny how the hero who used to dress up like the American flag says to be stealthy. But what he said out loud was directed to his seating companions. “Should we repeat that slowly so you really understand the concept, Bakugo, or is that just a waste of time?”

The explosion he took to the face burned a fair bit. But the sounds of Kirishima, Ashido, Jiro, and Kaminari laughing, and maybe a few more snickers made it totally worth the pain.

Below him, the pod drew ever closer.

Two guards dressed like the one who had launched Incredible’s pod on his first mission sat inside, listening wordlessly to the radio chatter. Then came a heavy thud and the pod’s roof buckled inward slightly. The startled guards had no time to react as strong hands grabbed hold and tossed them out into the water one after the other.

Mr. Incredible flipped inside the empty pod, punched the warped roof back in place and pressed a button to shut off the radio.

Bakugo grinned pleased while others marveled at the slick fluidity. “He took them down like it was nothing, hell of a manly move!” Kirishima punched the air with a wide smile.

A few more seconds of riding silently came until the island’s main base came into view. But the way ahead led to a gate and checkpoint.

The audience’s anticipation grew, Ojiro muttering, “Okay, how are you gonna get past that?”

Two more guards were standing on watch when they noticed something flickering with light coming towards them out of the darkness. The object drifted closer to reveal it was the pod’s base minus the pod itself. They stared in puzzlement as it came to a stop, sparks flickering from the damaged circuitry.

A dull “Huh?” escaped Kaminari as he leaned towards the TV, his confusion only growing when he heard an anticipatory cackle from Bakugo.

From the darkness came a loud grunt. The guards snapped their rifles up at the ready just before something big hurtled upwards. It hung in front of the moon a just second before falling towards them, too fast for either man to evade.

CRASH!!

Mr. Incredible was already sprinting as the pod he’d uprooted ceased to wobble amidst the broken gate. Chatter sounded from one unconscious guard’s radio, but he ignored it in favor of hopping over the obstructions.

Class 1-A cheered at the hero’s successful gate-crashing, All Might smiling broadly along with them. “Couldn’t have done it better myself.”

“Don’t break out the champagne yet,” Aizawa drawled. “He still has to get inside the base.”

Bob slowed down as he drew closer to the base, keeping himself hidden in the jungle parts. Guards could be seen patrolling most of the complex’s outside, but none had noticed the hero yet. He slipped carefully among hiding spots until turning his attention to one grunt patrolling one of the upper parts. Mr. Incredible bent down and straightened again with a coconut in his hand. Testing its weight with a little toss, he then hurled it before ducking behind a tree. The projectile conked the guard on top of his head, making him fall off his perch. Another turned around to see his colleague sprawled on the ground and knelt to check on him, calling for help in the process.

“How clever!” Hagakure clapped her hands in applause. “Maybe I can use that trick on hero missions!”

“I’m still impressed by how quiet a guy as big as Bob can move around,” Jiro noted. “Sure, he’s worked off a lot of weight, but I’d expect a lot more noise, especially seeing as he’s running around in a jungle.”

“Well, the guards are probably used to the noise of a loaded jungle, ribbit,” Asui pointed out. “And it helps that they’ve most likely been told by Syndrome that Mr. Incredible’s dead, so they’re not expecting an intruder, ribbit.”

Midoriya shifted warily in his seat. “Here’s hoping they don’t discover the knocked-out guards or the broken gate too quickly.” Mr. Incredible needed all the luck he could get here.

Two more ran from their posts at his yelling, and Mr. Incredible promptly ran out from the jungle towards the large door they’d been guarding. He inspected the door for any way to open it, even knocking twice on its surface. The Super began to look worried at hearing the guards move back towards him when the door suddenly swung upwards with him on top. A vehicle glided out on rails, and he slipped into the base before it shut again.

Eraser was one of quite a few who blinked at the hero’s entry. “…Huh, good timing.” He then addressed his students. “In light of this viewing, I may throw you guys a couple of infiltration lessons, so pay close attention to Incredible’s actions. Fighting and rescuing out in the open are all part and parcel, but All Might has a point: sometimes, you have to get the job quietly.”

Bakugo grumbled something unintelligible under his breath at the stare sent his way and “his” squad’s snickering. Then Tokoyami cocked his head towards his teacher. “May we expect such good fortune as Incredible does during our lessons?”

“Luck’s always an erratic factor regardless of which side of the law you’re on, Tokoyami.” Aizawa smirked. “But in UA’s classes, it’s better you prepare for the toughest situations.”

Now inside the base, Incredible sprinted through a room where more pods sat idle and into one of the tunnels. A hovercart carried a pair of guards down a hallway just before a door slid open. Mr. Incredible peeked out and ran to the right when he saw the coast was clear.

Then a familiar stone door was opened just enough for him to take a quick peek. He then slipped into the room where he’d dined with Mirage, closing the door as quietly as possible. He ran towards the center of the room and before the wall of flowing lava, both statues on either side staring into nothing.

“Wait, the dining room?” Sato wondered out loud. “Why’d he go back there?”

Aoyama pondered this too before snapping his fingers. “Of course, it’s where he briefly saw Madame conversing with Syndrome before their dinner. He was inside… the… lava…” The boy’s normal flamboyant tone trailed off as his thoughts caught up with his words. “Oh, merde…”

“Great,” Kaminari slumped back in his seat, “so Syndrome’s secret lair is on the other side of the molten lava? How the hell is he supposed to get past that?”

“The flow opened enough for Mirage to enter the room that night, Charge Dolt,” Jiro reminded him. “There’s sure to be a switch or something that splits it open.”

For once, the blonde returned her flat look. “Uh huh, and how exactly is Bob going to find a switch that’s probably hidden and most likely needs some kind of special key or password to activate? Not to mention the longer it takes him to look around, the more likely guards are gonna show up and see him?”

The music-enthusiastic girl opened her mouth to retort… and shut it after a couple seconds. “…Touché.”

Mineta gave his friend and part-time perversion partner a brief look before getting back on track. “Okay, so he has to make his own way past it, but how? How does anyone besides Mirio-senpai get through a waterfall made of lava without getting roasted?!”

That question started a collection of mumblings throughout the students, the teacher not interfering; this, unfortunately, could prove a legitimate question later down the line for them. Yaoyorozu had pulled an encyclopedia out of nowhere and was leafing through it for any heat-resistant materials. “Would need to make greater quantity and quality than normal, and I’d have no way of knowing just how wide the flow is…” she murmured.

Then she and many of the others eyed perhaps the best counter to any extreme temperature situation in 1-A. “Could you freeze the lava solid, Todoroki?” Ojiro asked for them.

But the red-and-white haired boy shook his head, not taking his eyes off the obstacle. “If it was a pool, then maybe. But that’s a steady flow downwards. Even if I didn’t risk snapping off my fingers from frostbite, any portion I freeze would just melt away from more lava.”

“So, that rules out me melting a path through…” Ashido mumbled at the logic, slumping in her seat.

Uraraka glanced down at her fingertips before wincing. “Yeah, I wouldn’t be able to negate the flow without burning the flesh off my fingers.” She then turned to her green-haired friend while making a few air jabs. “Think you could punch your way through, Deku?”

Midoriya looked down at his fingers, trying to calculate the force needed for such a feat. “…Even if I could clear a path, at best it would only stay open for a few seconds before gravity and the lava’s mass close it back up again. And I’m not sure I can move fast enough in that time to reach the other side. Iida, maybe…”

“It would still be close, even for me,” his friend concurred, “and the sheer heat could still set my suit on fire. It’s not as resistant as Miss Mode’s clothing.”

“What about you, Bakugo?” Kirishima elbowed him gently. “Could you blast a tunnel in?”

The choleric scoffed. “Even if Deku can’t, I sure as hell can. …But the explosion I’d set off for a stunt like that would be like ringing a gong loud enough to tell every last guard in the place where the hell I am.”

All Might listened to all of these suggestions while weighing what he might’ve done in Bob’s place. In my prime, I might’ve been able to force a way through with a powerful enough punch and then rush through… Even in my glory days, I never challenged a volcano before. He then remembered how the room was structured. But maybe there’s an alternative…

Incredible frowned at his latest obstacle before running towards the head statue on his left. The entire rock was lifted up and flipped over so the hero could support its length. He then headed back for the lava and took a few steps back grunting all the way, statue still above his head.

Multiple eyes popped up all over Shoji to gape in shock. “Oh, don’t tell me…”

“He’s planning on charging into the lava while shielding himself with the statue!” Midoriya was starry-eyed at the solution before taking a more thoughtful tone. “But that plan depends on the resilience of the statue, if it melts too quickly, Mr. Incredible will be trapped, he’s also clearly straining to keep it above his head, will surely be running slower than usual…”

His closest friends eyed him with a fond sort of exasperation. “Are you admiring him or criticizing him?” Todoroki voiced their thoughts. All were silently relieved, though, to see their quirky friend back to his old self after stressing over Syndrome’s origins.

A pity it wouldn’t last…

Mr. Incredible drew in a few breaths before breaking into a sprint…

And the lava parted just before the statue’s tip would’ve sunk into it.

The hero bit back a curse as he stumbled with his massive weight away from an approaching Mirage. The woman was focusing on the binder in her hands when she started at hearing a sound of exertion. But all she saw was a giant statue having returned to its usual spot just a split-second ago.

A “Pffftt!” escaped Uraraka a second before Yaoyorozu and Jiro echoed that noise. In the trio’s defense, they weren’t the only ones laughing at the timing. “G-g-good ne-hews,” the zero-gravity girl bot out through her giggles, “he might have a way through after all.”

“As-s-suming he can keep the s-statue steady,” Midoriya wheezed out from where she was leaning against him.

From behind the rock, Mr. Incredible watched her walk away and ran straight into the opening inside the lava. But his path was beginning to close up again, forcing the big man to scoot sideways down the way lest he risk getting incinerated.

Everyone watched him with bated breath, many students sweating so much it was as though they could actually feel the lava’s heat (thankfully not Bakugo, otherwise they’d have needed to buy a new couch). “This is gonna be close…” Mic muttered.

Then he leapt out throughout the exit just before the lava closed behind him and his light source disappeared courtesy of a door sliding down over it.

A large, almost tangible, collective sigh of relief wafted through the living room. “Ribbit, I’m thirsty,” Tsu whispered before downing her glass of water in one gulp. She wasn’t alone.

Aizawa, Todoroki, Bakugo, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami didn’t fully relax, though. “He still remains in darkness,” the latter intoned.

His teacher gave him a flat look before adding, “Incredible’s job isn’t done yet.”

A series of floor lights snapped on in front of the wary hero, their path leading to a stylized desk illuminated by a light from above. Mr. Incredible walked cautiously up to the desk, sitting down in the chair and pressing a button. In response, the entire wall before him lit up into a computer screen, revealing he was on top of some podium. The screen requested “PASSWORD”.

“Okay,” Ashido noted, “Syndrome’s a cruel villain, but he’s got style.” Aoyama nodded (sparkling) in agreement.

“But how’s Bob supposed to figure out the password?” Kirishima wondered. “It could be anything.”

Midoriya was leafing through his notes, mumbling as he worked. “It’s definitely not Incredible,” his breath hitched but he pressed on, “not after what happened in his youth, but Syndrome wouldn’t just pick anything, it’d be something significant, easy to… remember…”

His words trailed off as nearly everyone came to the same conclusion.

Bob pondered while staring at the keyboard in front of him before realizing. He quickly typed in “KRONOS” and hit the return button.

The screen shifted to show him a list of words and icons next to each one: “ISLAND OPERATIONS,” “FINANCES,” “OMNIDROID METATRAINING,” and “SUPERS.” Bob smiled, his old friend having helped him even in death.

“Alright!” Uraraka cheered. “Gazerbeam helped Incredible figure out how to get into Syndrome’s computer!”

“And it’s all the more impressive when you think about it!” Midoriya was just as excited as his friend/crush(?). “Gazerbeam must have infiltrated the base himself and discovered the password and perhaps Syndrome’s plan before escaping!”

Todoroki nodded, his mind following the pattern of what must’ve happened. “But he suffered a fatal injury in the process and wound up in that underwater cave where Bob found him. He must’ve known that Syndrome would lure more heroes to his island, so he burned the password to the computer into the wall with his eyebeams before dying.”

“All in the hopes that one hero might stumble upon his remains and discover the clue,” All Might finished, proud both at the students’ piecing the events together and at his cinematic colleagues’ efforts.

Despite their differences, Aizawa shared his colleague’s feelings 100% right now. “And Syndrome either didn’t realize what Gazerbeam had done or didn’t think it important, so he never bothered changing his password.” He smirked to himself; gut-wrenching though the discovery of the hero’s bones had been, he had aided a fellow hero while possibly avenging his death. “That’s costing him now.” Oboro, Gazerbeam… you didn’t die in vain, the Erasing Hero inadvertently thought before coming to his senses. Heh, Pixar films…

At Edna’s house, the little woman was placidly sipping tea while Helen stood at the phone. One ring was heard, then a woman greeted her with “Insuricare.”

“Oh, hello,” the wife greeted, “this is Helen Parr. Bob Parr is my husband. I was wondering if you could give me the number of the hotel he’s staying at? The number I have is, uh, is no good.”

And any elation felt at Bob learning of Syndrome’s evil plan promptly plummeted at dread of what Helen was about to learn.

“Mr. Parr no longer works at Insuricare.”

Helen immediately looked nervous at the words. “What do you mean? He’s on a business trip. A company retreat.” Her hand gripped the telephone cord.

“My records say his employment was terminated almost two months ago,” the secretary replied.

The female members of Class 1-A sighed in united sympathy for the retired heroine. “And now the truth’s really coming out…” Though no one could see it, Hagakure’s face was twisted by the sadness in her voice. “Poor Helen.”

The boys and men said nothing out of respect. Give us another damn fight already, Bakugo grumbled what might’ve been a prayer.

Mr. Incredible scrolled down the list until reaching “SUPERS.” Accessing it revealed an image of a hero named Universal Man and basic information about him (including threat level) on the left, and an Omnidroid model, version 1, on the right. A red line reading “TERMINATED” flashed over Universal Man’s picture, then his file was replaced with that of a heroine, Psycwave. But only for a moment before “TERMINATED” flashed over her and she too was replaced. Thus began a series of superhero profiles appearing with each listing as TERMINATED, while every now and then, an Omnidroid model received that treatment. But come the next model, it returned to heroes again.

Sadness turned to mounting apprehension and even fear as everyone slowly grew to comprehend what they were seeing.

“N-no way…” Mineta trembled, this close to fainting. “H-he c-c-couldn’t have…”

“Wh-when Syndrome said…” Yaoyorozu stuttered out, hands in front of her mouth, “he’d gone through quite a few heroes…”

Iida tried to swallow a lump in his throat as he tracked the scrolling of TERMINATED heroes. “He wasn’t exaggerating… it was the opposite…” His brother in a hospital bed flashed before him, followed by the man who’d put him there.

A shivering Jiro almost fell backwards hadn’t an ashen-faced Kaminari caught her. “H-hey…” the former whispered before clearing her throat and trying again, “Hey… what model was the Omnidroid that Mr. Incredible fought, again?”

That question made everyone freeze up even more. “…Eight,” Todoroki finally breathed, still as the ice he could create. “Mirage called it the Omnidroid 8000… no way Syndrome built eight thousand versions of that thing, so…” he trailed off, reluctant to consider the implications.

Too bad a friend of his had already fallen down that rabbit hole. “S-so… there were at least seven models before…” Midoriya stared in dread at the heroes’ pictures and the word, “TERMINATED,” flashing over each one. “A-all of them… pitted against heroes…”

A shaken Helen returned the phone to its spot while E side-eyed her.

Mr. Incredible rose from his seat in horror as the sequence of TERMINATED heroes continued: Downburst, Hypershock (who took down the third Omnidroid model), Apogee, Blitzerman, Tradewind, Vectress… Gazerbeam was revealed to have defeated version 4 before being TERMINATED himself.

Bob had to close his eyes for a moment; he could barely stand this.

The entire audience shared the on-screen hero’s dismay. This wasn’t merely Syndrome carrying out a personal vendetta against his former hero… this was practically genocide. Dozens of heroes lured to the Island and killed by soulless machines. Not even… Tenya thought, his eyes trembling behind his glasses, not even Stain slaughtered so many…

More than a few were huddling together. Mina and Kyouka let themselves get limply pulled closer to Eijiro, Hanta and Denki; Mezo extended his arms to wrap around a trembling Koda, Fumikage, and even Dark Shadow; Mashirao’s tail curled around Tooru while a petrified Tsuyu even let Minoru shuffle desperately closer to the rest…

Even as he slipped out of reach from his… friends, Katsuki felt something swirling about in his gut, a chill down his spine almost as bad as that night… the night he’d encountered him…

And it wasn’t just the students who were shaken by this sequence.

The memories of Oboro and Mirai came again full force for the teachers, Shota’s eyes staring harder than even when he’d use his Quirk full force, cracks appearing in the lenses of Hizashi’s shades. But even that paled next to the agony warping Toshinari Yagi’s angular face.

They all understood exactly how it must have been for the men and women that made up their fellow fictional heroes. Many of them in the same situation as the Parrs, if not all, trying to get by in an ordinary world, hiding what made them special, perhaps wishing like Bob that they could get a chance to do something heroic again after all these years… and then getting an invitation from Mirage for exactly that. Help the government, protect the populace from a robot gone rogue, be heroes again.

All of it just a lie, one hero after another brought in to be hunted like animals so a madman could test his toy and make improvements on the rare occasion one of them beat the Omnidroid. All of this… All Might’s blue eyes trembled unblinking at this scene, all of this because I-because Bob didn’t take a little boy enamored with heroism as his ward?!

His heart practically stopped as he went over that thought again. Oh no… He forced his gaze away from the screen and towards where one particular student was seated. His worry skyrocketed at the sight.

Izuku Midoriya found he could neither stop trembling at the twisted version of a hero memorial before him, nor could he look away. “He killed them… He killed them all…” He could barely his friends’ grips on his arms, the firm squeezes to try and pull him out of this revelation… the people his counterpart had killed…

Edna slid back via her chair to where Helen stood. “So, you don’t know where he is,” she observed, holding up a familiar device. “…Would you like to find out?”

“Th-th-th-that’s…” Koda whimpered surrounded by his friends, “probably not that bad an idea right now…”

“…Or it could put Helen in danger…” Midoriya whispered dully to himself.

Mr. Incredible hurriedly typed in “ELASTIGIRL” and his wife’s data appeared on-screen. He stared intense at the spot next to LOCATION until UNKNOWN flashed in red, prompting a sigh of relief from him.

The sigh was echoed by nearly everyone in the audience. “Thank goodness,” Ochaco slumped in her seat. “Helen and the kids are safe.”

Sure, they knew Bob was still in a dangerous pinch, but the fear they’d felt lessened just a tiny bit at the knowledge.

But then another worrisome thought came to him, and “FROZONE” was next. His location was KNOWN.

And just like that, the fear returned full force. Especially when one of the girls gasped. “Mirage…” Momo said the name softly while the rest looked to her. “Back when we first saw her… she was following Bob and Lucius. And… she decided that they should switch targets.”

Kaminari stared at the assistant class rep, then back at the screen. “Right… Lucius was the original target. If she hadn’t figured out that Bob was Mr. Incredible…”

“Then Frozone would’ve been the one they’d picked up to fight the Omnidroid,” Bakugo finished his electric friend’s train of thought with rare hesitation. Not even he would scoff at this topic. “He couldn’t make any ice when he was just in a house on fire. If they had taken that fight into the volcano like with Incredible, then he wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

“And no one would’ve ever known what happened to him.” Midoriya covered his mouth as something swelled up in his throat. “Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet… all they’d have ever known was that Lucius had gone missing, just like with Gazerbeam.”

“And afterwards, Syndrome would keep luring more heroes to his damn island with no one, not even us, learning the truth.” Eraserhead glared at the screen with an anger he had rarely felt in his life. Especially because he knew just why his problem student looked so horrified.

And even more rarely, All Might and Present Mic shared this expression and emotion totally. “In the sickest way possible,” the latter growled, “Bob being picked for all this was a good thing.”

Finally came MR. INCREDIBLE, who had been listed as TERMINATED.

The word, damning though it had been in the previous sequence, thankfully didn’t have quite that same impact right now. “If Syndrome still thinks Mr. Incredible is dead,” All Might surmised, “then he still has a chance to stop whatever he has planned.”

“And Syndrome definitely has more planned than just wiping out retired heroes,” Shoto snarled, the temperature rising around him. Saying the latter out loud sickened him, but he had a feeling that it paled in comparison to whatever the villain’s endgame was.

Helen picked up the homing device and stared at it with trepidation.

Bakugo’s eyes narrowed at the machine and who was holding it before they snapped wide open. “No, don’t use it now!” He blurted out, shocking the Bakusquad next to him.

Mr. Incredible typed something new into the keyboard, and the screen now displayed schematics of the Omnidroid’s tenth version, its final design. OPERATION KRONOS stood in the bottom right, over a bar of three different phases. Worried, he clicked onto 1, and the computer answered his query.

Phase 1 was loading the Omnidroid into a rocket.

Phase 2 would have the rocket being launched from the island into a city.

And Phase 3 would be where the robot attacks the city!

This was when the sheer terror of the class finally reached its absolute climax. “He’s planning on letting that thing rampage through a city?!!” Kirishima yelled in revolted anger.

“Why, what’s the point behind that?!” Ojiro demanded to know, startling Hagakure. “Does Syndrome want to pin the blame on Mr. Incredible for the attack?”

“That can’t be it, ribbit, he still thinks Incredible is dead.” Asui sat tenser than ever by her spot. “Maybe he intends to draw out Elastigirl, Frozone and whatever other heroes he hasn’t hunted down?”

“No, that’s not enough, either,” Bakugo countered, a strange glint in his eye. “There’s something about Syndrome… he doesn’t just have a grudge against heroes… he wants to prove he’s better than them. That he’s better than Mr. Incredible.” No one dared to question how the boy with an even more explosive temper than Quirk could speak with such surety about the villain, what with how tense he was sitting.

Aizawa’s fingers dug into the couch’s armrest, the teacher having reached a similar conclusion about Syndrome’s thinking. “Either way, Incredible needs to stop this insanity now.”

And as the horrified hero watched, the screen finally shifted to a countdown for PROJECT KRONOS. Eight hours, ten minutes and forty-two seconds until the launch.

He turned to run out of the room as the seconds counted away…

Just as Helen activated the homing device. Its map activated to zoom in on Syndrome’s Island.

“Dammit!” Bakugo slammed his fist against his spot, an explosion erupting from his fingers.

Sero shrank back from the burst before glaring at the culprit. “Hey, what’s gotten into you?!”

“The homing beacon…” He and the others who hadn’t yet comprehended Bakugo’s reaction looked to a near-lifeless Midoriya. “The one in Incredible’s suit that Helen just activated… Syndrome’s bound to detect it.”

Simultaneously, the white spot in the i of Mr. Incredible’s suit started flashing. He stared at it in shock when lights flared on all around him. Ports in the concrete walls opened to reveal gun turrets that trained on him while the speakers blared, “Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert.”

The intruder being Mr. Incredible, of course.

Everyone watched in worry. Having come to the same conclusion when Bakugo shouted earlier, Yaoyorozu shared Midoriya’s apprehension, gnawing on her thumb. “Helen just gave his position away…”

Bakugo slapped his left palm against his forehead, too frustrated to direct it at the wife. “And now he’s a sitting duck.”

A turret fired something black that struck the hero in the shoulder. He pulled it off to find it was some kind of expanding black foam ball. Attempting to wave it off accomplished nothing, and the next bubble struck him from behind. He quickly broke into a sprint for the exit even as more bubbles struck the floor in front and behind him.

“Hey!” Mineta shouted indignantly. “That’s my schtick those damn cannons are doing!”

But the turrets were too numerous and fired too quickly. One struck his leg, making him fall down, then another struck the left side of his face. These expanded as well.

Mr. Incredible forced himself to his feet and continued running towards the exit while more and more bubbles were launched. His back was already covered, and he only made a few steps before he came to a halt again. And this of course allowed even more balls to affix themselves to him.

The viewers watched with bated breath, hoping the hero would be able to escape. But with each stumble, their hopes sank. “Getting hit from all sides by those things…” Kirishima growled in frustration. “Hell of an unmanly tactic.”

“But how can a couple of sticky little balls slow him down like that?” Jiro wondered. “The guy’s uprooted trees and stopped trains!”

“It’s most probably the force of their impacts and their expanding,” Iida surmised. “With the way they grow larger and stick closer to his body as well as anything they touch like the floor, it’s extremely difficult even for someone as strong as Incredible to shrug them off.”

Bob continued trying to fight, but no matter how much he struggled, his whole body grew more covered and the foam continued to expand. Finally, he collapsed as the pressure grew too much.

The last thing he saw before the black overwhelmed him was Mirage’s legs sauntering towards him.

The pause button couldn’t be pressed fast enough. Hearts sank at the capture of Mr. Incredible. To accurately surmise how crestfallen the viewers were: Mineta didn’t even bother admiring Mirage’s legs like he would normally. Heck, the teachers were all as frustrated as their pupils, more so because none of them could think of any way they might’ve been able to evade the trap.

But the one who’d taken this worst was one green-haired boy slumped over in his seat, staring despondently at his feet. Mr. Incredible… trapped in the clutches of a boy who used to worship him… a boy who’s killed dozens of heroes and is about to unleash a giant robot onto a city… He felt sick to his core. A boy who had his dreams crushed by his idol… and became a villain.

“Deku…?” He could feel Uraraka staring at him with more worry than he deserved. That name… the one she’d turned from an insult into something made him feel like a real hero.

She reached for his shoulder, but the boy lurched to his feet, slipping away from her hand in the process. “S-sorry, I-I-I’ll be right back,” he murmured while shuffling for the bathroom. Others were saying something, but the words couldn’t reach him. “Feel free to keep watching without me…” Then the door to the men’s room slid quietly shut behind him.

Practically the whole class jumped to their feet and made to follow Izuku; Ochaco, Tenya, Shoto and Tsu were the fastest, but there wasn’t a single one who didn’t regret their earlier teasing of their friend. Or the comparisons between him and… Buddy. All Might and Aizawa had risen as well; whatever his gripes with the kid’s recklessness, the Erasure Hero would’ve never torn into his ideals so brutally. And certainly not with such a twisted portrayal of hero worship gone wrong.

But then one said something. “All of you sit down, I’ll handle this.”

It wasn’t so much the words that stopped everyone in their tracks surprised as who said it and the tone he’d used.

Water poured down into the sink Midoriya was leaning over. He scooped it up and splashed it into his face again and again, but the thoughts from before wouldn’t stop rattling in his brain. The many comparisons between him and Bu- Syndrome were pinned before his eyes like pictures on a board, string connecting them all. The gushing, the dressing up like his hero, the babbling when finally standing face-to-face, the latching onto him…

Even now, when he looked at the mirror above the sink, he could see the villain’s vicious smirk reflected back at him.

He heard the bathroom door swing open and footsteps in his direction. The boy briefly glanced to the side to see who it was, then looked back down. “If you want to make fun of me or condemn me,” his voice sounded so hollow right now, “I won’t hold it against you, Kacchan.”

He received no answer, which was an answer in itself. “My whole life, I’ve dreamed of becoming a hero like All Might… someone who can save those who are in danger with a reassuring smile on his face. Being here at UA… getting a chance to try and fulfill that dream even though I’m…” he paused before sighing, “I was Quirkless… it’s been nothing like what I’d expected but ten times better than I could’ve hoped. Even with e-everything that’s happened since we started here, I-I still want to be a Deku who can save everyone.”

Midoriya couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. But the next ones were even more painful. “B-but now… looking at how B-Buddy went from wanting to be Incrediboy,” pain flashed through him, “and turned into Syndrome… someone w-who’s probably eliminated n-n-nearly every hero in h-his world… a-and laughed while doing it…” he was this close to hyperventilating now. “All because his hero rejected him.

“A-a-and I k-know it’s just a movie, those characters don’t really exist, b-but-“ His hands, banged up from all the times he’d overdid it with One for All, reached out grab hold of the sink lest his legs give out. The moisture in Midoriya’s eyes were practically a blessing because he couldn’t Syndrome’s reflection anymore. “But… what if All Might hadn’t changed his mind? What if I’d been left alone with my powerless body? Would… Would I grow to hate heroes? Would I be part of the League of Villains? Would I… be Syndrome?”

At this point, he wished he were anywhere but in UA. He wasn’t sure he deserved to be here in this amazing school.

Bakugo had been leaning against the door this entire time with an unreadable face. But now he pushed himself off and closed the distance. A single hand lifted towards Izuku’s head, and he flinched on instinct, all too familiar with the other boy’s explosions by now…

Puick!

He stumbled back with a yelp, cradling his forehead. Those tears almost spilled out.

Katsuki scoffed while retracting his flicked finger. “Don’t flatter yourself, Deku. You weren’t that Buddy bastard then, and you’re sure as hell not Syndrome. And you’re not gonna turn into him.”

Izuku stared in bare disbelief at the boy who’d given him such grief since the time they’d been little kids, but he continued as if he hadn’t noticed. “For one thing, you’re nowhere near as smart with tech as he is, not if that mess with your mom’s old TV is any sign.” A wet snort at the memory escaped Izuku before he could stop himself (Yeah, not my finest hour, he conceded. So much for saving the money for a repairman.), and Katsuki continued. “So, yeah, building a series of robots that can kill all kinds of retired heroes or some zero-point bullshit toy to beat someone like All Might? You’ve got a better chance of making pigs fly.”

“…Well, if I used One for All to throw them-“

“Shut it, I’m not done yet.” The amused smirk on Bakugo’s face fell away as he sobered. “Remember back when I had… a little trouble with that sludge bastard? That was right after you’d met All Might and learned his secret at the time, yeah?” He received a subdued nod and continued. “Heroes all over the place, pretty much gawking like dumbasses. Me trying to blow that shithead into the sewer. Your damn nerdy head was rattling full of being told you couldn’t cut it as a hero,” those red eyes flickered away for a second, “and with my ‘encouragement’ in there, too. …But even then, you still ran out to try and help me.”

The memories of that day flooded through Midoriya, pushing the tears back even more. Still, he looked down in shame. “For all the good it did…”

Bakugo clicked his tongue. “Sure, you would’ve blown it, but it got All Might to jump in and save us both. You were at rock bottom, Deku, a sad, useless nerd who’d just gotten his dreams crushed by his idol, and there I was, the guy who’d been blasting those thoughts into your skull since we were little, on a… tiny chance of getting suffocated by an actual crapface. And you still wanted to save me.” He crossed his arms. “Not that I needed any help.”

“O-of course not.” Izuku hastily said at the glare sent his way.

It sharpened, nonetheless, but not at him. “Buddy, on the hand, all he ever cared about was himself.” Bakugo thumbed back to the living room. “Seriously, the little dumbass shows up while Mr. Incredible is busy taking down Bomb Voyage and pulls him aside just to try and convince him he’d make a good sidekick?!” He scoffed in derision. “And it’s like the extras and Aizawa-sensei said, years later, he doesn’t even remember the fucking villain in the room or the big train wreck he helped cause. All he cares about is that Incredible said no to him.” Those arms crossed back together. “Be straight with me, Deku, what were your first thoughts after that whole mess was resolved but before All Might found you again?”

“I-I-I…” the boy stammered, mentally pushing through all the comparisons between him and Syndrome and finding easier than expected. Finally, he reached his recollections of that day and focused. When Bakugo started tapping his foot impatiently, he finally answered. “…I felt… sad that I couldn’t be a hero after all… but glad, too… glad for trying, at least… I was thinking about considering…” he winced while remembering his weak body then, “more realistic life options for me… then All Might showed up.”

Bakugo snorted. “Wuss…” Midoriya echoed the sound drawing a grin for a split second from his friend before he continued. “Meanwhile, Buddy whined to Incredible and the cops that had to bring him home that he could still be Incrediboy. Right next to people who were being picked up by medics from the fucking train he helped crash! Dammit, it’s kinda his fault that heroes had to hide among the extras for fifteen years, but he acts like he’s a fucking victim!”

The explosive-causing teenager looked his rival (and his oldest friend, though he’d never admit it) in the eye and delivered his conclusion to this talk. “So, yeah. You both started out as nerdy wannabes who got in over their heads when they met their heroes. But you’re not half as selfish as Syndrome, Deku. Or as nuts. So quit bellyaching about a couple things you have in common with him. ‘Cause you didn’t fall like he did, you turned into your own hero.”

Deku stared for the longest time at his future colleague, happier tears gathering in his eyes. But even as he cried, he nodded with all the newfound strength he could muster. Because if Kacchan said he wasn’t Syndrome, then there had to be some truth to it.

It might’ve been a trick of the bathroom lights, but he thought he could see a smile on Bakugo’s face through his crying. But a split-second later, it was gone. “Hell,” those red eyes drifted away from Midoriya’s, “I’ve got more in common with that bastard than you do.”

Izuku wiped his eyes clean and blinked in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, Deku,” Bakugo rolled his eyes despite the distaste welling up in him. “A bad temper, need to show off, flying off the handle when we don’t get what we want…” Those words Syndrome had snarled rang in his ears. “Now you respect me, because I’m a threat.” Damn it all, Katsuki was now considering what a shitty villain had said. But… would I even have any respect for Deku… if he hadn’t been trusted with One for All? Would I take the time for this shit… if I didn’t see him as a threat to being number 1?

“Maybe.” That word made him snap his head up in surprise, but Deku stared back at him with the kind of steel in his eyes that would usually piss him off. “But the Katsuki Bakugo I grew up with would never pretend he’d done nothing wrong if a train crashed because of a bomb clipped to him. He’d yell about it probably vent by making even bigger explosions,” now it was Bakugo who snorted before letting him go on, “but he’d acknowledge he’d made a mess and throw himself into training so that would never happen again.” The damn nerd actually copied him now by crossing his arms. “And even if he wants to be number 1, he wouldn’t resort to killing all the other heroes, he’d work to prove himself better than them.”

Izuku Midoriya spoke with utter conviction. “You want people to respect and acknowledge you, Kacchan, but you want to earn those things like a real hero would. Whatever Syndrome has in mind, I doubt he gives a damn about earning anything.” An eyebrow rose. “Or am I wrong?”

Katsuki Bakugo stared at him for what seemed like hours before barking an honest laugh. “You’re not, but hell, you’ve picked up a little brass, Deku!” He shook his head, amused and maybe just the tiniest bit relieved. “Fine, we’ve established that Syndrome’s a whiny jackass and neither of us are anywhere to close to falling into his shit. Anything else, or can we get back to the damn movie?” He cocked his head back. “I really want to see Incredible punch his face in.”

Midoriya chuckled himself before drying off the last drops of water from his hands. “…Well, let’s not keep the others waiting then.” He rubbed his hair while his friend grumbled a “Finally” and threw open the door. But he still whispered. “…Thanks for the talk, Kacchan.”

“…Don’t mention it. Seriously.” The choleric hero-to-be didn’t even look back.

All Might had been heading for the bathroom himself when the two boys came back out, thankfully not showing any signs of a fight. Sure, his successor’s eyes were red, but no more than when he’d cry like crazy. “Young Bakugo, Young Midoriya, are you all right?” he asked just to be sure.

Thank goodness, the boy gave him a firm nod and a barely forced smile. “Y-yes, All Might-sensei, we’re good here!” Bakugo just grunted something and sat back at his spot, ignoring the inquisitive looks of those around him. But he didn’t object to Kirishima’s congratulatory pat on the back.

Midoriya continued to smile at all the apologetic looks sent his way; he didn’t begrudge a single one of them for the teasing before. But he still felt a bit guilty in turn. “S-sorry about m-making you all worry.”

Many shook their heads at their broccoli-headed sweetheart of a classmate, but it was Aizawa who replied with rare gentleness, “Don’t worry about it, Problem Child.” Even the nickname sounded affectionate this time. “You sure you’re good?” He returned the nod. “Then sit back down, we started this movie together, we might as well finish it together.”

“Y-yes, sensei!” Deku returned his spot where Uravity pulled him into a quick hug. It surprised him, but he didn’t hesitate to return it, silently reassuring her that he was okay again. They pulled apart with matching blushes, but Iida and Tsu warded off any teasing so their friends could settle back. Then the play button was hit again.

Chapter Text

Hey, everyone!

As you can tell, this clearly isn't a real chapter, but don't worry, I'm NOT announcing hiatus of this fic just yet. Rather, I want to explain my plans.

See, I'm well aware that it's been nearly a year since I've last updated, but I've been working on my other stories (while juggling my life), and I did say that new chapters for this one would be sporadic at best. Not to mention, I kinda half-expect this react-fic to be taken down any day now just like back on Fanfiction; I swear, I did everything I could to placate the copyright people, I ticked off more than a few readers in the process, and... Let's just say it hinders the creative process a little.

Anyway, I've decided to try and do the rest of The Incredibles movie inside one single chapter, the next chapter, reactions and all. It's going to be fun, but it's a hefty bit of work, and I'm still nowhere near done. I can't give you guys a timeline or delivery date, but I will tell you, I've come up with a little surprise in the chapter that follows said super-chapter. You'll see if/when we get there.

All I ask from you is patience, understanding and that you guys do not add comments on my other stories asking me why I haven't updated Class 1-A Watches The Incredibles yet. Thank you, and hopefully, it won't be too long before we see each other again :-)!

(Not sure I'll do Jack-Jack Attack or any bonuses despite the obvious hilarity, we'll see how much energy I have left)

Chapter Text

“Oh, I am such an idiot!” Helen cried. “I let this happen, you know,” she sniffled in a lower tone before blowing her nose. “The new sports car, the getting in shape, the blond hair, the lies...”

The hearts of more than a few students went out to the poor wife. “H-hey, now,” Sero pointed out, “it’s just a misunderstanding. I mean, Bob isn’t actually cheating on her…”

“But a lot of the evidence is pointing in that direction,” Asui ribbited sadly. She’d expected the situation escalating like this ever since Bob had lied to Helen about his employment, but seeing it happen for real, that was a fair bit more. I was hoping I’d be wrong. …I have that hope more often than I’d like.

Ashido was meanwhile clasping her hands together so tightly acid was beginning to drip through the cracks. The droplets sizzled on the carpet, mingling with her tears. Just a misunderstanding… There won’t be any breakup… Hagakure and Yaoyorozu had to shake her out of her prayer to the shipping gods lest she do any permanent damage to the carpet.

The one-armed hug from her horn buddy did soothe the pain by some margin.

Uraraka was putting on a brave face, but that didn’t stop her from accepting her own hugs. Todoroki couldn’t properly reach her like Tsu, Midoriya and Iida, but he could still squeeze her shoulder. “There’s still a chance for them. They can work things out.”

Aizawa quickly wrestled the remote from the teary-eyed foghorn of a fellow teacher in an effort to keep the movie going. There’d been enough interruptions. “You and your soap operas, Mic…”

“Sh-shut it, we can’t all be gloomy twenty-four-seven like you!”

Edna was unfazed as her heartbroken guest took more tissues for herself. “Yes, he attempts to relive the past.” She flicked the used tissues into an incinerator built in the table.

“…Why does a kitchen table have an incinerator built into it?” Ojiro muttered, his eyes squinting a little more than normal at the feature.

Shoji shrugged his broad arms. “She’s a kooky lady, who knows what other features that kitchen has?”

At least E’s deadpan expression dampened the feelings of sorrow and heartbreak oozing from the screen. All Might for his part couldn’t help but dwell on her words. Reliving the past… He’d already drawn plenty of parallels between himself and Bob throughout the course of the film, but this one lined up with feelings the ex-Symbol of Peace had experienced. Sitting on the sidelines, needing protection in his present state when he had always been the one doing the protecting… Toshinori didn’t regret handing the reins over to Midoriya and his classmates one bit, but that didn’t mean he didn’t lament his own frailty.

But as he could see of Mr. Incredible’s predicament, getting caught up on past adventures was a treacherous slope. I have new responsibilities now, All Might told himself. And reliving the past shouldn’t come at the expense of neglecting the present. Or stifling the potential of the future. Both he and Bob had made more than enough mistakes for that.

“Now I’m losing him! What’ll I do?” Helen hung her head in defeat. “What’ll I do?”

That made E narrow her eyes and practically snarl, “ What are you talking about? ”

The ex-heroine glanced up with a distraught hum.

“YOU ARE ELASTIGIRL!” The smaller woman yelled in her face. “My God. Pull!” She then leaped up onto the table and proceeded to smack Helen with her rolled-up newspaper. “Yourself! Together!”

Jumping from the sudden increase in volume, most of the students flinched and winced with every smack inflicted. Bakugo nodded in blatant approval, scoffing at the chiding looks sent his way. “Oh, shut up, I’d do the same thing with any of you extras. Gender be damned!”

“…With the newspaper and everything?” Kaminari couldn’t help but ask.

He received a chilling sort of half-smirk, half-bloodthirsty grin in response. “As if I’d waste a perfectly good newspaper like that.”

E finally let up from her smacking, but she continued to radiate energy. “What will you do, is-is-is this a question?! You will show him you remember that he is Mr. Incredible, and you will remind him who you are!” A wide-eyed Helen shrank back from her enthusiasm, and Edna proceeded to trot down to the other end of the table while she went on. “Well, you know where he is, go, confront the problem! Fight!” She whirled back, limbs outstretched like a star and an excited grin on her face. “WIN!” Then she spontaneously calmed down again. “And call me when you get back, dahling. I enjoy our visits.”

“You know what? She’s right.” Jiro turned to her fellow female classmates with a smirk. “Helen’s not some helpless housewife, she’s a Pro at least as amazing as Incredible. She said it herself back in her interview: ‘Leave the saving the world to the men? I don’t think so!’” She got up and thumbed at the TV. “If Mr. Incredible can make a comeback, then why not Elastigirl?”

That set a fire in the other girls. “Oh, yeah! She can take down Syndrome herself and save Bob!” Hagakure cheered.

Momo cupped her chin in thought, the possibilities speeding through her mind. “Thanks to the homing device, Helen knows his location. Even if the island is remote, she’d surely think of a way to reach it…” Her eyes shone with eagerness. “She doesn’t even need to confront the Omnidroid itself, just rescue Bob… She can do this!”

“Heck, yeah, she can!” Ashido had bounced back from her slump and pumped her arms in excitement. “Girl power!” Tsu ribbited in agreement while the male part of the audience just accepted it all in good nature. It was only fair that Helen get as much a chance to shine as Bob did, after all. Bakugo for his part didn’t care who did the asskicking, Incredible or Elastigirl, just so long as a Hero kicked ass.

Meanwhile, Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida huddled together with blank looks. “…Mei Hatsume must never learn of Edna Mode,” the bespectacled class representative intoned frankly.

“Absolutely.”/“Not even her name.” His best friends nodded in agreement and with the exact same tone.

The scene shifted to the Parr family home. “There’s lots of leftovers that you can reheat,” Helen explained as she retrieved a bag from the closet. “Make sure Dash does his homework,” she instructed Violet while heading for her and Bob’s bedroom, “and both of you, get to bed on time. I should be back tonight. Late. You can be in charge that long, can’t you?”

“Very responsible of Mrs. Parr,” Iida commended with a nod. “It’s best not to involve the children in such a deadly situation, and Violet is both the eldest and the most responsible of the three.”

“The latter’s not exactly an achievement considering one of them’s a toddler and the other’s Dash.” Ojiro’s comment earned him a giggle from Ashido and Hagakure.

Kaminari scratched his head. “For a moment, I thought she would be taking them along, though. Well, maybe not Jack-Jack, but what with the whole Hero Family vibe the movie’s giving off…”

“Oh, please,” Jiro scoffed at her blonde classmate, “Helen’s already got Bob to worry about. Who in their right mind would bring two kids along for a rescue mission?”

“Hey, they’ve both got Quirks, Violet even has two! Plus, the costumes-”

“That doesn’t mean they’re ready to go off doing Hero work, Jammingway! We’d have better luck with Aizawa-sensei letting us do that!” Their homeroom teacher huffed in agreement at his spot.

The two continued to bicker when Todoroki spoke up. “That doesn’t mean they won’t become involved in the movie’s plot.” Children often get entangled in the messes of their parents, he added to himself, a certain chatterbox with wind powers and his animosity towards Endeavor coming to mind.

Tokoyami hummed. “It would make little sense for them to slip out of focus this late in the story…”

“Yeah,” her daughter replied with visible confusion. “But why am I in charge again?”

“ Nothing. Just a little trouble with Daddy. ”

“Now there’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.” Mineta muttered.

Vi tilted her head at that. “You mean Dad’s in trouble, or Dad is the trouble?”

“I mean,” Helen turned back to her, “either he’s in trouble…” She gave a side glance that sent shivers through the male audience members. “Or he’s going to be.” Then she closed the door, leaving a perplexed Vi on the other side.

Sato winced sympathetically. “Bob’s so gonna be in the doghouse when this is over…”

“First, she needs to get him out of Syndrome’s clutches,” Shoji pointed out. “One step at a time.”

In the parents’ bedroom, Helen placed the bag onto the bed and took out the Super suits Edna had given her. She paused while holding up her own, staring at the vibrant red (indestructible) fabric.

Watching the retiree and her new suit, as well as the anticipation swelling in the students, made Toshinori contemplate his earlier thoughts anew. Yes, he would satisfy himself with letting Midoriya and his generation take the reins, but the time came like it had for Helen to be Elastigirl once more… if the world truly needed All Might again… He would find a way. He would be here.

“Hey!” She whirled around to find Dash standing in the doorway. “What’s that?” Helen promptly stretched out her arm to shut the door in his face. But then her son’s voice came an instant later from the window. “Where’d you get that, Mom? You made a cool outfit?” She pulled the blinds down to stop Dash peaking in. “Hey, are those for us?” But Dash was already at the next one. “We all get cool outfits?” Helen covered that window, too, only for her speedy son to zip into the room, snag his suit from the bed and run out again. “Ha-ha!”

His mother called after him in vain. “Dash! You come back here this moment!”

Yaoyorozu bit her thumb a little. “Oh, dear. Of all her children who might’ve discovered the suits…”

“It just had to be the one with Iida’s speed and Kaminari’s hyperactivity, ribbit,” Her froggy friend agreed.

Her comment received more than a couple laughs and a “Hey!” from the resident electrokinetic… who then smirked. “Dash could run circles around Iida, Asui.” The laughter increased in number and volume, including mirthful croaks from Tsu (though her giggles paled in comparison to the ones Jiro was sputtering out). Much to the indignance of a certain hand-chopping class rep.

Before Helen could go get him, the phone on her bedside rang. She answered it with a cordial smile. “Hey, Snug. Thanks for getting back. Listen, I know this is short notice, but I was hoping that I could get you to-“

“ What are these ?” Violet’s voice cut her off, and he turned to find her daughter inspecting her suit.

Kirishima winced. “Oh, and now Vi’s in on this, too. With her shyness, though, I don’t she’ll be strutting around in it like Dash totally would.”

“But now only Jack-Jack is left,” Mina giggled. “When’s it gonna be his turn to find a suit? Oh, he’d look so cute in it…” She cooed to herself.

Bakugo scoffed. “The twerp’s a baby. She’s probably stashed that one away where no one would find it. Besides, he’d probably just use it as a chew toy or a blankie. Or both.” The Bakusquad collectively gagged at their “leader’s” suggestion.

While they bickered, Midoriya was pondering who Helen might’ve been talking to, pen and notebook at the ready. “Snug? Doesn’t sound like any American name I’ve heard of. Can’t be a hero name, either, not since Helen’s careful about drawing attention like that. Probably a nickname…” He continued mumbling to himself even as his friends eyed him amused. None made an effort to snap him out of it, though.

This was the best sign that Deku had recovered from his earlier crisis. So, they just hit “Play.”

Helen quickly swiped the suit away from Violet just as Dash zoomed back into the room, wearing his suit with delight and pride. “ Look, I’m The Dash! ” He bolted over to the mirror, flexing his muscles. “ The Dash likes this. Yeah …”

Helen hastily spoke into the phone, “Just a second,” before turning towards a still-posing Dash. “Take that off before somebody sees it.”

Aoyama hummed in approval, sparkles dancing about him. “Oui, the costume does suit him perfectly. Now, if only he could wear it without fear of repercussion.” That was a worry he knew… quite a bit about.

“Maybe they can write it off as early Halloween or something if anybody sees him.” Ojiro’s tail swung about a little. “Right now, I think Helen’s got more than enough to worry about beside his playing hero.”

“But you’re packing one just like it,” Violet pointed out with a frown. “Are you hiding something?”

“ Oh, please, honey. I’m on the phone and... ” While Helen was busy trying to come up with a plausible explanation, Dash crept past her to pick up the last suit: Violet’s. An exclamation from him made her notice with mounting frustration. “ Dash! ”

He ignored her, though, to pass the suit over to his sister. “This is yours. It’s specially made.”

Violet dully accepted it, visibly suspicious. “What’s going on?”

Having reached the limit of her patience, Helen herded them both out of the room. “You’re not coming! And I’ve gotta pack!” She slammed the door and slumped against it with a sigh.

Mic elbowed his friend with a snicker. “Kids, am I right?”

Eraser huffed. “She thinks she has it rough, she should try keeping an eye on twenty of them, none of which are hers.”

“Just be glad you don’t have Young Dash as a student,” All Might teased, his colleague stiffening at the thought. A hyperactive, glory-seeking speedster with a knack for mischief… Sure, some students could be a handful *cough* Bakugo *cough* Midoriya *cough* …But at least none of them pulled pranks.

The “kids” the three teachers had, though, were eagerly watching the aftermath of Helen’s eviction.

On the other side of the door, Violet turned to her brother. “What makes you think it’s special?”

“I don’t know.” Dash shrugged before grinning. “Why’d Mom try to hide it?” Then he ran off again, leaving Violet behind. Peering at her own suit, the dark-haired teen turned her left hand invisible and touched it, gasping when the suit disappeared as well upon contact. She quickly deactivated her power. Something was definitely fishy.

Hagakure crossed her arms while letting out a longing huff. “I so have to get a suit like that…”

Koda patted her shoulder and offered her a hopeful smile which did actually lift her spirits. It’s like Mashi said, maybe the support class really can make one for me! Ugh, I’m still gonna have to power through this year’s winter, though…

On another side of the audience, Midoriya was anxiously drumming his fingers against his knees. “This is it. Violet and Dash are going to follow their mom, aren’t they?”

“Definitely.” Todoroki straightened in his seat. “Dash is too excited and Violet’s suspicious.”

“But should they?” Iida wasn’t chopping his arms, but his inner conflict could be clearly seen past his glasses. “Bob is in a very precarious situation, and Helen has far more experience, I expect, than the two of them put together. It might be better if they didn’t intervene…” His words lacked their usual surety, though; Tenya remembered very well the last two time he had gone against the rules of adults. He rubbed the spot where the scars from his near-fatal encounter with Stain lingered.

Even so, it didn’t feel quite so easy. It was Midoriya who voiced Iida’s opposite thoughts aloud. “Would they be able to live with themselves if they stayed put?” The three boys sat in silence.

With the kids finally gone, Helen continued her talk into the phone. “Snug, I’m calling in a solid you owe me.”

“ What do you need? ” Snug replied without hesitation.

“A jet.” As she talked, she picked up a framed picture that showed her in pilot clothing next to another man with a big grin wearing similar garb. Both were standing in front of an old-fashioned hanger. “What do you got that’s fast?”

“ Let me think... ”

“Elastigirl was a pilot, too?!” Uraraka’s eyes twinkled more than Aoyama’s entire body ever could (the Francophile student noted with a twinge of envy). “That’s so cool!”

Midoriya was flipping through his notebook, equally excited. “There are heroes who are capable of flying themselves, but actually having a license to operate and fly a plane…?” He proceeded to mumble even as his search revealed few with such training.

“It usually takes one to three months for a pilot to acquire a private license.” He glanced up alongside others to an amused All Might. “That’s the standard time including written exams, ground school and a minimum of thirty-five hours in the air.” Noticing the surprised-inquisitive looks his way, the retired Symbol of Peace explained (with just a hint of melancholy), “My old friend Dave needed a pilot’s license so he could use the flight function of our ride. He also told me that commercial pilots have to do six to twelve months with up to two hundred hours of flight time for their licenses.”

Kaminari slumped in his seat from imagining the sheer amount of studying this endeavor would no doubt entail. Having similar thoughts, Ashido, Hagakure and even Jiro scratched “learning how to fly a plane” off their list of emulating their newfound idol Elastigirl. But Uraraka wasn’t quite so ready to give up yet; she used to fantasize taking to the skies and even out er space as a kid. The flight school sounds expensive, though, she huffed. But if Yaomomo wanted to do it, too…

Sure enough, the scene transitioned to a large white plane streaking through the skies. In the pilot’s seat, Helen took one hand off the controls to activate comms. “Island approach. India Golf Niner-Niner checking in. VFR on top. Over.”

“That’s one hell of a solid…” Shoji muttered beneath his mask. A wide-eyed Koda mutely agreed.

The sight of her piloting such a big plane and making it look easy only reinforced Uraraka’s wishes, and to her increased joy, Yaomomo seemed to be having similar thoughts. “The skill despite her years of inactivity…” the Creation Hero-in-training breathed in awe. “And to think she drew together this plan within a single day. From acquiring the plane itself to flying it to Mr. Incredible’s whereabouts…”

“I know, right?!” Every single girl’s eyes glimmered with unbridled admiration for Helen Parr. Ochaco then faced her teacher with hope. “Aizawa-sensei, is there…?”

 “U-A doesn’t have a pilot curriculum itself, we’re not that broad-minded.” He sighed at her deflating, then added, “But if you’re still serious about acquiring a pilot’s license after graduating, Uraraka, we can talk with the principal and ask if he can’t pull some strings. Other than that, it’s ultimately your decision for your future career.” Inwardly, Aizawa approved of the gravity girl’s interest. He’d already seen both her willingness to consider different hero paths and her dedication and thinking skills at the Sports Festival. It never hurt to widen one’s skillset, especially for a hero.

Midoriya watched his friend at U-A eagerly discuss possibilities with an equally excited Momo, smiling at her enthusiasm. She’s really amazing, being willing to take on such lessons… His own cheeks reddened a little as Uraraka sat back down beside him (at Bakugo’s yelling) so they could continue.

Ashido still noticed their closeness with delight.

But only static came through the radio. “Island tower, this is India Golf Niner-Niner requesting vectors to the initial. Over.” Helen repeated warily but continued to receive no reply.

All Might hummed in approval. “I’m no expert, but even the radio jargon is accurate.” He chuckled at the inquisitive looks thrown his way; the widest eyes were Young Midoriya’s, of course, but even Young Bakugo seemed to be interested. “In her earlier broadcast, Helen said, ‘VFR on top,’ which means Visual Flight Rules and refers to her flying over a cloud cover. And ‘vectors to the initial,’ I believe, is her asking for specific landing coordinates. They really did their homework while making this movie.”

“But why is she calling in like that? She’s telling the villains she’s headed their way!” Mineta had managed to suppress any comments his classmates wouldn’t have appreciated, but that didn’t stop him from asking a legit question.

Asui recognized this effort and decided to help out. “We know that, but Helen doesn’t know that, ribbit. And regardless of her being an active Hero or not, she has to keep in mind the protocol of flying into private airspace.”

“Exactly,” Present Mic chimed in. “Helen doesn’t have the full picture behind Bob’s under-the-table heroics, and a plane that size can’t just land somewhere without receiving local clearance or, like All Might said, landing vectors. It’s more than likely Syndrome’s goons have already picked her up on their radar anyway. That’s why she can’t do anymore than follow proper procedure for a pilot at the moment.”

Her worries increasing, she zipped open the bag in the spot next to her, revealing the suit E had made for her. Her hand hovered over it for a second. The retired hero took a breath to calm herself. “Easy, Helen. Easy. Easy, girl. You’re overreacting. Everything’s fine. They’re just...” she winced a little before offering, “all getting coffee!” Then her face slowly fell as she contemplated said scenario. “...at the same time. Yeah.”

“Sure,” Jiro deadpanned in agreement. “The whole crew’s just on a coffee break. There’s totally nothing suspicious about that. No way Helen’s not starting to put the pieces together.”

“But why don’t they give her a fake response or something?” Kaminari wondered beside her. “I mean, Syndrome’s got control of the whole island. Couldn’t he just have Helen land, get her out of the plane, and then lock her up alongside Bob?”

“Look at the size of that plane, Dunce Face.” He slumped a little at the familiar nickname but listened to Bakugo’s critique all the same. “You could fit dozens of people in there, like a whole group of trained soldiers or heroes. Syndrome doesn’t have a clue that Elastigirl’s the only one headed for him, hell, he might not even know who she is. All he knows is a woman wants to land a big-ass plane on his property.”

Mineta barely managed to control himself, especially seeing as Bakugo didn’t recognize his own innuendo.

With another glance at the suit, Helen pressed a button for the autopilot, removed her headpiece and got up, grabbing the bag in the process. She headed straight for the bathroom.

Eraser Head nodded at her decision. “Fortune favors the prepared.”

At Elastigirl’s destination, Syndrome was shown striding into a dark room, a large mechanical device slowly sliding apart before him. It revealed Mr. Incredible suspended between a set of metal bars, his hands and ankles restrained as strands of electricity “connected” them to the bars. Mirage sat at a set of controls on one side, a guard with his own set on the other. “You, sir,” Syndrome wagged a finger at his glaring captive, “truly are Mr. Incredible.”

Tension rose anew upon seeing both the captured hero and the one responsible for his predicament. And for Midoriya’s grief. Nearly all eyes shifted towards the green-haired student, but he was focused solely on the screen. His face showed the same determination as when he’d be facing a hero course. But some like All Might noticed his scarred right arm trembling just a little. Even so, they collectively chose not to make a big fuss over it. Yet.

“You know, I was right to idolize you. I-I-I always knew you were tough, but tricking the probe by hiding under the bones of another super?!” He threw up his hands with a big smile even as Incredible continued to glare at him. “Oh, MAN! I’m still geeking out about it!”

Midoriya couldn’t help but flinch a little at the villain’s fanboyish antics. Despite Bakugo’s assurances, he couldn’t help but see a parallel in Syndrome and his words. Even after everything that had happened since he first met his own idol, Deku still thought the world of All Might. Would I act the same way if I were a villain, and All Might were my… prisoner?

“You’re not him.” Those three small but extremely significant words from Todoroki triggered Izuku out of his self-doubt. Iida, Tsuyu and All Might all gave their full agreement to the dual-element boy’s declaration.

Only then did he realize that the tremors in his hand had stopped, and that was because someone was holding it. He glanced down to find padded fingers intertwined with his. Moving his gaze up revealed a concerned Uravity smiling at him with a silent message in her hazel eyes. You’re better than Syndrome, Deku. Midoriya glanced between his friends before smiling back and returning to the film.

The villain’s smile fell away as he continued. “And then you had to just go and,” Syndrome turned back to Incredible, “ruin the ride. I mean, Mr. Incredible calling for help? ‘Help me, help me.’” Syndrome mocked in a high-pitched voice before pacing with mounting anger. “Lame, lame, lame, lame, LAME! All right, who did you contact?!”

“Contact?” The hero frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

Syndrome nodded to his goon by the controls. At the flip of a switch, white flashes of electricity streamed across Incredible’s body, making him groan in pain.

Students winced at the hero’s pain-wracked face, Kaminari noting, “That looks like a way lot more than what I’d shock a guy with.” He shuddered a little. “Now I can’t decide if I should up my game or hold back more.”

“Both.” The electrokinetic blonde sighed at his teacher’s admonishment.

Then he got an elbow larger than normal in the chest from Sero. “What’re you worrying about, man? You’re probably the only guy who wouldn’t have to worry about being strapped up like Incredible.”

“Nah,” Ashido shook her head, “Kirishima could tank the jolts no problem.”

The praise made her horn buddy’s face match his hair color. “W-well, I’m not so sure about that. If Mr. Incredible hasn’t pulled himself out of those restraints, it can’t be that easy. Especially with the shocks.”

Iida adjusted his glasses slightly. “I agree. The latter’s purpose is most likely to disrupt the concentration of captives, preventing them from using their powers. And the suspended state deprives power-based heroes such as Mr. Incredible of leverage to implement his strength properly. An effective prison,” he conceded grudgingly.

After a moment, the torture ceased, and he slumped forward while Syndrome leaned in. “ I am referring to last night at 23:07 hours while you were snooping around. You sent out a homing signal. ”

“I didn’t know,” Mr. Incredible huffed despite the pain, “about the homing device.” At another nod from Syndrome, the goon activated the electricity again, though the needle veered dangerously in the red zone. The result was clear as Mr. Incredible nearly cried out from the jolt.

Mic clicked his tongue, his glasses reflecting the electricity. “Of course, the shock function’s likely more there for torture than as a countermeasure against Quirks. I wonder how much more the big guy can take.”

“Um,” Hagakure scratched her invisible locks, “I’ve got a question: why didn’t Edna tell Bob about the homing device? Did she forget to mention it or something?”

“I doubt it, what with how excited she got about showing off the suits to Helen.” Ojiro frowned. “It’s a good question, though. The only answer I can think of is she chose not to tell him, but why?”

A rustling drew the two’s attention to Shoji as he leaned forward. “Edna seemed suspicious of Bob from the start. Maybe she didn’t mention the homing device because she didn’t want him to try and mess with it. Mr. Incredible wouldn’t have appreciated the feeling of being tracked, especially during his ‘hero’ work.”

Yaoyorozu turned towards the class’s tallest student. “Do you mean Miss Mode deliberately set up this situation? In order for Helen to grow suspicious and follow her husband, thereby re-donning her hero mantle herself?”

“…Well, I hadn’t considered it that far,” He admitted a little sheepishly, the vice-president blushing at her over-enthusiastic theory.

Said theory, though, had drawn a kindred spirit’s attention. “It would make sense.” Todoroki peered down into Midoriya’s notes over the movie, his friend adjusting his seating a little to accommodate. “She could’ve grown so enthusiastic about making the new suit for Mr. Incredible, not only did she continue with suits for the rest of the family, but Mode decided to prepare Elastigirl in case her husband was in over his head.”

The rest of the class stared at him both for his rare verbosity and his theory. “…That’s a pretty big jump in logic, Todoroki, ribbit,” Asui admitted.

“But considering how smart and fucking crazy that tiny woman is, Half-and-Half is probably on the mark,” Bakugo grumbled, much to the shock of those seated next to him. “Shut it.”

“And now a government plane,” an increasingly irritated Syndrome enunciated while Incredible tried to recover, “is requesting permission to land here! Who did you contact?!”

“Whatever the logic behind Mode’s decisions -or lack thereof,” Iida added in an undertone, “The result is that Syndrome believes Incredible is trying to bring in reinforcements.”

“Can’t take the risk of the government finding out about his plans past or present,” All Might agreed with a scowl. “Aside from the many heroes he lured to their deaths, his final plan with the Omnidroid is too dangerous. If Incredible and Elastigirl can’t stop him here, who knows how many lives that man will put in danger.” He also made a mental note to keep this movie out of the hands of All for One and the League of Villains, no matter what. That old lunatic would’ve been delighted and inspired by Syndrome’s schemes.

“ I didn’t send for a ,” Incredible gasped out, “ a plane. ”

“Play the transmission!” At Syndrome’s command, Mirage pressed a button at the equipment before her. A recording of Helen’s call played into the room. “...India golf Niner-Niner checking in. VFR on top. Over.”

Bob’s eyes widened, instantly recognizing the voice. “Helen,” he whispered instinctively.

Syndrome, of course, picked up on it. “So you do know these people.” Smirking, he flipped off the case for a certain red button. “Well, then, I’ll send them a little greeting.” Bob could only watch in horror as his enemy pushed the button.

Ashido’s black eyes widened, and a terrified gasp escaped her. “Oh, no…”

“H-He’s going after Helen now?” Uraraka had come to the same conclusion and was gripping Tsu’s offered hand carefully enough not to make the frog girl float away but still quite tightly. “C-can he warn her?”

Tsu winced from the pressure but answered her best friend all the same. “Not unless Syndrome activates his side of the radio, ribbit, and he’s clearly not interested in a conversation. Better to just eliminate a contact of Mr. Incredible and a potential threat.”

“His feelings betrayed his love…” Tokoyami muttered with appropriate gloom. “And Syndrome can’t resist an opportunity to hurt his former idol.” That conclusion made Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki stiffen.

On the plane, Helen stepped out of the bathroom, clad in her new super suit. She absentmindedly tossed her bag towards a seat on her way to the cockpit when an “Ow!” rang out behind her.

Helen immediately (and angrily) turned back. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. “ Violet? ”

“Ouch,” Hagakure winced out loud at her fellow invisible girl’s pain. “I know the feeling, Violet.” She blinked (not that anyone could see it). “Wait… Violet?”

Aoyama covered his eyes with a sparkle. “Mon Dieu, she snuck aboard, did she not?”

“It’s not my fault!” Violet hastily protested as she turned visible, pushing the bag off of her. She, too, was wearing the Incredible suit. “Dash ran away, and I knew I’d get blamed for it-”

Dash ’s head popped up a couple rows back. “ That’s not true! ”

“ Dash?! ”

Aizawa facepalmed. “And of course, where one brat is, the other one’s not far behind.”

“Honestly, I figured that if either one of the kids would go after Helen, it would be Dash,” Shoji noted.

“By that logic, should Violet have stayed behind?” Todoroki cocked his head. “Or as the responsible one, shouldn’t she have followed her brother?” Dull though his tone was, the query was an honest question bereft of any sarcasm. Given his lack of interaction with his siblings… Asking was the first step to learning.

Dash sped over to behind his sister, and the two began talking over one another.

 “You said, ‘Something’s up with Mom. We have to find out what!’ It was your idea! Your idea!” Dash banged his fists against the seat, not about to take all the blame for their sneaking in. “Hundred percent all-yours, all-the-time idea!”

Violet protested the accusations. “… and I thought he’d try to sneak on the plane so I came here and you closed the doors before I could find him and then you took off and it’s not my fault! ”

Eyes darted between the two siblings’ argument, Kaminari, Sero, Ashido, Kirishima, Sato and Aoyama trying to make sense of what was being said. They gave up rather quickly, though, and settled for turning towards the classmate they were most accustomed to barely decipherable utterings.

Midoriya shrank a little from the attention directed at him, Iida and Uraraka ready to assist (across the couch, Bakugo was quietly snickering to himself). “B-Basically, Violet was the one to suggest their mother was acting suspiciously, but Dash rushed ahead and snuck into the plane, prompting Violet to follow him. But before they could leave, the plane had already taken off with them inside. So, they are both somewhat responsible, I suppose…?” He received a chorus of nods and thankyou’s for his summarization.

Ochaco even offered him a fistbump, smiling as Deku accepted it… but only for a moment. “Hang on… if they’re both on the plane…”

Helen glared at both of them before remembering one important detail. “W-wait a minute, wait a minute. You left Jack-Jack alone?!”

“…Yeah, that…” The zero-gravity girl whimpered as she slowly paled at the mental image of Jack-Jack sitting alone in the house, bawling his eyes out. (Ochaco made a note to visit Eri after the movie).

By contrast, her friend was apoplectic. “How utterly irresponsible!” Iida’s hands were chopping fast enough to turn an entire forest into lumber ready for woodwork. “They ran after their mother while leaving behind their infant brother with no one to watch him?! I expected more of you, Violet! Your mother placed you in charge for both siblings-”

“One of which is a hyperactive nine-year-old boy with superspeed, ribbit.”

“Even so, Violet is surely used to Dash’s antics by now, Asui! For her to-”

“Call me Tsu, Iida.”

Tenya’s words sputtered out and against each other as he tried to regain control of his flow; his efforts reminded many of when their class president’s Engines would clog up. “My point is, Tsu, they should have at least arranged for someone to watch over the baby before sneaking after-”

And the kids went back to talking over each other, only this time they were somewhat in agreement. “Yes, mom, I’m completely stupid...” “No, we got someone, Mom.” “Of course we got a sitter!” “We wouldn’t do that.” “Do you think I’m totally irresponsible?” “Someone great.” Violet crossed her arms in annoyance. “Thanks a lot!”

“…Ah.” Upon hearing these words (his own speed Quirk aided him in comprehending high-speed talk) Iida recomposed himself. “In that case, I retract my prior comments.”

“Props for getting a babysitter so quickly, too.” All Might leaned back a bit to reminisce about the times David would suddenly call him up and ask him to keep an eye on Melissa for a day or two.

Some were more skeptical, though. “If all of this has been going on in one day, how qualified a sitter can you get on short notice?” Sato wondered. The baking Hero had a little experience with babysitting, so he knew it wasn’t as easy as some thought. The responsibility of taking care of a tyke like Jack-Jack…

“All right!” Helen put her hands on her hips, slightly mollified. “Well, who’d you get?”

The scene changed to a red-haired teenage girl with braces talking on the phone. Jack-Jack was sitting behind her. “You don’t have to worry about one single thing, Mrs. Parr. I’ve got this baby-sitting thing wired. I’ve taken courses and learned CPR and I got excellent marks and certificates...”

“ Kari... ” Helen tried to interject over the plane phone.

“ I also brought Mozart to play while he sleeps to make him smarter because leading experts say Mozart makes babies smarter. ”

Bakugo took one look at Kari and came to a swift conclusion: “The squirt’s doomed.”

“Kacchan”/“Bakugo!”/“Dude!”

“She sounds qualified,” Koda mumbled in defense, a little off-guard though he was from her rambling. “And enthusiastic…”

Momo gave a wistful sigh. “I can still remember those days of Don Giovanni playing in the background as I took a nap…” She then spared a glance towards her best friend. “Quite peaceful, wouldn’t you agree, Kyoka?”

“If you say so, Yamomo.” Jiro shrugged. “For me, it was heavy metal. Guitar shredding, beating the drums, plus, you can make a lullaby out of any song if you sing it slow and soft enough.”

“Peaceful my butt, it’s a story of an arrogant jerk getting humiliated…” Kaminari muttered next to her before frowning at the many gimlet eyes on him. “I was talking about Don Giovanni. …What, I can’t know a thing or two about Austrian operas?”

“That you recognize Mozart as Austrian and not just German alone is an accomplishment.” Todoroki leaned back a little in thought, seemingly not noticing the conflicted look his classmate was shooting him (Was that a compliment or an insult?). “My childhood music consisted mostly of gagaku. Especially kangen, a lot of biwa-playing, but not much of modern stuff.” That was about the one thing Father and Mother seemed to be in agreement over… He could vaguely remember Natsuo grumbling about not getting to hear the latest pop like his classmates.

A lot of said classmates were eyeing him weirdly, at the moment. “…Something wrong?” But a moment later, they silently shook their heads and returned their attention to the screen.

“ Kari... ”

“…And the beautiful part is that the babies don’t even have to listen ‘cause they’re asleep!” Kari considered this for a moment. “You know, I wish my parents played Mozart when I slept because half the time, I don’t even know what the heck anyone’s talking about.”

“For some reason, I’m not surprised,” Mic drawled.

Despite the lengthy “negotiation,” Helen wasn’t convinced. “ Kari, I really don’t feel comfortable with this. Uh, I’ll pay you for your trouble, but I’d really rather call a service. ”

“Oh, there’s really no need, Mrs. Parr,” Kari assured her confidently. “I can totally handle anything this baby can dish out.” She turned to Jack-Jack and began playing with him. “Can’t I, little baby? Who can handle it? Who can handle it?”

Mina swooned a little at Kari’s actions before huffing at her seatmate’s demeanor. “Oh, chill out, Bakugo! She’s at least confident enough, and how much trouble can one sweet little baby be?”

(Somewhere in the cosmos, a formless deity broke down into a fit of malicious giggles…)

“I’m not interested in the rugrat, Racoon Eyes,” Bakugo snapped, his red eyes trained on the screen. “If he’s got a sitter, then that should be enough for Elastigirl, too.” He held up a not-quite-explosive-yet hand to stop any protests. “Have you extras forgotten that she’s about to have her own problems?”

Frowns quickly melted away in dawning horror at his words.

Helen was staring at the phone dubiously when a warning chimed out from the cockpit. She rushed in to see oncoming dots on the plane’s radar, and as her eyes widened, two missiles streaked up from the cloud cover and headed straight towards them.

Gasps and “Oh, no’s!” rapidly sounded out from the impending missile attack; despite their tumultuous time at UA, Class 1-A had yet to deal with an aerial assault.

“Syndrome’s ‘little greeting’…” Aizawa bit out, his tight posture the only sign of his tension.

A sweating All Might had dug his fingernails into the couch’s side. “And to make matters worse, Violet and Dash are on board, too.” His wound ached as he fought the urge to assume his muscle form, lunge into the screen, and try and do something to help. He hated being just a spectator for a scene like this.

Helen didn’t waste any time to jump into the pilot seat and put on her head phones. “India Golf Niner-Niner transmitting in the blind guard,” she broadcasted hurriedly. “Disengage! Repeat, disengage!”

She flipped a switch that activated a light saying “FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS” in the passenger section. The kids shared a confused/worried look before rushing for their seats, seatbelts in hand.

Back in the cockpit, Helen presse d a button labelled “CHAFF” and turn ed the control wheel hard, causing the plane to veer away from the missiles. A few bright spots popped out from its aft simultaneously in an attempt to draw them off. Dash and Violet weren’t quick enough to buckle in, though, so they began bouncing around the cabin .

The plane dived down through the dark clouds, the missiles in hot pursuit . Noticing the double threat on her radar, Helen shifted into a downward roll, releasing more chaff as the descent continued. One missile detonated in the plane’s wake, but the other kept after its target. Helen continued to grip the wheel despite the whole plane shaking, then she veered up just as the ocean became visible. The kids continued to be thrown about from her efforts, but the rocket splashed into the water while she opened up the full throttle, blasting off into the air again.

Adrenaline rushed like lightning through the audience’s veins as they followed Helen’s evasive battle through the sky. “Those are some slick flying moves!” Kaminari breathed out in awe.

“I know, right?!” Hagakure was anxiously bouncing in her seat. “She just beat both of the missiles without taking a scratch!”

Momo cupped her chin to replay the scene in her mind. “Rather than simply resort to fancy flying, Helen also implemented decoys with the chaff and her surroundings to trick their heat-seeking sensors. She must have also undergone combat training with her flight lessons in order to pull off such strategies on the go…”

Uraraka was mimicking Midoriya in busily jotting down notes on notebook she’d bargained off of him (read: ask Deku with wide eyes sparkling so much his face scrunched up and he passed it to her while almost asking her out for a date). “So, if she keeps this up, she can get the plane and the kids to safety, right?!”

Midoriya paused in his scribbling to look at his best friend uneasily, then at Iida and Asui who had the same expression. “It’s probably not going to be that easy, Uraraka.” Todoroki, though, took on the unenviable task and handled it rather kindly. “Elastigirl is a great flier, but why is she supposed to go? The only reachable land for her is Syndrome’s Island, everything else is too far away. And landing in the water is too dangerous.”

“Besides,” Aizawa contributed in an effort to both teach and take the burden off Todoroki’s hands, “those two missiles most likely weren’t the only ordinances Syndrome has at his disposal. He’s not going to let that plane escape when it’s still in range. And there’s only so many fancy tricks you can pull before that plane starts breaking apart from the strain or runs out of fuel.”

Uravity’s mood sank at the pessimistic explanations, but she rallied and accepted them all the same.

All the while, she continued to broadcast. “ Disengage! Repeat, disengage! Friendlies... ”

Back on the island, her husband could only listen in horror at this terrifying ordeal. “No!” Bob desperately begged the man who’d once been his biggest fan. “Call off the missiles, I’ll do anything!”

But Syndrome just shrugged and grinned. “ Too late! ” Then he leaned towards his former idol, his grin darkening. “ Fifteen years too late. ”

That callous comment made Class 1-A’s distaste towards Syndrome skyrocket into borderline hatred. “How dare you be so callous!” Iida was so worked up he actually couldn’t chop his hands like usual. “This isn’t a game, you are toying with lives-”

A cracking sound close by cut him off, and he glanced over to find, in a rare occasion, the biggest source of fury in the room wasn’t Bakugo. Izuku Midoriya was silently scowling straight at the deranged redhead in a black-and-white suit, his fists clenched so tightly his pen had been crushed. Ink dripped through his fingers.

And what only All Might and Bakugo realized was that he hadn’t activated One for All.

The plane veered back up into the sky, but as Aizawa predicted, the fuel indicator was beeping in warning. Helen knew she couldn’t keep playing tag much longer. “Friendlies at two-zero miles south-southwest of your position. Angels 10. Track east.” Two more missiles were already coming in from the left. “Disengage! Over!” She then turned back to her kids sprawled on the floor. “Vi! You have to put a force field around the plane!”

“Right, Vi’s got that force field Quirk!” Ashido perked up. “She can save them!” But her usual smile was a little forced, the others noticed. And for good reason…

Violet stared back at her in worry. “ But you said we weren’t supposed to use our powers! ”

“I know what I said!” Helen snapped. “Listen to what I’m saying now!” She returned her attention to the controls. “Disengage. Repeat, disengage!” The plane veered away as a third missile appeared.

Dash couldn’t help but stare worriedly out the window at the twin missiles closing in. “ Mom...? ”

“Violet!” The dark-haired girl tore her attention to her increasingly desperate mother.

“You heard her, Shrinker, quit pissing yourself and put up a force field!” Bakugo screamed at Violet. The others might’ve berated him were it not for the tangible panic mixed in with his usual anger.

In fact, from the way he was crouching in his seat and coiling his legs like a spring, not to mention the telltale smoke by his hands, it was obvious the short-tempered teen was wrestling with himself not to launch forward in the hopes it would break the wall between reality and cinema and let him blast away the missiles.

This struggle against instincts wasn’t solely limited to Katsuki, though:

From the green sparks dancing around Deku to Uravity’s outstretched fingers…

From the rumble of Ingenium’s calves to the drop in temperature around Shoto…

From the bulge of Froppy’s cheeks to Creati’s bare arms sparkling with the power of pure creation…

From Tsukuyomi’s shadow seemingly expanding to Tentacole spreading his arms…

From Earphone Jack shifting her hair for her jacks to electricity dancing between Chargebolt’s fingers…

From Red Riot’s whole rock-hard body to acid sizzling around Pinky to Cellophane bearing his elbows…

From Tailman’s coiled extra appendage to Invisible Girl’s clothes trembling…

From Sugarman clenching his fists to Anima repeatedly opening and closing his mouth…

From the light coming from Can’t Stop Twinkling’s navel to Grape Rush reaching for his hair…

Every last one of these budding heroes wanted so badly to step in and help the family even though it was utterly impossible.

If it weren’t for the fact it was just a movie, albeit one with a super-tense scene, a red-eyed Eraser Head might’ve been persuaded to give them a collective A plus on their next assignment.

All Might made himself a note to do just that, though, for the next Heroics Class. Provided The Incredibles didn’t give him a heart attack.

“Mayday, mayday! India Golf niner-niner is buddy-spiked! Abort! Abort!” Helen pleaded with mounting desperation over the radio as the weapons drew closer. “There are children aboard, say again,” the scene cut to Incredible’s prison, “there are children aboard!”

Mirage’s eyes widened in response to the last part, and she whipped about to see Mr. Incredible watch on with even more fear. “ NO! ”

That one word seemed to strike the viewers like a physical blow. As if it hadn’t been hard enough listening to the pleas of his wife, now to learn that his beloved children’s lives were on the line…

And there Mr. Incredible was, unable to do a thing to help them. Just like them, he could only… bear witness.

Helen screamed at her daughter. “Put a field around us now!”

"But Mom, I’ve never done one that big before!"

“Violet, do it now!” The missiles continued to close in. " Abort, abort, abort!"

Violet called up a force field, but it was smaller than her head and flickered out of existence instantly.

“You’ve got to make it bigger, Vi!” Uraraka yelled, tears glistening in her eyes. “Try again! You can do it!” You have to do it, she added to herself even as Tsu hugged her with one arm. Nighteye’s face and Deku and Eri’s tears flashed before her eyes. Please…

Koda shivered in worry. “C-can she really make a force field big enough to surround the plane?”

“Maybe if she had the proper training.” Yamada was biting his nail to keep himself from instinctively releasing a scream to blow the missiles away. “But she’s been taught to suppress her powers her whole life, and she’s never been in a situation like this before.” He closed his eyes behind his sunglasses. “Not that I want to put her down, but…”

Aizawa nodded beside his oldest friend. The twenty students sitting around him had all faced deadly odds throughout the entire school time at UA, and it hadn’t even been a full year yet. They had honed their instincts and their Quirks and developed the mental fortitude to use both in split-second decisions. But a girl like Violet who’d actively been trying to live a normal life? How could anyone demand this miracle from her? “Violet shouldn’t have to face this kind of danger. No child should…” He whispered the last part.

“ Abort, abort, abort! ” She tried again, but the field faded even faster.

Helen ripped off her headset. The missiles were inches away-

Hands raised, mouths opened, bodies moved- “STOP!!!!”

Every student froze in their movements, the command rippling through their ears. Aizawa blinked in similar shock, shutting off his Quirk, as he and the kids turned in unison towards the source.

All Might stared back at them even while shrinking down to his true form, but they could still see his old smile. “You can’t do anything to help them,” he pointed at the paused scene, “but you can have faith in them. Don’t forget, Elastigirl was a hero just like Mr. Incredible.”

So, he hit the play button and they watched.

Just before the missiles struck, Helen leaped out of the cockpit and stretched her whole body around Violet and Dash. The entire plane exploded, fire and metal shooting out in all directions of the sky.

And in the midst of the debris, a red-and-black but intact bundle hurtled downwards, uncurling itself to reveal an unconscious Helen as Dash and Violet slipped screaming away from her. Her eyes fluttering open and shut, the hero slowly regained her senses to gasp at the approaching ocean. She quickly stretched out her arms to reel in her wailing children. Once both were secured with her arms and legs, Helen expanded her torso to turn herself into a makeshift parachute.

The whole class and the teachers let out the breath they’d sucked in and sighed collectively in relief. “Tight thinking…” Jiro whistled in appreciation after a few seconds of calming herself. “She remembered her suit’s indestructibility and used it with her flexibility to shield the kids.”

Having received a new pen and a handkerchief from Yaoyorozu, Midoriya had returned to his scribbling, even adding a rough sketch of Elastigirl’s parachute form. “Shifting her body to adjust for the rapid decent, protected by her suit’s durability… So many different applications for her flexibility not just in rescuing others but apprehending criminals…”

Uraraka couldn’t help but giggle as he continued to mumble; she needed this break after all the tension with the plane. Besides, she was starting to get a few ideas of her own, inspired by Elastigirl.

All Might for his part simply relaxed, glad that his hopes had paid off. Sure, Mr. Incredible was still a prisoner, and Elastigirl and her children weren’t out of danger yet, but they were alive. And a hero could always break out of a tight spot.

Violet and Dash stared in shock at the water beneath them, then turned up towards their mother who simply called, “Brace yourselves!” over the fluttering of her body. They then slowly reached and sank into the water, Helen shrinking back into herself. When she surfaced, she found both her son and daughter alive, treading water and panickily yelling over one another.

“Everybody calm down.” Helen told them in a stern voice “Now, I’ll tell you what we’re not gonna do. We’re not gonna panic, we’re not gonna-” Her eyes drifted up to above them and then widened before she hastily shoved them both back down. “LOOK OUT!”

A second later, a smoking turbine crashed into the ocean. Helen and the kids barely managed to swim out of the way in time. While the latter two rapidly moved back up to the surface, their mother remained long enough to see the turbine reach the bottom. A dull explosion emanated from the wreckage.

Some jumped in reaction to the crash, even two or three yelping in surprise. Jiro smirked at a pouting Kaminari, all too happy to tease him afterwards.

Present Mic wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Now, if we could tone down the excitement for a bit, that would be just swell…”

By the time Helen had swum back up, Violet and Dash had both seemingly reached the logical emotional conclusion to their current predicament “Oh, my gosh! Who’s idea was this anyway?!”

“ Whatdowedowhatdowedowhatdowedo?! ”

Sheer panic.

“ We’re dead! We’re dead! ” Dash whimpered again and again.

Violet was babbling even while treading water. “ It blew up! ”

“ We survived , but we’re dead !”

Now, most people seeing this would cut the two kids some slack in acknowledgement that they were untrained youths who had survived a plane crash and were trapped in the middle of the open ocean. Heck, some like Kaminari would openly admit they wouldn’t be acting any better.

If you were Katsuki Bakugo, however, you would be tapping your foot while a vein throbbed atop your forehead at the babbling and lack of action.

Fortunately for less patient viewers, Helen was quick to take control of the situation. “Stop it!” She smacked the water for emphasis, shutting them up. “We are not gonna die! Now both of you will get a grip, or so help me, I will ground you for a month! Understand?!” The kids only stared at her, terrified but silent.

“…Well, that’s an effective threat.” Sero quipped, drawing a couple of snickers.

Tokoyami decided to try his luck and keep the humor going. “Hell hath no fury like a stern mother.”

Bakugo huffed and slumped in his seat. The old hag would’ve made Elastigirl her backup bestie after Aunt Inko.

Mirage checked her equipment before stating, “ We have a confirmed hit. Target was destroyed. ” Mr. Incredible slumped in defeat at this report.

And the mood quickly plummeted again.

The sight was enough to make some students want to cry. “He didn’t know before that the kids had stowed away, huh?” Denki winced, patting Eijiro’s shoulder as the red-haired “tough guy” hung his head.

“How could he have known?” Kyoka pointed out, not having the energy for a supplementary quip. “All Helen’s transmission told him was that she was in the plane, not anything else.”

Her blonde friend nodded at that before freezing, a shuddering breath escaping him. “Oh, God… What if he thinks all the kids were on the plane…?”

That thought nearly made the mood plummet all the way to rock bottom. And those like Koda was half a step away from crying. “H-he thinks he lost his whole family…” Kirishima gritted his teeth. “Jack-Jack…”

When a hand clapped down on his shoulder. “H-hey, c’mon, horn buddy!” He looked up to see Mina flash him a teary but genuine smile. “They’re not really dead, they’re alive! Elastigirl’s gonna save Incredible! And Jack-Jack’s safe at home!”

He stared back at his oldest friend, then bared his teeth into a fierce grin. “Yeah, and when they take down Syndrome, it’ll be manly as hell!”

Syndrome sneered up at him. “Ah, you’ll get over it. I seem to recall you prefer to ‘work’ alone?” Then he turned away with a cruel snicker.

It has been established by more than one person that when it comes to watching movies, there’s more than one way to raise spirits after a heartbreaking scene. Something touching like lovers uniting or a child receiving a wondrous gift. A quick comedy skit works, too.

But there was always the alternative of directing one’s ire towards an utterly loathsome character, too. “I for one hope said taking down doesn’t take too long.” Todoroki’s statement, delivered with burning coldness, was shared by plenty others. But the disdain he felt was surpassed by one other.

This time, Midoriya had the presence of mind to set down pen and notebook before clenching his fists so tightly he might’ve crushed coal into diamonds. Even Shigaraki had never triggered such outright disgust from the ninth bearer of One for All. Not like Syndrome had. The sheer disregard for life, the fact that, as far as anyone in the room knew, he had just ordered the death of children… and he just used it as another chance to twist the knife in Mr. Incredible…

“Hey, Deku.” He tilted his head slightly towards a scowling Bakugo. “Still think you’ve got anything in common with Syndrome?”

The childhood friends exchanged glares, but for once in a long, long while, not an ounce of anger was directed at either of the two. Instead, it all centered on one single person on-screen. “As a matter of fact,” Deku slowly returned his burning gaze to the TV before biting out, “I don’t.”

Bob slowly raised his face to reveal his grief shifting into anger. While Syndrome still had his back turned, he lunged forward despite his restraints. But Mirage who had been standing to the side saw his intent in time and shoved her boss out of the way right before Incredible reached them. The bonds quickly reeled the captive hero back in, his arms crossed before him.

But Mirage was trapped between those arms.

“Damnit!” “So close!” “If she hadn’t gotten in the way…”

The Bakusquad had been among those hoping the most the sneak attack would work.

Syndrome quickly got up to find Incredible glaring at him full force. “Release me! Now!”

The villain barely spared Mirage a second glance. “ Or what? ”

“ I’ll crush her ,” Mr. Incredible growled.

Yaoyorozu shifted slightly in her seat, one hand over her mouth. “He wouldn’t… would he?”

“Of course not.” Midoriya was staring at the screen, his anger concerning Syndrome put on the backburner for now. His right fist trembled a little by the side, right over his notebook. “He’s just… bluffing.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t overdo it, ribbit,” Asui mumbled, concerned for both friend and fictional hero.

“Ooh, that sounds a little dark for you,” Syndrome noted before turning away with a lackadaisical wave of his hand. “Nah, go ahead.”

Kirishima grit his teeth in disgust. “Woman saves you from being that spot, and you don’t even bother worrying about her? Just when I thought he couldn’t get any unmanlier.”

A grunt was the only answer he got from Bakugo, drawing a raised eye from the redhead.

A tiny gasp escaped Mirage as his hold tightened. “ It’ll be easy . L ike breaking a toothpick. ”

Syndrome chuckled before locking gazes with Incredible. “Show me,” he dared him.

Mirage glanced anxiously from her captor to Syndrome in the hope he would rescue her, but he didn’t budge. Hero and villain glared at one another, the camera flashing between them and her terrified face. Mr. Incredible’s eyes only burned with anger as they narrowed…

Everyone held their breath in anticipation of the outcome. Aizawa noted with muted approval how none of his students appeared eager to see Mr. Incredible make good on his words; even though this was a terrible scenario, it went unspoken that taking hostages was a very heavy action for a hero. To say nothing of killing her. It was certainly within Bob’s power, within all of their powers… That made it all the more important that the homeroom teacher instruct them properly.

Mirage was an ally to a villain and accessory to the murder of multiple heroes. But she was still a human being. Aizawa, Yamada and Yagi hoped with all their hearts that none of these kids would ever be put in a situation such as now, using a life as a bargaining chip. It was enough they carried this much tension.

One student, though, was watching with more conflict than his classmates. Kaminari and Kirishima couldn’t help but exchange glances over the way Bakugo had leaned froward in his seat, his red eyes trained on the movie. His arms were crossed together, the hands clutching his forearms tightly in a sort of echo of Incredible, and his mouth was set in a scowl, but he didn’t make a sound.

…Then with a defeated sigh, Bob uncrossed his arms, letting Mirage fall to the floor. She panted heavily but was unharmed.

All Might and Midoriya breathed simultaneously in relief, the latter exchanging looks with his friends.

Bakugo simply lowered his gaze to the carpet.

“I knew you couldn’t do it.” Syndrome frowned in disappointment. “Even when you have nothing to lose! You’re weak!” He spat before turning on his heel and walking away. “And I’ve outgrown you.”

Mirage picked herself off the floor and walked after him, but there was palpable hesitation in her steps. She even spared a quick, sad glance back to the imprisoned hero as he hung there quietly sobbing to himself.

“They’re not dead,” Aizawa reminded those who were getting emotional again. “His family’s still alive.”

All Might sighed. “But Bob doesn’t know that.” The Erasure Hero had no response for that.

They sat there wordlessly watching Bob; Uraraka and Kagakure outright wanted to jump into the movie and give the grieving man a big hug, if not set him free.

Katsuki Bakugo leaned away from the screen until his back hit the couch, his eyes darting from the carpet to the scene and back again. His usual scowl had loosened into a straight line. Syndrome’s words rang about in his skull despite his efforts to dismiss them like he would any other villain’s ramblings.

“You’re weak!” Bakugo hated the feeling of weakness. He always strove for victory. But if he had been placed in this scenario, what would have been the bigger defeat? Continue dangling in that electrified hanger rack? Or take a villain’s stooge hostage and crush them just to get free? Another part reverberated in him: “I’ve outgrown you.” Katsuki wanted to surpass All Might, his childhood hero, too…

A nudge in his side brought him back to reality, and he glared on reflex towards Kirishima. “You good, bro?” After a moment, Bakugo just huffed and nodded, a little smirk playing across his lips. Get over yourself, dumbass. After knocking sense into Deku, what’re you doing doubting yourself?

Bob’s family were still wading in the ocean, relatively safe. “Those were short-range missiles,” Helen scanned three emission trails in the sky even as the sun set, “Land-based.” She pointed towards the direction of the trails. “That way is our best bet.”

“ You want to go toward the people that tried to kill us? ” Dash questioned in disbelief.

“Sorry, Dash, but it’s not like you have any alternatives.” One of Shoji’s hands reached up to scratch his masked chin. “With the plane a sunken wreck, they have no way of radioing for help.”

Tokoyami nodded next to him. “And Syndrome was clever in choosing an island that remote as his secret base. Even if other boats were to sail through those waters, no doubt registered as private at that, it would take weeks before anyone stumbles upon the three.”

“ If it means land, yes. ”

Violet stared at her mother skeptically. “ Do you expect us to swim there? ”

“I expect you,” the Super smiled, “to trust me.”

One scene transition later, Helen had stretched her body in the form of a small boat, providing enough room for a still shaken Violet and the duffel bag. Dash was at the rear, kicking his legs so quickly in the water he was like a motorboat’s engine. Droplets splashed about as they cut a swift line across the surface.

“Brilliant!” Yaoyorozu clapped her hands in delight and awe at Elastigirl’s ingenuity. “Using your own body to form a makeshift raft while having Dash propel them with his superspeed… She must have concocted this solution before her decision to head for the island.”

Jiro smirked amused at her best friend’s enthusiasm before humming. “Vi still looks a little rattled. Can’t blame her, though, a plane just blew up with her inside it. Dash has recovered quicker, though.”

“Hey, quick is literally his Quirk,” Kaminari joked next to her, earning a playful eyeroll from her. “Besides, he’s at least finally got a chance to put all that energy to good use. Violet, though…”

He didn’t say anything, something Jiro appreciated. Sometimes, it was better not to talk about a problem.

Even with Dash’s speed, it was nevertheless nightfall as they reached Syndrome’s Island, aircraft zooming about high above them. They had luckily escaped notice, exhausted though they were crawling up the sand. Helen’s arms and legs were still slightly stretched out as she pulled herself along like a beached seal. Finally, she collapsed, Dash falling completely winded beside her. Helen still found the strength to flash her boy a smile. “ What a trooper ,” she praised him. “ I’m so proud of you. ”

Dash smiled tiredly back. “Thanks, mom.”

Iida crossed his arms in thought, then nodded decisively. “I still disapprove of Dashiell’s disrespectful antics.” Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima and Ashido all cracked up at hearing that name even as their class rep continued. “Nevertheless, the praise for his actions is well-earned, and I believe he takes after his parents in heroic will.” He was also privately contemplating if he could apply Dash’s human-motor technique if put in a similar situation. My Engines could theoretically function the same way, but I’ve never actually tested if they’re waterproof. Submerging them could risk damage and leave the boat dead in the water…

A quick check on Midoriya confirmed his friend had already written down the data. Iida resolved to discuss the idea with him after the film was complete. Copyright shouldn’t be an issue, either …

A little later, the trio had found shelter in a cave and made a fire. The kids huddled close to it while their mom sat opposite from them. “I think,” Helen began, “your father is in trouble.”

“ If you haven’t noticed, Mom, we’re not doing so hot either. ” Violet snarked in a defeated tone.

“Ouch.” Kaminari mimed a stabbing motion over his chest. “But a fair and accurate assessment.” He smirked over at Jiro. “You two wouldn’t happen to be related, wouldja?”

“Funny, I was having the same thoughts about you and Dash,” the girl shot back with a fake jab from her jack. “It’s almost like you divvy up one braincell between you.”

Todoroki’s heterochromatic eyes gleamed, but Midoriya whirled around to Yaoyorozu, hands clasped and a pleading look in his eyes. She sighed before saying, “Todoroki, if you abstain from making any secret-love-child theories, I will teach you how to make digital images with those memes that take jabs at Endeavor.”

He didn’t even need a second to consider. “Deal.”

Helen rose to her feet. “ I’m going to look for him. And that means you’re in charge until I get back, Violet. ”

“ What?! ” Dash protested.

Violet smirked at him. “You heard her.”

“Wise move,” Asui ribbited. Aizawa nodded stoically by his seat.

Elastigirl took out a black domino mask from the bag and affixed it to her face. Then she held out two more masks. “Put these on. Your identity is your most valuable possession.” Dash had already donned his while she was talking, but Violet still held hers. “Protect it. And if anything goes wrong, use your powers.”

“ But you said never to use -”

“I know what I said!” Helen snapped at Violet before she could stop herself. Both kids flinched. She took a breath, then tried again. “Remember the bad guys on those shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings?” They nodded, excitement briefly flashing between them that dimmed with their mother’s next words. “Well, these guys are not like those guys. They won’t exercise restraint because you’re children. They will kill you if they get the chance. Do not give them that chance.”

All Might suppressed a sigh at the sobering lesson Elastigirl was imparting to her kids. Watching the innocence crack just a little in their big eyes, not to mention the solemn atmosphere that had suddenly washed over Class 1-A, reminded him of how many sacrifices lay inside a hero’s life. Here’s hoping Violet and Dash don’t have to learn this lesson the hard way, Toshinori prayed. Not like… he swallowed. I did.

Violet visibly had little confidence. “Mom?”

But Helen told her, “Vi, I’m counting on you.”

“ There’s something I -”

“I’m counting on you,” Helen reiterated. “Be strong.” She then turned to her oldest son. “Dash, if anything goes wrong, I want you to run as fast as you can.”

A certain hero-in-training’s eyes widened in horror behind his glasses. “Oh, good heavens, no…”

Dash looked like he had just been handed a billion bucks. “As fast as I can?!”

“No, absolutely not!” Iida hastily whirled his arms about, only seconds away from a panic attack. “You must set some sort of speed limit on him for his own good! There is no telling what he may do with free rein!”

“They’re on an island full of goons and robots designed to kill trained heroes, Iida,” Ojiro pointed out. “Besides, how’s Helen supposed to enforce a speed limit, slap a speedometer on Dash?” Hagakure giggled at the image.

Sero tutted playfully at him. “Shame on you, class rep. Have you forgotten our school motto?” His Triangle Grin™ gleamed like he’d freshly brushed. “How can we expect Dash to go Plus Ultra in the face of adversity if he’s weighed down by a speed limit, all because of your performance issues?”

It took Aizawa a full five minutes to call the class’ laughter down from Iida’s indignant sputtering. Mic wasn’t much help, either.

“As fast as you can!” Helen smiled before hugging them. “Stay hidden. Keep each other safe. I’ll be back by morning.” Then she stood up and sprinted for the cave’s exit.

Just as Elastigirl was about to step out into the jungle, Violet’s voice rang out. “Mom!” She turned to find her girl rushing after her. “Mom, what happened on the plane- I’m sorry-I wanted to help.” Vi stumbled over her words, looking more vulnerable than ever before. “I mean, when you asked me to-” Her gaze darted down at the ground in defeat. “I’m sorry.”

More than a few shuffled about in their seats and looked away. The benefit of going to UA was learning how to hone their instincts and Quirks, but Violet had been given no such preparation. No one among the audience, not even Bakugo, could hold the failure to create a force field against her.

Aizawa certainly didn’t. Sure, his harshest critics dismissed him as a hardass with impossible standards, but he had once been a lot like Violet Parr: an introverted, insecure teenager who didn’t know if they could ever amount to being a decent hero. Such was the magic of a Pixar film that Eraser Head wanted to step into the film, put a hand on the poor girl’s shoulders, and tell her she had nothing to be sorry for.

As it was, he settled for ruminating on his own failures.

For Midoriya, Uraraka, Kirishima and Asui, there was the far too recent battle against the Shie Hassaikai. Saving Eri was something none of them regretted doing, but the cost…

Helen gently shushed her before holding her daughter’s shoulders. “It isn’t your fault. It wasn’t fair for me to suddenly ask so much of you. But things are different now. And doubt is a luxury we can’t afford anymore, sweetie. You have more power than you realize.” A doubtful Violet looked up at her, but Elastigirl was confident. “Don’t think, and don’t worry. If the time comes, you’ll know what to do. It’s in your blood.” And then she sprinted away.

Violet watched her go with one wide eye, the other covered by her hair. A gentler rendition of the heroic music played as she eyed the domino mask still in her hands. Determination slowly edged its way across her face as the young heroine donned the mask and stood resolutely before the cave.

Plenty of hands clapped in celebration of Violet’s resolve awakening, the most enthusiastic coming from the girls, of course (keen listeners would note, though, that Aizawa had been the first to start clapping). Discussions quickly broke over what her hero name could be: “Barrier Girl,” “Sneak-And-Shield,” etc. “Ultraviolet” was the most popular vote. It was as if the class was welcoming an exchange student.

Shoto watched the subtle transformation in the young girl, something knocking against his chest. It reminded him of his “training sessions” when he had been so little. Not because they were alike; in fact, the opposite. Whereas Endeavor had pushed him to the breaking point and beyond every single day, berating him when he wouldn’t have beaten whatever hypothetical villains stood before him, here Elastigirl was, kindly encouraging Violet to have faith in herself.

“It’s in your blood.” Shoto shuddered just a little at the words. Whereas Violet could draw strength from them, for him, they were just a reminder of the ambition that had burned his childhood to ash. For that, he could never forgive his father. …Even so, he knew and appreciated a mother’s comfort deeply.

Syndrome was leaning before a window inside a control room. He was overlooking a shining white rocket that looked like it could launch at any moment.

“Oh, man,” Mineta cradled his trembling head. “That lunatic’s rocket is ready? The one that’ll set that giant Omnidroid thing loose on the city?!”

Midoriya shared his smaller classmate’s anxiety (if not his interests) and contemplated the situation out loud. “When Mr. Incredible first found out about his plan, the countdown had said eight hours until the Omnidroid would be launched. He was shortly captured afterwards, and hours if not a whole day has passed since then. Syndrome finding out he was alive must’ve thrown him off, that and the homing device Elastigirl activated would’ve made him want to verify his location or his plans hadn’t been compromised.” He cupped his chin in thought, not quite reaching his usual mumble level.

This allowed the others to actually follow what he was saying. “So, that’s why he hasn’t set his rocket off even though the deadline has most likely passed?” Uraraka summed up Midoriya’s musings, pulling him back to reality. She hummed at his shy nod. “Well, between that and Elastigirl finding him, I guess that homing beacon actually did help Incredible out in the end.”

“But Incredible is still trapped and his resolve broken,” Tokoyami pointed out. “And with Elastigirl’s plane destroyed and whatever ‘reinforcements’ sent to rescue him supposedly dead, Syndrome has little reason to delay the launch any longer.”

“It’s the smartest course of action at this point,” Shoji agreed. “If all of his enemies are out of the picture, he has nothing to worry about. If someone survived like Elastigirl and the kids, he needs to enact his plan before they interfere.” His original eyes narrowed at the villain. “Either way, Incredible and Elastigirl are running out of time.”

  “ He’s not weak, you know. ” Mirage’s voice shook him from his observation.

A confused Syndrome turned around. “ What? ”

Behind him, the silver-haired woman was seated, staring at some files in her hands with a frown. “Valuing life is not weakness.” She didn’t even bother facing him.

Ashido’s dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Ooh, looks like there’s a little tension between her and her boss.” While she didn’t ship those two and refused to entertain the idea of Bob cheating, seeing Syndrome in hot water with Mirage was a treat.

“Can you blame her?” Jiro scoffed. “She saved the jackass from getting squeezed into pulp by Incredible, and he doesn’t even try to help her when she’s trapped.”

“ Oh, hey. Look, loo k,” Syndrome chuckled as he sauntered over to her. “I f you’re talking about what happened in the containment unit, I had everything under control. ”

Mirage turned a little to side-eye him as he approached. “And disregarding it is not a strength.”

“Hell yeah!” Kirishima pumped his fist. “Just because Mr. Incredible isn’t willing to kill anybody doesn’t mean he’s not still one of the manliest guys out there!”

Bakugo crossed his arms before him, again finding himself considering a villain’s words. And damn him, but he couldn’t help seeing truth in them. “Valuing life isn’t weakness, and disregarding it’s not a strength…” He muttered to himself so quietly only Jiro and Shoji (instinctively growing a new ear) picked up on it, ignoring their questioning looks.

But it was another who helped the explosive hero-in-training finish the logic training. “Hero, villain or civilian, one must never forget the value of a human life, Young Bakugo.” He shifted to watch All Might sitting tall despite his shrunken form. “As heroes, our first priority is to save lives, not take them. You know that.” He wasn’t asking a question, and Bakugo only needed to a give a fierce nod as his answer.

Syndrome didn’t get the message, though. “I called his bluff, sweetheart, that’s all.” He tilted her chin up towards his smug smirk. “I knew he wouldn’t have it in him to actually...”

Mirage pushed away his hand while glaring straight at him. “Next time you gamble,” she stood up and shoved the files into his chest, “bet your own life.” She then then stormed off while Syndrome stared after her in utter incomprehension, the clacking of her heels quickly fading away.

Bakugo huffed with a smirk. “Damn straight.” Mulling over all of this villain talk was one thing, but at the end of the day, he was going to be the #1 Hero no matter what. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to reach that peak by gambling with others’ lives when he took down scum like Syndrome.

Midoriya on the opposite end couldn’t help but think about those two villains he encountered a little while ago, Gentle and La Brava. While they had intended to cause a ruckus and ruin a very important day, he still didn’t consider either one a bad person. In fact, it had felt like Gentle at least wanted to try and do something right after his arrest. Mirage was by no means an innocent pawn in Syndrome’s schemes; she had baited and manipulated Bob into a trap. But she had clearly drawn a line at endangering children, and if she was disillusioned enough with Syndrome… Hope blossomed in the hero-admiring boy.

Back out in the jungle, Elastigirl pushed past oversized leaves, swatting a bug while she looked about. Soon, she noticed something tall glinting up ahead. A few more steps, and she stood before the monorail to the main base. Better yet, a pod was approaching from behind her.

The heroine bounced lightly on her feet, muttering, “Okay, okay, okay,” then sprang up just as the pod passed over her. Her hands stretched out to grab hold, and she was pulled along the rail, swaying before she swung herself up onto the pod’s roof. All without alerting the guards inside.

Hagakure watched the whole sequence in awe and cheered. “Stealth hero for the win!”

“Well,” Ojiro chuckled at her antics, “she’s not as big or super strong as Bob, so she’ll have her own way of getting into the base.”

Another few seconds of riding, and the base and volcano soon became visible for Elastigirl. She stretched herself along the side of the pod just as a hover ship hummed over her and flew into an open hangar, multiple other planes arrayed next to it. Then the pod was in a tunnel, and Elastigirl was briefly surrounded by darkness before light appeared again. She found herself staring at Syndrome’s rocket before the pod moved again into a darker section. Deciding her ride had come to an end, Elastigirl expanded her midsection and let go to land quietly on the rail. She straightened as her back was illuminated then quickly flattened herself against the wall before another pod would’ve collided with her.

“That was close,” Uraraka sighed, just as impressed with the heroine’s moves as Hagakure was. She stifled a giggle at Deku briskly cataloguing the flattening trick with a little mumble.

Elastigirl leaned out her head to check that no one had spotted her. Sighing when the coast was clear, she detached herself from the wall and backtracked a few steps. She found the rocket slowly having its top part removed while guards stood alert but thankfully facing the other way. “A rocket?” The upper half slowly slid upwards, revealing a gigantic circular opening, much to Elastigirl’s confusion.

The viewers, of course, had knowledge she lacked, so they could recognize the significance of the proceedings. “The rocket looks kinda empty.” Sato scratched his head. “Does that mean they haven’t loaded the Omnidroid into it yet?”

“It appears so.” Yaoyorozu sipped some tea before leaning a little forward. “But the size of that opening and the space made for it… It must be stories tall, far larger than any of the prior models.”

“With a machine that large and complex, they must be running extensive checks prior to inserting it into the rocket,” Todoroki theorized. “But the preparations look complete for the most part.”

Aoyama shivered in concern slightly. “Mon dieu… And Elastigirl has yet to even locate the Monsieur…”

Two guards marched down a hallway, unaware that a slimmed-down Elastigirl was hiding above them in the ceiling. She jumped to the floor as soon as they passed her, an automatic door sliding shut behind them. She straightened and began to walk the other way, but she couldn’t help but pause by a mirror showing just how much certain… body parts had gotten bigger and sigh at the result.

Kaminari had the good sense not to let his gaze linger too long, otherwise he would’ve received the same super-loud jack probe an all-too-eager Mineta got. Jiro still watched him suspiciously, though (and it helped distract her from feeling self-conscious).

Other boys had the good grace to look away or in Bakugo’s case just plain not care while the girls all made mental notes to keep up on their fitness. “Fifteen years of retirement didn’t just leave its mark on Bob, ribbit.” An unfazed Tsu pointed out.

The sound of a door opening snapped Elastigirl from her thoughts, and she managed to coil herself along the door’s arch as a guard walked through it. She righted herself and slowly backed away while he fiddled with something at his belt. But then the door slid shut automatically before she could completely slip through, catching her left leg.

“What the hell!” Bakugo snapped. “How do you manage to get your leg stuck like that?!”

Mina immediately glared at him. “Hey, it’s been a long time since she had to be Elastigirl! Cut her some slack, she’s bound to be a little rusty at this!”

“Rusty or not, this is not a good time for mistakes.” Yaoyorozu certainly continued to admire Elastigirl alongside her girlfriends, but she didn’t wish to sacrifice her core beliefs in the fundamentals of heroism. “Not when her family is at stake. Still, I believe she has the experience and presence of mind to improve.”

Elastigirl tried tugging her knee, but it was no use. She looked up to the guard, but he still hadn’t noticed her. Instead, he had opened up the door in front of him with an electronic key card, the scanner making an electronic chime as he removed it. He then reattached the card to his belt and continued his patrol. Elastigirl quickly climbed with her hands along the floor, elongating her torso as she followed him through the hallway. Her right hand reached out to snag the card…

Only for the open door to close again… onto her midsection. Startled, she shrank back to slam her upper body against the door. A glance backwards showed her leg still trapped in the other door; Elastigirl blew away a stray hair in frustration.

“Oh, come on!”

Jiro flinched from an irate Bakugo’s volume before sighing at the heroine’s predicament. “The danger of automatic doors…”

“They kill over one Americans every year, Jiro!” A snort escaped her before she clamped her mouth shut, refusing to give Kaminari the satisfaction of making her laugh.

He achieved that way too often anyway…

And that’s when the elevator opened, and a guard already inside spotted her. “Hey!”

Sero winced. “Oh, man, of course, she gets spotted when she’s trapped-”

Elastigirl’s fist lashed out to strike both guards, stunning them. She then snagged one’s rifle and smacked it against him before slamming the other against the wall, knocking him out. He fell groaning to the floor while the other guard recovered quickly enough to hit the elevator switch, shutting the door with her arm trapped between it. He smirked as the hand felt blindly about, only to frown as it slowly traveled up his chest. The second it reached his jaw, the hand became a fist and punched him out cold.

Outside, Elastigirl smiled in triumph.

“Like… that…” Sero’s jaw was hanging a little loose, and after he managed to cock it back into place, he was greeted with six smug stares. “Yeah, yeah, I get it: Don’t underestimate female Pro Heroes.”

Asui and Shoji were also taking notes on what to do if their respective limbs ever got caught in a similar situation. Not that they believed it would happen, of course, but better safe than sorry. Besides, stranger things had happened to this class.

But her problems weren’t over yet. Back at the door where Elastigirl’s leg was stuck, another guard had found it and was eyeing it confused. And then a car carrying two more guards came through the hallway where Elastigirl’s midsection was stretched. Busy chatting with each other, neither of them noticed until it clotheslined them, knocking them off. They quickly rose and aimed their guns at a worried Elastigirl’s head, trapped as she was on the other side of the door.

Uraraka flinched from the impacts against Elatigirl’s body. “Okay, she’s in pretty big trouble now…”

Iida nodded next to her. “Indeed. Unlike with the elevator, Elastigirl has no limbs free to defend herself.”

 “Well, uh…” Kaminari racked his brain to come up with a way out for her. “Can’t she stretch out a part of her stomach to clobber those two?”

“Her body’s elastic, Dunce Face,” Bakugo grumbled, “but she’s not a shapeshifter.” No way I’d ever let myself get caught in an automatic door.

The guard at Elastigirl’s leg prodded it with his rifle. Annoyed, she kicked that one, knocking him unconscious instantly and setting off his gun. Automatic fire sounded out as bullets bounced aimlessly about the frame. One ricocheted into the key card scanner and opened the door, freeing Elastigirl’s waist. Her two legs promptly retracted into her midsection and smacked the guards right into the door. Both crumpled senseless to the ground.

Mineta hummed thoughtfully. “But she still found a way out of a pinch that tight with a little luck.” And a nice big booty. See, the little gremlin could learn from his slip-ups. Like keeping his thoughts to himself. Asui still kept a hawk -no, wait, that’s Hawks’ thing- a frog’s eye on him, however.

It took some time before Elastigirl retrieved a key card from one of the downed guards in the elevator and blindly insert it into the scanner, but eventually, her arm was free. She then unlocked the door stuck on her torso before righting herself with a tired sigh.

Next came the task of gathering up all of the guards, thankfully still unconscious, and loading them up inside a nearby locker. Elastigirl shoved grunting the last one in and struggled with the door until it snapped shut. She fell down with a yelp.

“Ah, the additional struggles during a stealth mission.” All Might chuckled. “You may wish to brace yourself for when you find yourself in a similar situation, Young Hagakure. Take a few pointers from Aizawa, or maybe have Young Ojiro accompany you on every mission.”

Mashirao couldn’t help but blush, his cheeks only reddening further at the invisible girl’s giggles. Thank God that Aizawa spoke up before others could tease him. “Good point, I’ll run a few drills with you guys later about infiltration and dealing with the unconscious. Trust me, no one has ever managed to find all the bodies from my missions.” Nobody except for Present Mic could be sure whether the black-suited underground hero was joking, sitting there as he was with that creepy grin hidden beneath his scarf.

And Mic was keeping his mouth shut for once.

Back at the cave, Violet had pulled her hair back with an orange band, freeing both of her eyes, and was practicing with her force fields. One shimmered around the campfire before she dispelled it, the flames surging up in their release. She then aimed a little higher, capturing some of the smoke in a bubble. When that faded as well, the smoke scattered.

Hagakure clapped her transparent hands delightedly. Envious though she may’ve been at Vi’s additional Quirk, she still believed in and wanted to support her invisible sis. Besides, “I love what she did with her hair.” Others, boy and girl, agreed with her. It seemed like Vi was slowly coming out of her shell.

Midoriya, though, was more interested in her training. “She’s focusing on increasing the speed with which she can create and dispel her force fields. The fields can be utilized for more than just defense; if Violet can entrap the flames and smoke, then larger ones could surely hold individuals…” He jotted down the notes eagerly. Their circumstances differed, but Izuku knew how it felt to be so shy and yet want to be a hero. And somehow, he just knew that when the moment came for Violet…

Dash, though, had lost interest in watching this long ago. “Well, not that this isn’t fun,” he hopped to his feet as Violet returned to the fire, “but I’m gonna go look around.” Dash snatched up a burning stick and began to walk further into the cave.

“What do you think is going on here?” Vi snapped at her brother, causing him to turn around. “You think we’re on vacation or something? Mom and Dad’s lives could be in jeopardy. Or worse…” Her eyes darted about before she whispered, “their marriage.”

“Yeah, you really ought to curb that enthusiasm for now, little buddy,” a head-scratching Kirishima commented in a much calmer tone than Iida with his sternness and hand-chopping. “Sure, it’s manly as heck, but there’s way too much going on for you to take any chances.”

Sero quickly swiped some of the few remaining snacks before voicing his own thoughts. “Vi’s got a good point, though. Between all the lying, the getting trapped on an island headed by a hero-killing psycho and her thinking he was cheating on her… I wouldn’t be surprised if Helen wants to go for a di-”

A pink hand smacked over his mouth, scattering his sweets in the process. He turned to find twin black stars burning down at him. “Don’t even think about uttering the D-word, Sero.” Ashido hissed at him warningly. “Love overcomes all.” He wisely chose not to argue with her.

Dash cocked an eyebrow at her. “Their marriage?” She nodded, but he clearly didn’t get it. “Sooo, the bad guys are trying to wreck Mom and Dad’s… marriage.”

“Oh, brother,” Jiro sighed. “This twerp’s even dumber than Kaminari and Mina put together.”

She then deliberately faced away from the indignant, “Hey!” Times two.

Violet sighed. “Oh, forget it. You’re so immature.”

“ Okay, I’m gonna go look around. ” And Dash returned to his exploring.

“ Mom said to stay hidden ,” Vi warned him.

“I’m not gonna leave the cave.” Dash called back, walking backwards before turning around again. “Sheesh!”

“Little brothers.” Tsu shook her head with a weary ribbit.

Beside her, Iida said nothing, but inwardly, he felt he had been an exemplary younger brother to Tensei. He’d asked questions about being a proper hero, assisted him in maintaining his gear and certainly never played pranks! In that regard, he was superior to the mischievous rival speedster.

Not that it was supposed to be a competition, of course! …But if it were…

Todoroki on the other hand wondered half-seriously if he should take a page out of Dash’s book for future interactions with his elder siblings. He had noticed Natsuo deliberately riling Fuyumi up a couple times…

More guards sat inside a control room, overlooking the rocket. A massive black metallic sphere was inserted inside two wing-like structures, then the rest of the rocket slid around the entire assembly. Part of the ceiling retracted in itself, revealing the night sky.

Todoroki’s sibling-related ruminations were put aside at the sight of these proceedings. “Looks like you were right about the size, Yaoyorozu. If that sphere is the Omnidroid, and it has to be, then it can surely tear down an entire city.”

“But the question is,” the vice-rep nodded, “what is the reason for this? Syndrome loathes heroes, but why spend so much time and investment into constructing a war machine like this and set it loose on some city?”

The question hung over the air of the audience, everyone silently trying to puzzle out the villain’s plan. The teachers had no qualms with letting this happen because it was sadly not that far-fetched a possibility in their society. I’ve collected a hefty amount of grudges over the years, All Might’s mind flashed to a certain hand-wearing young man both he and his teacher had failed, and for someone like Syndrome, I’d make a prime target for hero hatred. So, what would Syndrome’s target be? Revenge? Luring out other heroes?

Midoriya was having a similar line of thought, but the drawing-out didn’t fit in the puzzle. Syndrome’s already been able to track down and contact dozens of heroes. Not counting the kids, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone might be the only ones left from the glory days, and new ones wouldn’t be able to come out in the open. That might be why he’s setting the Omnidroid loose… as a trap… But…

That’s still not enough. It was a good thing Bakugo’s Quirk wasn’t mind-reading, or he might’ve been peeved that he was on the same wavelength as Midoriya. Syndrome wants more than just payback, he reiterated in his previous thoughts while tapping his finger against his bicep, he wants praise. He wants to prove to Incredible that he would’ve made a great sidekick, that he’s… better… His tapping ceased as a quote from Syndrome popped into his mind, back when he first revealed himself to Mr. Incredible:

“Now I have a weapon that only I can defeat…” Others were confused by Bakugo’s mutter. “Bastard…”

Dash was wandering carefree among the stalagmites when the light from his torch revealed the cave’s rock giving way to metal. He inspected it to find the whole thing stretched out into some kind of massive corridor. His smiling declaration of it being “Cool!” echoed across the metallic surface. Amused, Dash shouted “COOL!” to get an even louder reply.

Kirishima stopped trying to get a tight-lipped but very angry Bakugo to voice his thoughts, settling for a question he’d easier get an answer for. “What’s with all the metal? Is the cave really some kind of tunnel?”

Iida browsed through what little technological acumen he had. “Syndrome obviously reconfigured a large portion of the island to accommodate his weapon-building.” And hero-hunting needn’t be said. “I doubt the corridor is for ferrying, though. Its size seems redundant for any vehicles we’ve seen so far, and if it were meant to be a tunnel, the rest of the cave should have been cleaned out as well.” His eyes shifted downward in consideration of the possibilities, taking into account the other parts of the island, such as the hangars, the control rooms and the rocket…

“The rocket…” His blue eyes snapped worried up, and others who’d heard him realized it as well. “They have to get out of there. Dash and Violet need to leave the cave right now!”

“H-hold on!” Sato raised his hands reflexively, not quite sure why half of his classmates and the teachers looked so wary. “What’s the problem?”

Back in the control room, Syndrome eagerly turned a key at the desk and pressed a button that had lit up red.

The rocket’s turbines lit up with fire.

Dash’s smile quickly dropped as a strong wind blew against him and the corridor began to light up. With a yelp, he dropped his torch and bolted away before a wave of fire washed out over where he had stood.

Ashido yelped and almost jumped into Kirishima who instinctively hardened himself. “Woah, what the heck just happened?!”

Iida hurriedly explained even as sweat glistened behind his glasses. “That cave leads to an exhaust port for the launching site! The flames of the engines’ ignition is travelling through that corridor…”

“Straight into where Violet is!” Mineta finished with fright and genuine concern.

The rocket slowly began lifting itself off the ground and traveled up its ramp.

Violet looked up at hearing Dash calling her name in quick repeat and found the back of the cave illuminating itself. “What did you do?!” Dash didn’t waste time with an answer, quickly pulling her along until they were out of the cave. Just in time, too; a massive inferno shot out of it to scorch everything in its wake.

It was a tense sight, especially with the supplementary knowledge of what the launch entailed, but tension still eased a little at the sight of Dash and Violet getting to safety. “No matter how they quarrel, siblings watch out for one another.” All Might intoned, approving of Dash’s actions.

“Good sense of judgement, too, to run.” Aizawa didn’t take his eyes off the flames. “That blaze would’ve been too much for Violet at her current level. Hell, I wouldn’t expect a third-year to stop something like that.” He paused. “Well, aside from the Big Three…”

Koda trembled at watching so much of the jungle being burned away. Who knew how many animals might’ve been sleeping amongst the trees and leaves? Fictional or not, he could only hope their innate sense of danger had warned them in time.

Dash and Violet stood panting on the edge away from the flames. A noise made them turn around to see the rocket hurtling out of the volcano and towards the stars.

“So, he reconfigured the volcano itself into a launchpad for his rocket,” Asui observed while tracking the rocket’s ascent. “Hiding it in plain sight, ribbit.”

Uraraka as a childhood space enthusiast saddened at seeing a fictional launch being used for something so sinister. “Mirage did say Syndrome was attracted to power.”

“And now he’s using a lot of his power to put a city in danger.” Kaminari scratched his head. “But what’s the point?” He looked over to his most volatile seating companion. “You act like you’ve worked it out.”

“All I’ve got is a hunch right now,” Bakugo grunted in admission. His red eyes traveled back to the screen. “But if I’m right, Syndrome will spell it out soon enough. He’s the kind of guy who likes to show off.” Bakugo only spared a quick glance over to Midoriya who answered with a slight nod back.

Unaware of her kids’ adventure or the rocket launch, Elastigirl had crept up to the rafters of a monitor room, guards inspecting the screens and listening to radio chatter. She quietly stretched her neck down, avoiding detection, to get a closer look at the screens. One displayed, “ENERGY LEVEL” at the apparent cell doors on level A1.

Most of the bar readings were low, but the one for number thirteen stretched all the way up to maximum. Helen knew there was only one person on this island who needed that much power to be contained. “ Bob .”

“Huh?” One guard heard her and looked about, but Elastigirl was already pulling out. “What?”

“ Uh, I didn’t say anything… ”

“Well, even if they couldn’t stop the Omnidroid’s launch, Elastigirl now knows where to find her husband.” Midoriya decided to be optimistic about the circumstances. “And Mr. Incredible knows Syndrome and at least part of his plan.”

“Yeah, they’ll take him down and stop the Omnidroid together!” Ashido cheered, eager to see a superhero couple save the day together. The endgame dream for any hero shipper worth their salt.

The next morning, sunlight washed over the jungle, and a peacefully snoozing Dash slowly awoke… to find out he was snuggling on top of Violet. With a disgusted sound, he jumped off of her and to his feet, shuddering by himself.

“Awww…” Snickers and fake cooing rippled along the viewers. Dash was very fortunate he wasn’t part of Class 1-A, or else his friends would’ve immortalized this scene for blackmail material. And poor sleeping Violet wouldn’t have been exempted, either…

One particular meek but gentle giant was more interested in enjoying the sounds of wildlife, though.

The boy’s revulsion didn’t last forever, as he drank in the beauty of his surroundings. “Identification Please.” An automated voice made him turn around to find a blue macaw, much like the one that had been observing Mr. Incredible’s first battle with the Omnidroid, perching on a nearby branch.

Dash smiled in surprise. “Hey!”

“Hey, wasn’t a fake bird like that spying on Bob back when he was first on the island?” Sato then noticed one of his seating companions stiffening. “You okay, Koda?”

The animal-loving hero-in-training simply continued to glare at the fake macaw. “I… don’t approve of robots replicating animals.”

“Hey, Violet! Come here, look.”

Vi found herself being shaken out of her own sleep on account of an energetic younger brother. “What...?”

Dash didn’t even wait until she was fully awake before he looked back at the blue thing. “It talks!” As Violet drew herself to a sitting position, he pointed up at the branch. “There, that one.”

“So, what? He talks, too!” Kaminari thumbed over to an unamused Tsukuyomi.

Ignoring the giggles and laughter surrounding him, the feathered boy fixed the electric blonde with a cold stare. “You will pay…” Gulping, Kaminari made a mental note to barricade his door for the next few nights.

The “bird” stared at them with an unblinking tilt of its head. “Voice Key Incorrect.”

“Voice key?” a suspicious Violet got to her feet.

An increasingly testy Koda crossed his arms. “That abomination’s a security measure, isn’t it? Syndrome’s nature-mocking way of keeping track of what’s happening on his precious island?”

“Obviously, Soft Rock,” Bakugo grumbled with comparatively little furor. “They should just smash the robot to pieces before it gives them away.”

She only received a repeat of its previous words. “Voice Key Incorrect.”

Violet’s eyes narrowed at the fake macaw. “Wait a second...”

Then the macaw’s eyes turned red and it opened its beak to reveal a little speaker making a very loud alarm.

The blaring sound was painful for those with average hearing. For Jiro, it was extremely aggravating. She shoved the headphones Yaoyorozu had made her over her ears, tucking in her jacks for good measure, and clamped down on them as tightly as possible. “Why do alarms always have to be so frickin’ loud?” She hissed to herself.

Her friends couldn’t quite hear her over the noise, but they still quickly pushed over tea and her favorite snacks in an effort to dull the pain. Some even mimed getting her an ice pack for the worst-case scenario.

Jiro accepted the snacks with a quiet nod and smile as thanks. “I’m good, guys. Really.”

Once his friend was doing better, Koda returned to glaring at the fake bird even while covering his own ears. “And now Syndrome’s being alerted to their location!”

Both kids covered her ears to try and block out the alarm. “Wha-What do we do?!” Dash called.

“Run!” Violet replied while already moving away.

Dash followed. “Where are we going?!”

“Away from here!” But even as the kids tried running away, the bird-like robot took to the sky in pursuit while still releasing its alarm.

In a control room, a segment of the island lit up red. To make matters worse, the robot’s optics were connected to the security system, allowing guards to see what it was seeing: Two children dressed up like Mr. Incredible running through the jungle. Guards exchanged looks before one pushed a button. “Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert.” The PA repeated as patrols gathered and raced for their stations.

High above on a steel beam, Elastigirl could only watch in worried confusion. Outside, a section of the cliff wall slid apart so wheel-like hovercraft could fly out.

“I told you dumbasses to bust the damn thing!” Bakugo snapped at the running kids.

“What good would that do, Bakugo?” Aizawa scolded him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the guards would be notified about it being damaged or destroyed.” He shook his head. “This is an island. Where could those two hide and not be discovered sooner or later?”

Present Mic sighed. “I get what you mean, but it’s not like Elastigirl could’ve taken them with her. They might’ve gotten her caught in the base. But one way or another, the kids were bound to be involved in their dad’s adventure.” A muted grumble told him that his oldest did not, in fact, like it.

Speaking of Mr. Incredible, he was still hanging about in his prison when someone quietly walked in. Mirage deactivated the energy streams, releasing the hero who fell to his knees in front of her. She then walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “There isn’t much time.”

Uraraka smiled a little. “Looks like Mirage is helping him!”

“Or she’s just trying to wipe out a little red on her conscience,” Bakugo scoffed. “Doesn’t make her a saint.”

While agreeing with her best friend, Asui tapped her lip in thought. “True she still needs to answer for her crimes. Besides, it may complicate things for Elastigirl if Incredible is no longer in his cell, ribbit.”

“No, there isn’t.” Without even looking up at her, Incredible’s fingers wrapped themselves around Mirage’s throat. “In fact, there’s no time at all.”

Worry washed over the audience again, Midoriya in particular fearing the worst. He had never heard that kind of tone from All Might before… except hints of when they discussed All for One. Not a good sign…

Mirage clawed desperately at his hand, wheezing out a “Please...”

Mr. Incredible glared at the woman in his grip. “Why are you here?” His voice was a low growl, a far more threatening sound than the shouting he had done in his previous scene. “How can you possibly bring me lower? What more can you take away from me?”

Todoroki nodded evenly. “He still thinks Syndrome killed his family when he shot down the plane. The way he is now, he probably feels like he has nothing left to lose.”

“But he still retains his dignity as a hero,” Yaoyorozu countered in concern. “If Mr. Incredible kills her in cold blood, what is it going to do for him afterwards, especially when his family is still alive?”

“Family…” Mirage barely managed to gasp through the constriction, “survived... crash… They’re here… on the island!”

Bob’s fury melted away at the words. “They’re alive?” he asked hopefully before dropping her to the floor. The woman sucked in mouthfuls of air before Mr. Incredible helped her to her feet and, fresh off of the relief, hugged her in gratitude.

Aaaand that’s when Helen found them.

Kaminari whistled. “Awkward… And not at all what it looks like…” He shied from a trembling Ashido who was squeezing out acid droplets from her fists. “I-It was a platonic hug, you know that, Mina!”

“I do, Kaminari,” she bit out, “which is why I’m willing to forgive Bob for his brief overenthusiasm.”

A little way from her, Ochaco stared blankly at the two grownups entwined. It was just Bob basking in the relief of knowing his kids were safe, plus his wife was standing alive and well before him. It was all good… even if the scene reminded her of that time on I-Island where she had first seen Melissa looking all excited around a flustered Deku… or when Hatsume had blasted herself so she landed a certain way on Deku…

Midoriya couldn’t help but shiver a bit from the way his pink-cheeked best friend was staring at the screen.

She stared at her husband who quickly released the slim woman hastily making herself presentable. “Oh, hello.” Mirage plastered a shaky smile on her face as she approached, hand outstretched. “You must be Mrs. Incre-” Elastigirl’s fist lashed out against her jaw, and she crumbled to the ground.

“Justice is served. Homewrecker.”

Jiro sweatdropped at the pinkette’s declaration and did a double take when she saw a stoic Uraraka nodding to it, then just sighed. “Well, she did have some karma coming for her…”

Mr. Incredible smiled as he snagged her arm. “She was helping me to escape!”

“No,” she snapped furiously, “that’s what I was doing.” A beaming Bob then began pulling her by her arm over to him. “Let go of me!” Helen protested as she was reeled in. “Let go, you lousy, lying, unfaithful creep-”

But whatever further insults she had for him were swallowed up by the kiss he gave her.

And that kiss burst the bubble of tension that had been growing for certain viewers. Ashido joined Toru in swooning over the couple’s intimate moment. Yaoyorozu and Tsu were more subdued but enjoyed it all the same, while Jiro pretended she was squicked out by it.

Ochaco, too, found herself relaxing, but she couldn’t help but fantasize a little, her cheeks darkening, about… possibilities.

The guys enjoyed it, too, for the most part, Mineta accepting the kiss without any jealous grumblings. Bakugo and Aizawa just wanted them to get on with it while Koda, Todoroki and Tokoyami felt a little awkward about having a front-row seat for such affection. Iida by contrast acknowledged that both adults needed to vent a little from all the tension. He even playfully covered a flustered Midoriya’s eyes.

Kirishima, though, was lucky he dyed his hair red. Made it easier to cover his own blush for reasons similar to Uraraka.

Mr. Incredible finally pulled away to smile down at her. “How could I betray the perfect woman?”

“Oh, you’re referring to me now?” Elastigirl wasn’t convinced.

Aoyama winced with a sparkle. “Ah, such a cold retort, colder than even Todoroki’s ice…”

Todoroki turned to him in confusion, only for Shoji to state, “Let’s just say Bob better get used to sleeping on the couch for a little when they get back home.”

“Where are the kids?” A still smiling Bob asked.

All Might cleared his throat, sensing a familiar nervosity rearing its head. “Oh, yeah, about the kids…”

“They might’ve triggered the alert.” Mirage warned them as she pushed herself up.

Elastigirl spun around to her. “What?!”

“Hey, you left them in a cave that turned out to be an exhaust port for a rocket launching pad,” Aizawa pointed out. “It’s only rational that those two would get discovered sooner or later. Especially Dash.”

Mic snorted. “I dare you to say all that to their faces.”

“No thanks, I have another five months before my next appointment with my dentist.”

Mr. Incredible helped her to her feet as she elaborated. “Security’s been sent into the jungle. You better get going.”

Both heroes immediately raced for the exit, Elastigirl growling, “Now our kids are in danger?!”

“If you suspected danger, why’d you bring them?”

“I didn’t bring ‘em, they stowed away. And I don’t think you’re striking the proper tone here!”

“Oh, Bob’s gonna be lucky if the couch treatment is all that awaits him when he gets back home,” Ojiro muttered even as his tail scooped up a tea bottle.

“W-well, the good news is that they’re together right now,” Midoriya made a stab at optimistic, “and they’re surely going to put helping their children ahead of any marital strife.”

The kids could’ve definitely needed some help. They didn’t get far in the jungle before three of those whirling hovercrafts appeared behind them and promptly overtook them. They dug into their heels to stop as the guards slid down on ropes from their halted rides, guns cocked and at the ready. One asked the others, “Think they’re supers?” as the kids stood scared with their hands up.

“What are those helicopter wheel things?” Mineta’s head spun a little just from looking at them. “Why is it the bad guys who always get the cool toys?”

“Cause it makes the heroes’ beating them that much cooler,” Kaminari argued with his encyclopedic knowledge of memes. “Besides, Syndrome’s the one cooking them all up, and he wants to one-up heroes.”

Yaoyorozu analyzed the vehicles. “Regular cars or motorcycles would have a difficult time traversing through foliage that dense. They also wouldn’t be much use for the water-rich parts. Syndrome must have designed them so his guards could reach any section of the island quickly and without trouble.”

Dark Shadow emerged from Tokoyami, scratching his beak. “Why not go the easy way and just cut down the jungle?”

“Granted, Syndrome likely cares little for flora or fauna,” the bird-headed student explained for his Quirk, “but it serves as a good camouflage to hide his activities. Ships may not pass through his waters regularly, but those few that might stray or satellite images would only see the jungle.”

While the trio discussed it, Violet leaned over to whisper in her brother’s ear. “Dash, remember what Mom said.”

Dash’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“Hey, stop talking!” A guard snapped at them.

Kirishima opened and closed his fists. “These guys really aren’t playing around, and the kids don’t have the practice to fight them off.” He sighed. “It might not be manly, but there’s only one option for them.”

“Good thing it’s Dash’s specialty,” Jiro quipped, “and Violet has her own alternative.”

Then another called out, “Hold it! Freeze!”

Dash blinked; one second, Vi was standing beside him, the next, she was gone. “Dash, run!”

“What?”

“Run!”

“Run!” About three quarters of the class and All Might yelled at the young boy. Bakugo threw in a “Dumbass!” for good measure.

“Oh yeah!” The goons didn’t even have a chance to aim as he sped past them.

“What the-” One tried in vain to keep track of the boy. “They’re supers!”

“Not the best odds.” Aizawa shuffled slightly in his seat, the only sign of his unease despite his neutral tone. “These men have encountered heroes before, and Syndrome might’ve ordered special countermeasures and training for confronting them. Plus, as Kirishima said, these two have never really trained their powers, let alone used them in combat.”

All Might, too, sat tense, but a little smile still played along his face. “That may work to their advantage, though, Aizawa. It’s the untrained who tend to be the most unpredictable in a fight.”

Another pointed his rifle in the direction Dash had taken off. “Get the boy!” The other two quickly climbed up into their hovercycles and flew in pursuit while the third paced about in search of Violet. “Show yourself!”

Dash was running like he had never run before. The jungle was like a blur in front of and around him, which unfortunately meant he plowed face-first into a cloud of bugs while he was looking over his shoulder. Startled, the speedy boy tripped and tumbled head over heels across the ground. He came to a stop and spat out what he could.

Faces scrunched up and tongues stuck out in disgust, though Asui looked positively delighted. “And that is why my hero costume includes a helmet,” Iida commented, his jaw tightening a little. He’d undergone the same experience as Dash in the early days of practicing his Quirk’s speed, and he could still remember his chuckling elder brother offer him a handkerchief. “Happens to all of us eventually, little brother.”

But he didn’t have much time to clean his face or mouth, for the airborne guards had spotted him. Dash quickly scampered to his feet and ran away, the hovercycles in hot pursuit. Vines and leaves were sliced away by the whirling blades as they flew after him, then he snagged a vine hanging before him and swung on it, around the large tree next to him, and landed in his original spot while the hunters flew on. With a laugh, Dash took off in the direction he just came from.

But it wasn’t long before another hovercycle nearly ran into him, Dash barely ducking underneath it. He kept running and running even as he left the jungle behind and began racing across a plain of red dust and rocks. But two cycles hummed angrily right behind him, so Dash made for the jungle again. A few feet in, he caught hold of another vine to escape his chasers, but his speed lent his swing so much momentum he was catapulted into the sky. Dash fell screaming through the air and over a cliff before landing on a hovercycle that was just passing underneath him.

“Well, if nothing else, we get to see more of the island,” Ashido joked in an effort to counteract raised heartbeats, including her own. She didn’t want to imagine all the different ways Dash could’ve been killed in the last couple seconds.

“Dash is exhibiting impressive speed, too.” Midoriya flipped through the pages of his notebook in search of speed-type Quirks and heroes. “He’s able to match and even keep ahead of high-powered engines, and his reflexes are almost equal to his running speed. To think he’s only a fourth-grader…” He hummed trying to estimate what Dash’s top velocity would be if he were their age, let alone if he became a Pro.

Iida was making the same speculations, but with a more critical eye. “His inexperience still shows. Sharp turns and stopping suddenly are difficult because of his momentum, and Dash is mostly reacting on impulse. The fact he’s running through uneven and unfamiliar terrain is also working against him.”

He hung there panting on the cycle before its pilot realized he was there. “Hey!” Dash evaded the first punch, then two more before punching back on instinct. It barely fazed the grown man, but Dash smiled; he was still faster. More attempts to punch the smaller, quicker fighter failed, as he struck again. “Ha, ha!” Soon, Dash let loose with a flurry of superfast punches that knocked off the guard’s visor and left him stunned.

Bakugo snorted despite himself. “Those punches are weak as shit, but at least he’s got the brains to put his speed behind them, plus he figured out the thug can’t move as much as he can ‘cause of the cockpit.”

“Death by a thousand cuts,” the martial artist in Ojiro agreed. “If you’re not strong enough to knock out your opponent in one blow, wear them down with many weaker but quicker strikes.” He turned towards Iida. “You know, you might be able to pull off a kick version of that move.”

“I have experimented,” Iida acknowledged, “but my Engines simply aren’t suitable for that sort of attack. I have more success with single enhanced kicks.”

Midoriya, on the other hand, was considering the move by channeling One for All into speed, not strength.

Dash’s confidence quickly faded at the sight of something, though, and the guard took the opportunity to slug him off the hovercycle. Too late did he realize what had shaken the boy: the rapidly approaching side of the cliff. He barely had a chance to scream before his ride crashed into it and exploded.

And a screaming Dash was still falling towards the jungle.

Some winced at the explosion, but Present Mic was quick to tell them, “The kids are fighting for their lives. It’s fine if they don’t kill anyone in cold blood, but if the guys hunting them go down as a result of self-defense,” he nodded towards the smoke cloud, “or bad flying, we can’t begrudge Dash or Violet that. Oh, and consider this a cautionary tale: Always keep an eye on your surroundings.”

He bounced against and through the branches, trying desperately to break his fall. Then he instinctively snagged a vine and slowly slid down it with his eyes shut, awaiting the ground. When it didn’t come, he snuck a peek to find he was hanging just an inch off the ground. “I’m alive,” Dash breathed in joy before celebrating. “Yeah! Woo-hoo!”

Only then did he notice three guards were hovering nearby and had heard him. “Uh-oh.” And the chase was on again.

Aizawa palmed his forehead with a grumble. “Kid’s got a long, long way to go…”

Dash took a running leap off the side of a cliff, screaming as he fell before he caught hold of a palm tree. The trunk bent enough to lower him to the ground, then snapped back in time for a hovercycle to slice it clean in half, but the second was flying too low and crashed. Dash was too busy to notice the resultant explosion, on account of the first one tumbling in its disrupted flight across the ground and almost crushing him. Luckily, he dodged it and let it crash against a broad tree, smiling as it blew up. His smile didn’t last long, though, as two more cycles emerged on either side of him. And to make matters worse, the jungle was ending again, giving way to a beach and open water!

“Yeah, there’s room for improvement,” Mic conceded to his colleague’s judgement, “but you gotta admit, the boy’s not just a quick runner. He’s adapting to the situation as he goes.”

Sero had been impressed. “Slick move with the trees.” He smirked at the “leader” of his squad. “Satisfied with the explosions, or are they too lackluster for your tastes?”

Bakugo growled back at him. “The runt’s just running away and letting them crash into obstacles. He’d be helpless in a real fight, and these extras are smart enough to try boxing him in,” he nodded towards the oncoming water, “or lead him somewhere he can’t-”

The young speedster flinched, bracing himself for the moment he’d fall in… Except a few seconds later, he noticed a distinct lack of wetness on himself. Dash hesitantly peeked his eyes open to find he was still running on top of the water!

For once, Bakugo was stunned near speechless. A wide-eyed Kirishima mumbled, “You… were saying about… Dash can’t run…?” The angry Pomeranian recovered and grumbled something under his breath.

Jaws had collectively dropped at the scene, and none harder than the one belonging to Iida. “He’s… running… across water…” he muttered astonished and maybe just a little disheartened, all of his earlier criticisms clogging up in his throat. A boy younger than him and with little to no discipline or self-control was racing instinctively at a speed he had yet to achieve. In fact, he had never heard of anyone in his family who had done this. Not without their Engines overheating!

“Amazing!” Midoriya’s exclamation brought him back to the present. His green-haired friend was furiously scribbling away in his notebook. “To move across the surface of the water without ending up submerged… His velocity would have to be over a hundred kilometers per hour…”

Yaoyorozu tilted her head in consideration, her mind shifting from the shock to calculate. “At least 108, I estimate… Then again, he’s only nine or ten years old, which means his body has less mass. Still, his legs must be putting forth fifteen times the strength of an average person.”

All Might himself was staring, and he had probably seen and experienced the most Quirks of all among the audience. Not even his old mentor Gran Torino could’ve pulled off such a feat in his prime. The next generation… His shock slowly shifted into a smile. It always leaves the previous one in the dust.

And there was only one thing to do. “Well, Young Iida?” The glasses-wearing student rose his head dully to find All Might in his muscle form smiling at him. “Young Dash shows the right attitude in going beyond! As a fellow speedster, will you let yourself fall behind?”

The inheritor of the hero name Ingenium let these words sink in, remembering his own secret training in recent weeks. The efforts he was undertaking to be worthy of what his elder brother had entrusted with, the pain he had endured… He blinked, and he found that his circle of friends were all beaming at him and/or giving him a thumbs-up; even Todoroki nodded to him in encouragement. Looking about revealed further support from the class, including a personal challenge from Bakugo. “I’m damn sure gonna beat the twerp’s record with my Explosive Speed. What kind of class rep are you, letting me leave you in the dust?”

Tenya Iida stared only a second longer before straightening his posture and smiling back. “Certainly not! As the leader of Class 1-A, I shall not let anyone overtake me in speed! Such is my duty as the next Ingenium!” His proclamation was answered with cheers, All Might’s trademark laughter and smiles, even one of the latter from his homeroom teacher. Iida allowed himself a moment to absorb the praise, then guided their attention back to the movie. He was particularly eager now to see more of a speedster’s potential.

Dash wasn’t one to care about the physics behind his feat, he simply leaned cackling down and upped his tempo. Water surged behind him from the splashes of his steps. He raced around and along the rocky outcroppings while three hovercycles flew in from above. The lead attempted to lock onto its target as the pilot opened fire. Dash quickly veered away from the bullets while one of the cycles collided with an outcropping.

Dash swayed as he ran and headed for more rocks in an attempt to avoid the hovercycle’s firing, but the last two guards were much more careful with their flying. Soon, the chase went into a cave, and one went after Dash while the other slowed down in front of the entrance.

Inside, the boy panted as he tried staying ahead of his pursuer. Then he ran up the cave’s wall and along its ceiling, the guard glaring in shock as he passed him. Dash quickly returned to running on water and made for the exit, having apparently outwitted the guards. He smiled at the light beckoning him out…

Only for the other hovercycle to swoop down into view.

Gasping, Dash scrambled to a semi-stop before turning around and running back into the cave as the cycle flew after him. But the one he’d ditched was coming in from the other direction, and after a few moments of skidding between one way and the other, Dash just stopped running. He slipped through the water’s surface half a second before the cycles collided together, watching the explosion underwater.

“I see,” Iida hummed while following the boy’s actions, “racing atop the water only works at a certain velocity, and slowing down too much risks nullifying the effect. Stopping means sinking into the water, and taking sharp turns would be difficult, especially since the momentum increases likelihood of tripping.”

“But you could still change your direction if you start turning in advance without losing too much speed, Iida,” Midoriya offered, sketching out the idea on a fresh sheet of paper. “Despite the water, it would basically be the same as changing directions while running at top speeds…”

As the two friends discussed the prospect, Kaminari noted to Jiro (over Bakugo’s usual grumblings), “And to think a minute ago, he was Dash’s biggest critic.”

“Guess there’s nothing like a rivalry to improve a relationship, even if it’s with a kid in a movie.” Jiro and Kaminari then started (though the former was thankful the latter didn’t notice her blush from his closeness) from a weird sound Bakugo had made. Something like a cross between a grunt and a laugh?

Meanwhile, the parents were trekking through the jungle and apparently discussing Mr. Incredible’s misdeeds. “I should’ve told you I was fired, I admit it,” he said, “but I didn’t want you to worry.”

“You didn’t want me to worry?” Elastigirl snapped at him. “And now we’re running for our lives through some godforsaken jungle!”

The boys flinched from the fury in her voice, Mic mumbling, “Hell hath no fury…” They definitely didn’t envy Incredible.

“You keep trying to pick a fight,” Bob smiled despite the tension, “but I’m still just happy you’re alive.”

Ashido giggled. “Guess Helen’s gonna have to wait before she can scold Bob properly. The way he is, her anger’s just rolling off him like water off a duck.”

“She’ll have to postpone the scolding anyway, at least until the kids are safe and off the island.” Shoji scratched his head. “And finding them’s easier said than done, what with how big the jungle is.”

Back at the starting point of the chase, the sole remaining guard fired at a sound behind him. “I know you’re there, little miss Disappear.”

As he talked, a branch seemingly levitated by itself off the ground before it smacked his gun out of his hands, then jabbed him in the gut before hitting him upside the head. Violet became visible again, gripping the branch tightly, as the man fell.

“Woo! Invisible takedown!” Hagakure cheered.

“It’s rather early to celebrate,” Tokoyami warned her. “He is wearing armor and far from the only guard on the island.”

The guard was only stunned, though, not knocked out. He swept out Violet’s legs from under her and rolled away to retrieve his rifle. Violet scrambled to her feet and activated her invisibility while running as he opened fire again, only just avoiding the shots. She jumped into a nearby pool, darting about as the guard approached and spread his shots across the water.

“You can’t hide from me.” The guard scooped up a handful of sand and tossed it into the pool. After a few seconds, the sand slowly began sinking to the bottom, only to stop and land on something transparent to his left. Or rather someone. The triumphant guard took aim. “There you are…”

Todoroki frowned at the screen, worry increasing again. “These soldiers aren’t fools. Dash’s pursuers nearly captured or killed him more than once, and this one instantly devised using the sand to find Violet.”

“And it looks like Violet can’t use her powers at the same time, ribbit.” Asui’s mind raced even as she watched afraid for the girl’s life. “It’s just a hunch of mine, but as far as I can remember, any time she used her powers, it was either invisibility or force fields. But not both.” Midoriya checked his notes before giving a shaky nod, confirming Tsu’s worries. “Maybe she could pull both off later with more practice…”

“But she’s never going to get the chance if someone doesn’t help her now!” Not that anyone could see it, but Toru was nibbling fiercely on her nails.

“Hey!” A blur struck him just as he pulled the trigger, causing bullets to fly wildly into the air. The rattled guard barely noticed a splash of water on the opposite bank and aimed anew at Violet, but Dash slammed into him once more. This time, he held on and began battering the mook with high-speed punches. “Don’t! Touch! My! Sister!”

The invisible girl on the couch relaxed again while Kirishima whooped. “Go get him, you manly little brother!”

But the guard caught his fist and threw his own punch, sending Dash flying. He hit a tree and fell down dazed, regaining his senses in time to find the guard about to shoot him.

That sight was enough to make blood freeze. Sure, no one would appreciate getting pummeled at superspeed by a preteen boy, but the soldier didn’t even hesitate in aiming his gun at Dash. It was just as Elastigirl said: these men didn’t give a damn that their quarry was untrained children. They’d kill the kids and not lose a wink of sleep over it. And just like back on the plane, the students had to fight their instincts to jump at the screen. “Dash!!”

Hidden among the trees, Violet turned visible and leaped in front of her brother, shutting her eyes, just as the goon pulled the trigger…

And the bullets bounced harmlessly off the force field surrounding the two kids. Both stared in shock, Dash on the ground, Vi somehow suspended in the position her jumping had put her.

Cries of relief, joy and amazement swept out through the viewers. “Did you see that?!” Mineta bounced up and down in his seat with a big smile (and not a hint of perversion in it). “She just swooped in and saved them both!”

“Of course, she did!” Ashido cheered. “She’s the daughter of Elastigirl, after all!” All three teachers watched on proudly.

Midoriya smiled in utter awe and cried tears of unbridled joy. I knew you could do it, Violet… He knew so because there it was… that moment where Violet proved, without a shred of doubt, she was every bit a hero like her parents. She herself hadn’t been sure her force field could shield them both, but she had still thrown herself in front of Dash, the same little brother with whom she quarreled so often. A quick glance over to All Might beaming too confirmed they were both thinking the same thing:

This was Vi’s moment. The defining point for a hero, when someone was in danger and their body moved without thinking.

Dash stared up at her amazed despite the continued fire. “How are you doing that?!”

“I don’t know!” Violet admitted, still suspended over him.

“Whatever you do, don’t stop!” Dash pushed against the side of the field, then began running like a hamster inside a plastic ball. With his speed, the siblings soon left the guard behind and rolled off a small incline before rolling along through the jungle. Two more hovercycles suddenly appeared before them, only to be repelled by the force field and crash as they rolled away.

Kaminari chuckled from the funny as well as the awesome sides of their escape. “That makes for one heck of an ultimate move. But what would they call it?”

His question triggered a series of debates and suggestions, ranging from Sato’s “Super Rolling Force Field Beatdown” to Hagakure’s “Ultraviolet Rescue-and-Dash Away!” Aizawa initially tried to call the debates off so they could go back to watching the movie, but Mic stopped him. “Let the kids cool down a little. They need it after all the ups and downs this movie keeps throwing at us.” He snickered. “Pixar, am I right?” Yamada’s grin only grew at the acceding grunt he got. “Besides, it’s good practice for them.”

Then one voice spoke up. “How about… Violet Barrier Boulder Dash?”

The others turned in surprise towards the one who had suggested it: Todoroki. Finally, Uraraka said, “It’s kind of a mouthful… but it sounds cool and has both of their names in it…” She smiled. “I like it!”

“You certainly have a talent for naming ultimate moves, Todoroki!” The twin-hair-color young man smiled thankful for Yaoyorozu’s praise and further approval, an odd warmth spreading through his chest.

Bakugo muttered angrily to himself about “Superfast Crushing Murder Ball” sounding way better.

Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible slowly came to a stop in a clearing as the sounds of explosions reached them. They turned about in their spots, trying to filter out the source of them… when part of the jungle opened up and a certain force field bowled them over.

Between Dash’s speed and the energy surrounding them, neither kid recognized at first who they’d just swept up. But after a few turns, Vi’s eyes widened. “Mom! Dad! Hey!”

Jiro snickered at the parents’ predicament. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a family reunion like this before.”

“Just be glad Togata-senpai isn’t here, ribbit, or he’d make a pun about them being bowled over or something.” Some huffed in relief at Asui’s predication, others shuddered.

The shock of seeing their parents might made Violet inadvertently drop her forcefield, causing the four to tumble together into a big heap. Not that any of them minded. “Kids!” Bob beamed at the boy and girl lying on his chest. “You’re all right.”

“Oh, you’re all right!” Helen was as ecstatic as her husband.

Vi laughed as she and Dash were scooped up. “We were so worried about you!”

“I thought I’d never see you again.” And with Bob’s statement, all four pulled each other into one big family hug.

Bakugo groaned in annoyance. “Save the sappy family crap for when you’re not in enemy territory, you morons!”

“Ah, let ‘em have the moment, bro!” Kirishima laughed. “Besides, do you really think two pros like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl would let down their guards?”

“Though I do not enjoy it, I agree with Bakugo,” Iida interjected. “They are in a very dangerous situation, and their relief, while understandable, may cause them to drop their guard.”

Some folks sadly have no appreciation for touching family moments, though. Hovercycles swooped in to surround the four as they split apart. But the guards weren’t dealing with scared children anymore.

Elastigirl elongated her leg to kick one out of his cockpit, then Mr. Incredible punched down a cycle that flew too close. One guard tumbled about in the dirt for only a moment before Elastigirl lassoed him and hurled into another cocking his rifle in front of a staring Dash and Violet.  Another hovercycle hummed in towards them forcing the adults to roll apart, but Incredible picked up the downed cycle, gave it a few good twirls and let it fly straight towards the airborne one. As the machines crashed together into a giant of fire, Elastigirl & Mr. Incredible found themselves staring at one another before saying in perfect unison, “I love you.”

Violet and Dash just watched from the sidelines in amazement.

The students were much the same as the kids, but also a bit more varied: Bakugo was relishing finally seeing some real action again; Midoriya was hurriedly writing down ideas (and having a tiny daydream that made him redden slightly… towards a beaming Uraraka). But the happiest ones were Kirishima from the sheer manliness both heroes had displayed in taking the goons down and Ashido at the synchronized confession.

The redhead and the pinkette even started imagining themselves in Incredible and Elastigirl’s respective roles, taking down one bad guy after another before turning… to… one… another… Both of them suddenly blushed furiously when their eyes met by accident and gulped down the nearest cold drink they could find.

Kaminari quickly started bickering with Ashido for swiping his soda while Jiro frowned at Kirishima over her lost tea, inadvertently helping them recover… though neither accuser dared look at the other.

All Might breathed in the awe and excitement of his students (and doing his best not to giggle at their not-so-subtle romance fantasies), as well as that of his on-screen colleagues. Ah, to be out in the field again… Well, there wasn’t any point in lamenting about old times, but he could still help the next generation. “You’re not wrong about the dangers of letting your children step onto the battlefield, Young Iida. But don’t ever underestimate what a parent can and will do to protect them.” The speedster nodded respectfully at that.

Two more hovercycles flew into the clearing… and the Incredibles assumed battle-ready stances with matching smirks.

And Class 1-A smirked as well. “Four superheroes against a whole island of armed men with high-tech equipment,” All Might noted calm as a glacier but inwardly delighted. “Terribly uneven odds.”

Mic nodded with a toothy grin. “The poor guards don’t stand a chance.”

Dash made the first move, zipping around the family so fast he called up a cloud of dust for the cycles to fly into. The pilots opened fire, but Violet had trapped both of them in a force field to contain the bullets. Her mother stretched in to take down two guards on foot that tried coming up from behind her. Mr. Incredible pulled down another guard from his vehicle and knocked him out while Elastigirl handled another, the odds shifting increasingly in favor of Team Incredible.

That’s when all four were suddenly trapped in a familiar energy. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Syndrome swooped in from the sky, both index fingers blazing with ZP energy. “Hey, time out!”

Frustrated, Denki threw up his hands. “And of course, the guy shows up just then to ruin the fight! Stupid zero-gravity thing’s a total cheat!”

“The odds were against them from the beginning,” Tokoyami lamented, his beak curled in a deep frown. “Aside from his own contributions, Syndrome has enormous manpower and resources, not to mention the Omnidroid. And at the crux of it, they’re fighting on his territory.”

“What have we here?” He raised the immobilized heroes up, grinning as he took a closer look. “Matching uniforms?” The villain’s grin widened upon recognizing the older woman. “Oh, no… Elastigirl!?” Only the heroine’s eyes could move as Syndrome laughed. “You married Elastigirl?! Whoa! Oh! And got busy!” He wagged his hips a little, eyes shifting towards the kids suspended in his other beam, while his goons surrounded the area. “It’s a whole family of supers! Looks like I’ve hit the jackpot! Oh-ho, this is just too good!”

Mineta was currently struggling with a strange mixture of feelings, one quite unfamiliar to the lecherous little teenager: disgust, outrage… all centered around Syndrome’s movements. Now, the grape hero would freely admit he had no right to judge, but mocking the heroes right in front of their kids while they were all trapped and men were ready to shoot them dead? Even Minoru Mineta knew the villain was crossing some major lines. Coupled with the moral humanistic ones he’d crossed already…

Back in a very familiar and unwelcome room, the side on the exit displayed a large monitor playing live media footage of the Omnidroid’s wing configuration having crashed from the seaside into a city. “The ship’s unique design suggests...” Syndrome pressed a button on a remote, flipping the channel over. Similar footage from a different angle. “There were no fatalities...” Another channel flip showed tanks and soldiers approaching the machine with caution.

 “Huh?” Syndrome flashed an excited smile up at his literally captive audience: all four Incredibles trapped in the electric beams. “Huh!? Oh, come on! You gotta admit, this is cool! Just like a movie!”

Class 1-A’s smallest student was on a roll with disliking Syndrome, so he asked out loud, “What the heck’s he talking about? How is it ‘cool’ to let a giant hero-hunting robot stomp around a city? What’s the point?!”

“Yeah, I gotta agree with Mineta- urgh…” Hagakure took a quick gulp of tea to wash out the bad taste before continuing. “What’s the big plan here? Is he still going after heroes or what?”

“It’s never been about destroying a city or just killing heroes, See-Through.” She and others turned to Bakugo glaring at the screen with increased anger. “Shut up and listen, he’s gonna brag about his plans.”

Syndrome began acting out the scene. “The robot will emerge dramatically, do some damage. Throngs of screaming people!” The villain pretended to curl up in fright. “And just when all hope is lost,” he dropped the remote to pose triumphantly, “Syndrome will save the day! I’ll be a bigger hero than you ever were!”

Anger spread like wildfire across the students, all of them joining Bakugo in burning a hole into Syndrome’s smug head. “I fucking knew it,” the Explosion-maker growled. “He’s going to stage a fight with his pet robot in the middle of a cheering crowd.” It was reckless, callous and unrepentantly narcissistic… hence why Bakugo feared he might’ve done something in another life, as a… worse person. But I’m not him, he told himself, red eyes darting to the side. And neither are you…

“That’s it…?” “Team Deku” ceased their glaring to watch cautiously a bent-over, trembling Midoriya. He snapped his head up to reveal a face wracked with fury. “That’s what your big plan is?!” He all but shouted at Syndrome. “Put a whole city at risk, endanger millions of lives, all so you can play hero?!” Whatever dregs for sympathy the green-haired had left for Syndrome instantly shriveled up into nothing. There was no excuse for putting so many people at risk, no chance of justifying it with a childhood rejection…

If Uraraka, Iida, Asui and Todoroki hadn’t gripped him by the shoulders and arms, the ninth bearer of One for All might’ve unleashed a 100% Smash on Syndrome, no matter how many bones he would’ve broken. Hence their restraining him for his sake, not the villain’s. Who knows, the Smash might’ve broken the 4^th wall…

Mr. Incredible glared at the villain. “You mean, you killed off real Supers so that you could… PRETEND TO BE ONE?”

“My thoughts exactly!” All Might had reassumed his muscle form in his rage for both his student and his cinematic counterpart. Blood trickled from his mouth, so tightly pressed together were his teeth. Pain flashed through his side, and one bout of steam later, the retired Symbol of Peace was back to his shrunken state. But his blue eyes still blazed nearly as much as when he faced one other villain: his oldest enemy.

“Oh, I’m real,” Syndrome stalked over to return the glare. “Real enough to defeat YOU! And I did it without your precious ‘gifts,’ your oh-so-special powers.” He leaned away with a roll of his eyes.

Aizawa’s red eyes flared up in ice-cold fury. “It’s not about powers,” he spat at the villain. “You could have the greatest Quirk in the world, and I’d still never let you within fifty feet of UA or a Hero Agency.” For all of his exasperation with his Problem Children, he knew they ultimately had the right heart for being heroes. A cretin like Syndrome couldn’t hope to compare to them.

“I’ll give them heroics. I’ll give them the most spectacular heroics anyone’s ever seen!” Syndrome swore before calming down. “And when I’m old and I’ve had my fun, I’ll sell my inventions so that everyone can be superheroes. Everyone can be a super!”

He flashed a wild grin at the captive family. “And when everyone’s super…” Syndrome laughed cruelly to himself before making a vindictive vow. “No one will be.” He left the room with a final cackle, the door closing on the heroes behind him.

Confusion began with Kaminari’s anger. “Hold on, he wants to sell off his own toys after he’s done playacting hero? What the heck’s the point of that? He’d just be making more rivals for himself, right?”

“Not if he effectively retires from being a ‘hero’,” Yaoyorozu explained in an eerily calm tone. “Syndrome wishes to eradicate the very idea of someone being ‘super,’ something he believes Mr. Incredible denied him. So, by offering up inventions that make others feel like they have powers or Quirks, he makes it seem like real heroes are obsolete. ‘Out-of-style,’ so to speak.” She added for Denki’s benefit.

Todoroki scowled. “And the prospect of how much damage those weapons of his can do in the wrong hands probably doesn’t even register to him. He might usher in a whole new generation of villains, and he doesn’t care, so long as he can spite his former hero.” Spite… something he knew well, but never like this.

Syndrome strode towards a plane ready and waiting for him, wiping his nose with an eager grin.

At the mainland, the “ship” had not moved an inch despite the news chopper flying over or the police cars, fire trucks and tanks surrounding its crash site. Then the wings split apart down its length, falling to the ground while six ports opened out along the sphere’s side to extend six tentacles. The Onnidroid’s head rose along with its body as it began to march down the street.

“Take cover!” Some soldiers hurriedly ushered civilians away while others moved in, unloading their rifles in an effort to stop the robot’s advance. “Fire at will!” But their bullets only bounced harmlessly off its chassis.

Tanks rolled in and opened fire as well, but the Omnidroid simply turned its head towards them, a port on its left side opening up. A blaster popped out that fired rapid bolts of blue energy, destroying one tank.

“Oh sure,” Shoji grumbled. “As if that thing wasn’t dangerous enough, Syndrome went and gave it a gun.”

Asui cocked her head, a slight frown the only sign of her worry. “Moreover, the Omnidroid was designed to be a threat against seasoned heroes. Ordinary military can’t do more than slow it down, ribbit.” She squinted as the scene transitioned. “And those heroes who know the most about Syndrome’s plan are imprisoned thousands of miles away on a remote island.”

On Syndrome’s Island, the captive family could only watch as the Omnidroid went on to attack one target after another. “It’s completely overwhelming the tanks.” The reporter announced with quickly increasing panic.

Eventually, Bob said, “I’m sorry. This is my fault. I’ve been a lousy father.”

“You have,” Aizawa bluntly agreed with the bound hero, “but it’s not entirely your fault.” Others shifted about in their seats, including All Might, from his assessment. Mr. Incredible had made some big mistakes in neglecting his role as Bob Parr, and his family wouldn’t be hanging there with him if he hadn’t fallen for Syndrome’s trap, but he wasn’t the one who had lured so many heroes to their deaths, and refusing to take Incrediboy as his sidekick was more and more proven to be the right decision.

“Blind to what I have.” He wearily turned his head towards Helen and Dash and away from Violet… “So obsessed with being undervalued that I undervalued all of you.”

Violet who summoned a force field and levitated herself out of her restraints. Dash, though, seemed to be the only who had noticed. “Um, Dad?”

“Shh.” Their mom was focused on their dad. “Don’t interrupt.”

“Wait,” Uraraka began to smile, “did Violet just find a way to escape?” Hope grew anew.

Midoriya’s frustration took the backseat to his Quirk enthusiasm when he saw Violet escape. “She’s using the gravity-suspension effect of her force fields to both sever the connection between the streams and levitate herself towards the controls! And to think she only learned of this effect during the jungle fight…”

“We get it, Deku,” Bakugo groaned, “so, how come Elastigirl’s letting Incredible drag out his self-pity? Can’t she see her girl’s gotten loose? She’s facing the right direction, for fuck’s sake!”

Jiro snorted as a possible reason came to mind. “Maybe she’s enjoying the chance to hear her reckless husband admit how much of an idiot he’s been. It must be cathartic after the day she’s had.”

“Or, you know, she can’t really see past the big guy.” Kaminari’s quip brought the general mood up back to a positive level. It helped that things were looking up for the Incredibles.

“So caught up in the past that I…” And Bob was so caught up in his soliloquy he didn’t notice Violet having reached the vacant controls. Still, it did mean he was speaking with utter sincerity. “You are my greatest adventure. And I almost missed it. I swear, I’m gonna get us out of this safely if I-”

“Well,” Violet’s voice drew the attention of the adults to where she was standing in front of the controls with a teasing smirk. “I think Dad has made some excellent progress today, but I think it’s time we wind down now.” She brought down her trapped hand onto the control switch, shutting off the restraints and freeing her family.

“Great job, Vi!” Mina whooped, making a high-five with Hagakure. “The Incredibles are back in business!”

Meanwhile, Aizawa had been sitting in a pensive position, only to nod decisively. “Violet is my favorite Incredible.” His students stared up at him shocked by the sudden statement, his colleagues side-eyed him amused, but the Erasure Hero was serious as a heart attack. “If she were in our world, I’d take her under my wing.”

“But you do know Midnight would try to snatch her up, yeah? Vi’s totally the type of girl she’d want to mold into a protégé.”

He waved off Mic’s argument. “Nemuri could try all she wants, I’d fight her for Violet Parr.”

All four sprinted through the halls quickly. “We need to get back to the mainland.”

“I saw an aircraft hangar on my way in. Straight ahead, I think.” Elastigirl took the lead.

“So, they beat any guards in their way, steal a jet and fly back to the city to save the day for real?” Mineta punched the air eagerly. “Sounds good to me! Elastigirl’s an ace pilot after all; she can fly any jet!”

The more studious students, however, wondered if it could really be that simple. Midoriya had begun making some sketches on an empty sheet of paper and whispering about distance and speed with Iida, Asui and Todoroki, the latter of whom served as a relay, while adding his own input, to Yaoyorozu. Bakugo didn’t partake, but he was making his own calculations mentally despite his squad’s excitement.

Soon enough, they reached a hangar, only to find it nearly completely empty. The only vehicle sitting about was a white RV. The family walked about cautiously, watching their surroundings. “Where are all the guards?” Incredible wondered out loud. Laughter rang out, and they turned towards the RV.

Sato grunted. “I was wondering why there weren’t any guards in the cell when Violet got them out. So, they’re off having their private little party while the robot wreaks havoc?”

“They already think their leader has won.” Tokoyami smirked slightly. “That carelessness will cost them.”

Inside, the guards were having a little party even as the TV showed the Omnidroid’s rampage. “Hey!” One laughed. “Every time they run, you take a shot.”

Another guard readied a bottle of champagne. “Yeah, okay.” He popped the cork with a broad smile…

Which quickly slipped away when he saw Mr. Incredible standing in the door, hand up to catch the cork. He dropped it and let the door close behind him smirking.

Most of Class 1-A and even the teachers echoed that smirk, Bakugo going so far as imagining himself in the hero’s place. He already knew what he’d say: “Now this is where the real party starts, suckers.” One day, he promised himself. One day, I’ll slip into a villain hideout right when one of ‘em’s popped the cork, and then… Tiny explosions popped between his fingers from anticipation.

Kirishima was having similar daydreams.

The RV shook about from the tussle, then a few seconds later, the hero opened the door and leaned out to whistle to his family. “Go, go!”

They ran on and continued to look about. “This is the right hangar,” Elastigirl confirmed, “but I don’t see any jets.”

“A jet’s not fast enough,” her husband pointed out.

“What’s faster than a jet?”

Then Dash called over to them. “Hey, how about a rocket?” He gestured to a second rocket just like the one that had carried the Omnidroid to the city, fully prepared for take-off.

Sero whistled. “Sweet ride! Syndrome must’ve had that one built in case something didn’t work with the first rocket.”

“B-but… what if there’s another Omnidroid loaded into it?” Koda wondered concerned. A battle with one, even a lesser model, would mean a great deal of trouble for Violet and Dash, and even if they defeated it, the family would’ve lost more time.

“I doubt it,” Ojiro assured him. “Building that super-sized Omnidroid would’ve eaten up a lot of time and resources, and the only one was loaded up after the first rocket had been furnished. I’m pretty sure they can use this one safely.” He paused before turning towards a certain five. “Wait, was that what you guys were whispering about a while ago?”

The class rep nodded. “No jet in the time period the movie is set is fast enough to cross the ocean. Not in time to stop the Omnidroid from destroying the city, anyway.” Iida’s eyes glimmered excitedly despite his words. “But a rocket’s output is far greater than that of a jet’s. They could reach the city in minutes with one!”

Yaoyorozu was smiling, too, before it dimmed. “There may yet be a problem: A rocket is also far more complex than a plane. I’m not certain even Elastigirl can successfully pilot one.”

“Great!” Elastigirl seemingly brightened up, only to slump a little. “I can’t fly a rocket.”

“You don’t have to,” She turned to Violet who nodded towards the command spot. “Use the coordinates from the last launch.”

“Of course!” Momo slapped her forehead as her smile returned. “They don’t need an actual pilot for a rocket, they can simply program it with the city’s coordinates and have it launch itself.”

Jiro mirrored her best friend’s smile, albeit with a little smugness. “Goes to show Vi picked up the brains from her parents.”

Aizawa nodded slightly, now all the more certain of his preference. Ah, what a hero Violet could’ve been…

Bob and Helen shared a proud smile at their daughter’s cleverness, only for Bob to frown. “Ah, wait. I bet Syndrome’s changed the password by now. How do I get into the computer?”

“Say please.” They spun around in surprise at the familiar voice on the intercom. Behind the glass stood a smiling Mirage with a microphone.

Bakugo frowned. “Does she seriously expect the Incredibles to trust her after the shit she’s done? What, the bitch has one little crisis of conscience and becomes an ally?”

“Do they have a choice?” Kaminari shrugged a little helplessly. “Without the password, they can’t access the computer, and smart as three of them are, I don’t think they’ve got any hacking skills between them.”

All Might nodded between the two, then said, “It’s a risk, but they don’t have any other options if they want to make it back to the city in time. Mirage was complicit in Syndrome’s schemes, and she’ll have to face the consequences same as him and the rest of his cronies. But if she can and is willing to help them, the Incredibles have to make the most of it.” Bakugo still seemed unsure but made no further argument.

Back in the city, Lucius was patting some cologne on his cheeks in his apartment, snazzy jazz music playing in the background. His easygoing nature soon fell away, though, once he noticed the Omnidroid stomping past his windows, armed helicopters in hot pursuit. He quickly dug through his drawer and spun around to press a button on his newly acquired remote. On the opposite side of the room, the wall converted into a hero set-up…

Midoriya’s eyes lit up in hope. “Right, Frozone’s still close by! He can join the fight against the Omnidroid!”

“But can he beat that thing alone?” Shoji wondered. “The robot’s designed to fight heroes, after all.”

“Frozone doesn’t have to defeat the Omnidroid.” Todoroki was leaning ever so slightly towards the movie. “He can assist the authorities in slowing it down until the Incredibles arrive and join the fight. He was a respected pro hero fifteen years ago, so he should be a familiar face.” The heterochromatic boy’s circle of friends silently enjoyed seeing him so eager to watch the white-and-blue ice hero in action.

Kaminari noticed Jiro subtly moving her head to the music, her jacks bouncing. “You like jazz music?”

“Rock’s my #1 genre,” she shrugged with a grin, “but I don’t say no to a good, relaxing beat.”

“The man’s got good taste,” Mic agreed. “If Frozone were real, he’d make it in any city’s Top 10 out of sheer coolness.”

With an empty display, Lucius noticed. “Honey?” he called out.

A female voice called back. “What?”

“Where’s my super suit?!”

“Yeah, where the hell is it?” Bakugo snapped, his irritation growing.

“Honey knows he’s Frozone?” Hagakure wondered out loud.

Uraraka tapped her chin in thought. “Well, they’re married. He could’ve told her somewhere in their relationship, or she might’ve figured it out herself.”

“What?”

“WHERE! IS!” The retired hero enunciated each word while waving the remote. “MY! SUPER! SUIT?!”

Both Jiro and Koda jumped, the former from the sudden yelling, and the latter because he hadn’t expected it from the level-headed man. “It’s Samuel Jackson, guys,” Kirishima reminded them. “I’m surprised it took this long for his character to up the volume.”

Aoyama rubbed his own ear a little. “And the question remains valid: what happened to his suit?”

Outside his window, a helicopter spiraled out of control. “I, uh, put it away.” Lucius turned around in time to watch it crash and explode.

His eyes widened and he hastily backed away. “Where?!”

 “Why do you need to know?!”

“I need it!” He ran out of his room and into another.

“Uh, yeah, he and the whole city kinda needs it!” Ashido flailed her hands about in slight panic. If this were their world, Lucius might’ve been able to slide in in his civvies and argue afterwards that it had been an emergency. But in the movie, Frozone had to protect his secret identity. No costume, no heroics.

All Might scratched his head with a sweatdrop. “Can’t say I blame Honey, though. Superheroics are still technically illegal, after all, and it wouldn’t do much good to have Frozone’s old suit lying around.”

But Honey wasn’t budging. “Uh-uh!” Clothes began flying out of the open doorway. “Don’t you think about running off doing no derrin’-do! We’ve been planning this dinner for two months!”

“Ah, that explains why he was freshening up,” Yaoyorozu realized. “Some restaurants of high enough class have waiting lists for reservations so long, it can take you weeks before you have access to a table.”

“Not that I’m one to pass up on stories of romantic fine dining, Yaomomo,” Ashido turned a flat, dark-eyed gaze on her, “but this really isn’t the time for that! Frozone needs to get out there right now!”

“On an unrelated note,” Sero commented despite the tension, “they’ve got a sweet apartment. Roomy, too.”

Sato shrugged. “Must be how they can afford getting into one of Yaoyorozu’s swanky restaurants.”

Lucius hurriedly checked the suits in a closet. “The public is in danger!” He bolted into another room.

“My evening’s in danger!”

“Your evening will have to be postponed, Mrs. Best!” Iida chopped his hand furiously. “There is a serious situation outside your very home that needs Frozone this instant!”

Lucius leaned out of the room into view to shout, “YOU TELL ME WHERE MY SUIT IS, WOMAN! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE GREATER GOOD!”

Yes, he realized this wasn’t the best time for a couple’s argument, but Kaminari couldn’t help cracking up. “That sounds like a total Bakugo thing to say.”

Bakugo didn’t even argue with that. In fact, he was secretly storing that quote away for possible future use.

"GREATER GOOD?!" Honey retorted. "I AM YOUR WIFE!!" Lucius leaned slowly back into view with the most long-suffering expression imaginable before shaking his head. "I'M THE GREATEST GOOD YOU ARE EVER GONNA GET!"

Laughter sputtered out amongst the viewers. The girls were even promising themselves and each other that they’d cite Honey if they got the chance. …As girlfriends, of course! Wife was way, way down the road.

Sero was so busy laughing he even elbowed Bakugo in the side despite the known danger of such an act. “I bet this is what’s gonna happen to you when you’re married.” His teasing would’ve only sealed his fate.

Luckily for “Triangle Face,” even Bakugo was too busy trying to control his own chortles to get ticked off. “Li-hike I’d ever let myself get hitched to a woman who’d stop me from hero work over a damn dinner.”

“This is why I never married,” Aizawa, one of the only audience members not laughing, grumbled. And even he appeared faintly amused.

Said mirth, though, faded at his oldest friend’s comment. “Oh, please, you’d be even more whipped than Frozone.” Mic just sneered at the glare shot his way; it alone wasn’t a counterargument, after all.

Doesn’t seem very hero-related… Todoroki considered the interaction. Still, could prove useful later…

Outside, the situation was continuing to worsen. The driver of a gasoline tanker stopped in his tracks and barely managed to get out before the Omnidroid snatched it up. People ran off panicked in every direction as the robot hefted the tanker before throwing it spinning away. A blue carriage was in its path.

“My baby!” A bespectacled mother quickly pulled her child out and tried to get away, but it was too late. She crouched down over her baby in vain, bracing for the tanker to crush them both.

“NO!” Hands reflexively shot out, but their owners just barely remembered that they regrettably couldn’t do anything to help. It was similar to what All Might had told Midoriya once: “Even a hero can’t save every life.”

But a field of energy surrounded the truck, holding it aloft as Syndrome hovered confidently with his finger outstretched. “The Supers have returned!” A man called out in surprise and relief.

Two emotions no one among the class shared. “You’re putting hope on the wrong guy!” Uraraka glared at the villain. “He’s the one that made the Omnidroid and set it loose in the first place!”

“We know that, but they don’t, Ochako,” Tsu reminded her, both girls unhappy.

“Like him or not, at least the mother and her baby were saved…” Koda was conflicted about the situation himself, however. On one hand, now that Syndrome was here, he could hopefully neutralize the robot so it wouldn’t attack anyone else. On the other, that the city’s fate currently rested in the hands of a glory-seeking psychopathic man-child…

A woman questioned, “Is that Fironic?”

“Fironic?” A man called out in excitement.

“No,” a different woman pointed out, “Fironic has a different outfit!”

Midoriya quickly made a side note about this “Fironic” hero. He figured the character himself wouldn’t pop up this late in the film, but he could always speculate afterwards.

Bakugo crossed his arms with a click of his tongue. “What are you extras getting so excited about? That’s a villain, damnit! Besides, you all decided you didn’t want Heroes anymore!”

Eagerly lapping up the attention, Syndrome waved his free hand. “No, no, I’m a new superhero! I’m SYNDROME!” He released the truck, letting it fall to the ground and explode behind him.

The audience frowned collectively at Syndrome’s antics. “Sloppy, callous idiot…” Aizawa growled as his hair flowed upwards, his eyes blazing. “That truck could’ve crushed more people than the mother and her baby, and its explosion put everyone there at risk.”

All Might shook his head in disgust. “As if Syndrome even cares about collateral damage.” He never cared, the retired hero reminded himself, not even all those years ago when he tried to be Incrediboy… Bob could’ve turned him down gentler, but he wasn’t wrong in dismissing him.

The Omnidroid approached, but Syndrome remained calm even as it reached for him. “All right,” the false hero discreetly pressed a button on the remote in his left gauntlet, “stand back!” The arm shuddered to a halt just before it could touch him. Locked onto Syndrome’s smirking face, the Omnidroid closed its claw, but he flew out of reach and began blasting zero-point energy at it. “Someone needs to teach this hunk of metal,” he pressed another button before pretending to punch its side, “a few manners.” The arm closest to him detached and fell to the street with a heavy clang. Syndrome faced the crowd again and spread his arms out with a triumphant laugh.

“Oh, come on,” Kirishima wagged his arms at the TV, “that was so obviously fake! You cannot tell me that the bystanders are buying his showboating bull.”

Shoji had stretched out two ears towards the movie. “I’m not sure they are. There is a little bit of cheer here and there, but most of it’s coming from Syndrome himself. If I had to guess, most of the people are busy just getting to safety so it leaves him with little of an audience.”

Ever the thinker, Yaoyorozu took this observation even further. “In hindsight, Syndrome’s debut as a hero would likely become a highly controversial topic. The various news teams are surely recording the ‘battle’ from a safe distance, and more observant viewers may pick up on the discrepancies between his actions and the Omnidroid’s. And even if that didn’t become common knowledge, his lack of care towards civilians or property damage would surely reignite the criticisms that drove heroes underground in the first place.”

“No offense, but this is all supposition and not that relevant right now,” Ojiro kindly argued. “First, we ought to worry about whether there’ll still be a city left between those two.”

But unbeknownst to its creator, the Omnidroid was scanning its detached arm. “CONTROL STOLEN BY EXTERNAL SIGNAL.” Processing this conclusion, it turned its gaze from the limb… “LOCATE SOURCE EXTERNAL SIGNAL.”

And found it. “SIGNAL SOURCE: REMOTE CONTROL.” Its targeting system locked onto Syndrome’s gauntlet. “DESTROY REMOTE.”

Before Syndrome could react, a single shot blasted off the gauntlet. It fell to the street below, and he barely turned in time to avoid a claw lashing out for him.

Kaminari smirked, an earlier piece of dialogue coming to mind. “Guess it got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders, huh?”

Bakugo chuckled with rare amusement towards his dopey classmate’s comment. “The dumbass programmed his toy a little too well. And seeing as he doesn’t know a thing about fighting for real, he’s fucked.”

Panicking, Syndrome flew in the dispersing crowd, even shoving aside civilians, as the Omnidroid continued to blast at him. Then a shot struck his left rocket boot, causing him to lose control. Syndrome spun screaming up and towards a nearby skyscraper, slamming into it headfirst. He landed with a thud on a lower roof and tried to get back up with a groan but fell unconscious.

Iida nodded firmly. “Good riddance.”

“We can’t celebrate yet,” Shoto pointed out. While he too enjoyed the sight of seeing Syndrome fall to his own hubris, he hadn’t forgotten the bigger picture.

“He’s right,” Asui agreed with her dual-colored classmate. “Like him or not, Syndrome and his remote were the only things standing in the Omnidroid’s way, ribbit. With Syndrome knocked out and the remote lost, there’s nothing to stop its rampage.”

“Yes, there is.” She turned to see Midoriya sitting there with a confident gleam in his eyes. “There’s one family that can definitely stop it.”

Outside the city, a new rocket was swiftly approaching. It split apart in mid-flight, but unlike its predecessor, this one carried no Omnidroid, but a single RV somehow suspended between the final pieces.

All Might even assumed his muscle form to smile in pride. “The real heroes are on their way!”

Dash and Violet were sitting at the RV’s table in the back. “Are we there yet?” The son whined.

Up in the driver’s seat, Mr. Incredible grumbled, “We get there when we get there!” He took one hand off the wheel to open his window, papers fluttering about from the sudden rush of air. While the kids shielded themselves from it, he called up, “HOW YOU DOING, HONEY?”

“DO I HAVE TO ANSWER?!” Was Elastigirl’s strained… well, answer. She had stretched out her arms and legs underneath the RV’s roof rails to hold onto the aerial parts.

Ashido clutched her arms whimpering. “Yowch, I would not want to trade places with her.”

“But it’s the only way to keep the wings connected to something as small and ill-shaped as the RV, ribbit.” Inwardly, though, Tsu agreed with her friend’s complaint. Her tongue ached just looking at Elastigirl.

“Why the RV, though?” Aoyama questioned. “It is hardly functional in such a colossal array, nor is it stylish.” He added the last part more quietly, though it still made some classmates roll their eyes.

“It’s not like they had options or much time,” Aizawa told him. “The RV was close at hand and familiar.”

Jiro’s jacks coiled slightly around her frown. “Okay, but how are they supposed to land with something that small in…” She trailed off as the pieces slid in place. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

The city was within view; it was nearly time. “Kids,” Incredible called back to them, “strap yourselves down like I told you!” They promptly rushed over to seats on the side, Violet in front of a small control panel. This time, they had a chance to fasten their seatbelts. “HERE WE GO, HONEY!” With that shout to Elastigirl, Incredible checked to the kids. “Ready, Violet?” His daughter had one hand raised over a large button. “Ready? NOW!”

Vi slapped her hand on the button, and the wings split apart. Elastigirl released an exhausted cry while releasing her grip on them, then slid her way into the passenger seat up front. Mr. Incredible couldn’t spare a glance at her; without the wings, there was nothing left to keep the RV airborne. It began hurtling under its own momentum towards the city. Incredible stepped on the gas in anticipation. “This is gonna be rough!” An apt description of the impending situation.

“No…” Iida actually took off his glasses and cleaned them in the hopes it would present a clearer image. But when he put them on again, he couldn’t deny the movie’s reality. “They are actually planning to…”

“This is totally insane…” Kaminari accidentally crushed the chips he’d gotten in anticipation of what came next. “Cool, but insane…”

The van flew over an overcropping, knocking down a streetlight in the process, before landing at full speed onto the right lane of the main road. It bounced once, then drove on to a slight chorus of angry car horns left in its wake. Still, the RV veered smoothly around other drivers without losing speed.

Kirishima’s eyes turned into shining saucers. “Rough and insane, but manly as heck!”

“It’s not the Incredibile,” Uraraka pumped her fists, “but Mr. Incredible still has tons of experience with high-speed driving!” Between the earlier idea for flying lessons and the scene just now, the gravity-manipulating student was getting ideas about vehicular applications of her Quirk. Crazy chases with cars, improvised flight modes… I gotta step up my tolerance for when I’ve got my license, Uraraka decided.

Mr. Incredible kept a steady grip on the wheel and drove well, but there was still the matter of where to go. “The robot’s in the financial district. Which exit do I take?”

“Traction Avenue,” Elastigirl advised.

“That’ll take me downtown,” Incredible disagreed. “I take Seventh, don’t I?” He began steering the RV towards the indicated exit.

Mineta gaped slack-jawed at the adults. “They just pulled off one of the craziest air stunts anyone’s come up with, and now they’re arguing about directions?” He slumped backwards in his seat. “Talk about being a devoted married couple…”

“To be fair,” Midoriya ran some fingers through his hair, “their means of… entering the city would have thrown off any normal sense of direction. And they do need to reach the Omnidroid as quickly as possible.”

Ojiro eyed him with a half-smile. “Or it’s just a joke about directions, Midoriya.” His green-headed friend blushed but shyly nodded in concession.

But Elastigirl screamed at him, “DON’T TAKE SEVENTH!” And startled by the shout, the RV veered away and back onto the main road.

“Great,” Bob complained, eyes on the road, “we missed it!”

“You asked me how to get there and I told you!” Helen argued, snapping a hand in his direction. “Exit at Traction!”

“That’ll take me downtown!”

Mina giggled at their back-and-forth. “What is it with guys and asking directions?” That of course spawned a series of protests from the boys, predominantly the Bakusquad, that evolved into an argument for turning back towards Seventh while the girls joined their pink friend in defending Elastigirl’s insistence to take Traction.

Her eyes widened at the sign ahead. “It’s coming up! Get in the right lane! TAKE THE RIGHT!”

“WE DON’T EXIT AT TRACTION!” Another car honked at them.

“YOU'RE GONNA MISS IT!”

“Take Traction!”

“Don’t exit!” Aizawa just shook his head at his students’ yelling. Knew I should’ve brought some Aspirin…

Incredible took only a moment to stare at her before spinning the wheel with a battle cry. The van rolled down onto Traction Avenue, scraping against the divider in the process. It narrowly avoided a collision with a bus and a honking gas truck. Incredible hit the brakes, causing it to bump against some cars parked on the right before flipping.

Violet’s eyes and mouth opened as wide as possible as she screamed in fright.

Koda covered his face with both hands in light of this scream; he feared how this drive would end.

The RV still had too much velocity, and Incredible could hardly keep it steady anymore. He stomped with both feet against the brake, the wheels whining as the van began veering left. Soon, it flipped over and began rolling across the street. The passengers bounced around in their seats relatively uninjured; the value of seatbelts had been proven once again. Eventually, the thoroughly battered RV rolled into a vacant parking spot and leaned dangerously on the side before slumping upright on its wheels. Parts dangled loosely and fell off as it rested.

“Plus points for proper parallel parking,” Mic quipped, drawing snickers from his students. Shoji and Sato took the lull in action to reassure their timid friend that family was all right.

“Minus points for going over the speeding limit,” Aizawa retorted, half-smile hidden beneath his scarf.

“There’s just no pleasing you, is there?”

The parents panted at their seats, then Bob asked, “Is everybody okay back there?”

“Super-duper, Dad!” Violet flashed him a dazed smile, peeling herself off of her seat.

Dash giggled beside her. “Let’s do that again.” Both parents smiled in relief.

“L-let’s not,” Koda pleaded, one hand over his chest. “Just watching that was exciting enough for me.”

“I take it you’re not a fan of roller coasters, either?” Receiving a head shake for a reply, Tokoyami patted his larger friend’s arm. “Unfortunately for me, Dark Shadow is quite enthusiastic about them.”

“Ah come on, Fumi! It’s good training for stressful situations!” Nobody bought that excuse from the sentient Quirk. “…Okay, it’s fun! Live a little!”

Then the Omnidroid stomped ahead of them. “Wait here and stay hidden,” Incredible told his family. “I’m going in.” He got out of the RV and began to charge towards the robot.

But Elastigirl moved over and stretched out an arm to spin him around by the shoulder. “While what, I watch helplessly from the sidelines? I don’t think so.”

Uraraka straightened eagerly. “Yeah, she can help! She’s been doing this as long as you have, Incredible!”

Iida nodded as well. “He alone stood little chance against the upgraded Omnidroid on the island, and this model is sure to be even more advanced aside from its blaster. It would be best for both of them and the city to neutralize the threat as quickly as possible.”

“I’m asking you to wait with the kids.”

“And I’m telling you,” she marched up to him while the kids watched, “not a chance. You’re my husband.” She gently gripped his chin. “I’m with you, for better or worse.”

Bob peeled her hand away. “I have to do this alone!” He turned around.

“Come on, man,” Kaminari whined. “There’s no shame in asking for help in a fight.”

“No shame for you, maybe,” Bakugo huffed to the blonde’s slight chagrin. “Let him fight already, dammit!”

Helen was exasperated at this point. “What is this to you? Playtime?”

He spun around to glare at her. “No.”

“So you can be Mr. Incredible again?”

“NO!”

“Then what?” She stepped closer to him. “What is it?”

He gripped his forehead, seemingly lost. “I’m not...”

“Not what?”

“Yeah, not what?” Jiro crossed her arms in annoyance. “Seriously, what’s up with this?”

Shoji scratched his chin. “Not sure they can both take it on? No, that doesn’t sound right.”

“Not sure about the kids’ safety?” Koda offered. “He could be really worried about them, and we can’t blame him for that.”

“I-I’m not strong enough.” He admitted, his frustration growing.

The adults and more than a few students stilled at his words, comprehension washing over them. Others misinterpreted his meaning and, Jiro in particular, made to protest, but heads shaking pointed looks stopped them in their tracks.

“Strong enough,” she repeated with a huff. “And this will make you stronger?”

“Yes--NO!”

Her own frustration was bubbling over. “That’s what this is? Some sort of workout?”

Bob snatched her up by the shoulders and yelled, “I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!” into her face. Helen stared back at him in shock even as he set her back down again. “I can't,” he muttered in a defeated tone, his gaze lowered. “Not again.” He peered slightly up towards her with a reiteration. “I’m not… strong enough.”

Silence. There were no more protests or arguments among the audience, no voices speaking up in defense of one side or another. All of Class 1-A and the three teachers supervising them simply watched the scene.

Guilt was an inherent part of a hero’s life. The adults understood that, and so did unfortunately some of the students already. Helen hadn’t realized it in her own frustrations, but Bob had been so relieved in seeing her because he thought she and the kids were dead. He had to listen to them being chased by the missiles and seemingly being killed, powerless to stop it. It shamed some viewers that they’d forgotten that, and others...

Midoriya’s gaze briefly drifted to the floor again, that final interaction with Sir Nighteye flashing before his eyes. He thought he’d known what it meant to be helpless as a Quirkless boy, but watching the hero breathe his last with a broken Togata-senpai over him… He tried his hardest not to blame himself, but still…

And what the poor insecure boy didn’t realize was just how much it hurt those sitting beside him to see him like that. Uraraka in particular wanted to do something to help, but she couldn’t on account of her own grief. She had been part of that mission, too, after all. And despite her best efforts, she hadn’t been there to help Deku or Eri during the toughest parts.

For Tenya, he couldn’t help but flash back to the call he’d received of his brother being attacked. For just a brief moment, he’d feared the absolute worst had happened to Tensei. And then to learn he’d never be able to walk let alone be Ingenium again… Iida couldn’t even grieve right out of the shame that rippled inside him.

Conflict warred inside Bakugo’s head, one voice in particular screaming outrage and disbelief at what Mr. Incredible had just said. He was the world’s equivalent of All Might, and All Might always won the day, no matter how many villains he faced. He had always been strong enough, right up to his last fight. The fight he had because of- He bit his tongue. But the pain triggered images of his folks, and Katsuki couldn’t help but glance around his teammates, some of whom he’d call friends. I’ll always be strong enough to protect everyone… I can’t-won’t lose anyone. It was what he’d vowed that night after fighting Deku.

Eraser Head had been less than impressed with many of Mr. Incredible’s decisions throughout the movie, but even he couldn’t just dismiss this confession. After all, he knew that feeling of utter defeat, the moment where someone close to you died simply because you weren’t… strong enough. It was why he pushed these kids so hard, because he knew that damnable feeling and didn’t ever want them to feel it too. And worst of all, some of them had. I can’t lose anyone else, Shota muttered in the back of his mind. A glance to Mic told him his best friend was thinking the same thing in that moment. …I just can’t.

And Toshinori Yagi?

He could only slump forward in his seat, the memories from before playing again. Truth be told, he had felt a little envious towards Bob for being able to marry, start a family… things All Might had never taken the time for. And with the direction his life had taken, he would’ve probably found his partner in a fellow hero, someone who would insist on fighting by his side against all threats. Including All for One…

There was no way Toshi could’ve kept One for All and that it implied a secret from a hypothetical family. The danger would’ve been too great and unfair to them. It had broken his teacher’s heart when she had left behind her son, right decision or not… and would he have been any better? Would he have taken the risk only to find his family murdered by All for One out of sadistic cruelty? …I’m not strong enough either, Bob.

Violet and Dash stared from the van as their mother reached up and pulled their father together into a deep kiss. Helen then leaned away to stare at him gently. “If we work together, you won’t have to be.”

Tears began streaming down Ashido and Hagakure’s cheeks, and they were only the most overt in their relief. Kirishima bumped knuckles with Kaminari, Sero and even Bakugo, Todoroki and Iida exchanged a respectful handshake, a couple hugs got thrown around, Jiro even accepting one from Yaomomo. As for Uraraka, she managed to her fingers into Midoriya’s tight fist and give him a little squeeze. He looked up to exchange a sad but grateful, tearless smile with her.

No student of Class 1-A would ever have to fight alone.

“I don’t know what’ll happen,” he wearily admitted.

“Hey.” Elastigirl grinned up at him. “We’re superheroes. What can happen?”

Hagakure sniffled in joy. “Aw, she’s using his words at their wedding, too.”

“Yeah…” A similarly touched Kaminari smiled… only to freeze up. “Oh boy, remember what happened after he asked that?”

A high-pitched scream rippled out from Violet, her and Dash staring bug-eyed at something above, then one of the Omnidroid’s claws stomped down on the van. They barely got out and started running away before it was crushed like a soda can. The parents were leading the kids to the sideline when another arm smashed into the pavement in front of the latter two, cutting them off. The robot towered over them.

Bob & Helen turned around to see horrified their kids’ situation. “VI! DASH! NO!!!!” Helen screamed.

Later on, the audience may’ve expressed some frustration with much the movie made their emotions bounce about. From joy to terror to humor to sadness to fury and right back to joy so it could start all over again. Pixar films…

Basically, the current mood was fear, or in one case, fearful exasperation. “You just had to go and bring attention to things getting worse, Charge Dolt?!” Jiro furiously smacked Kaminari’s arm with an empty soda bottle.

“Hey, hey, hey!” He protested against her (more-annoying-than-painful) assault. “Elastigirl said it, not me!”

Tokoyami huffed by his spot. “And this is why you should never ever tempt fate. She is a cruel mistress.”

Sato stared at the trio in disbelief. “Could you guys save the routines for when the kids aren’t in danger?”

Dash flinched in fear as a claw surged towards him, but Violet put up a force field in time to block the blow. The undeterred Omnidroid began raining blows onto the barrier, but even as the road buckled beneath them, Vi managed to keep it up. It still winded her, though, and when the robot slammed its entire colossal body on top of them, the force of the impact knocked them flat. She fell unconscious from the effort of protecting them.

Shoji winced from the last blow. “The force field might’ve protected them from getting squashed flat, but it’s still dependent on Violet’s concentration. All that concussive force at once would take a toll on anybody.”

“With her out of commission, Dash will have to get them out of there, ribbit.” Asui pondered this. “But that’s if they were facing the Omnidroid alone.”

Dash leaned worriedly over his big sister. “Violet?”

The Omnidroid blocked out the sun as it made for another crushing attack. Dash braced himself over Violet’s body while the shadow descended upon them, but instead of being quashed to a meaty pulp, he heard a thud and a persisting groan. A glance behind revealed the source: “Dad!”

Mr. Incredible strained with both arms and legs to keep the extremely heavy body off of his children. “Go, go!” He bit out, Elastigirl reaching in to grab a recovered Violet. The mother quickly led them out to safety.

“About time you two got into the game!” Bakugo’s fingers balled into fists and opened only to close again. Tiny sparks crackled between them. “Now it’s time for the final boss fight!”

With them gone, Mr. Incredible adjusted his position to push the Omnidroid up with his hands. Then a claw reached in to snag the hero out from under the Omnidroid before it tossed him into a thankfully vacated office building, desks and papers scattered by Incredible’s crashing.

“Good thing no one was inside when he crashed through.” Midoriya cupped his chin to consider the situation. “The military must’ve pulled back and focused on evacuation when they realized their weapons were ineffective and Syndrome went down. Hopefully that means there aren’t any civilians around to get drawn in.”

“I’m okay, mom. Really.” Violet tried assuring Elastigirl as she carried her to behind a building about a block from the fight, Dash right next to them.

But Helen’s worries weren’t easily assuaged. “Stay here, okay?” She told them before sprinting back towards the Omnidroid, the kids looking after her but staying put (for now).

“You sure it’s a good idea benching them? They did put a damn good fight against Syndrome’s guards until he showed up. They could help,” Sato pointed out.

Mineta stared up at him. “No way are those guys in the same league as that super-sized robot! Heck, I’d be hiding right next to them if I were there.” That surprised no one. “Better the parents don’t have to worry.”

“Oh, like those two aren’t going to involve themselves anyway…” Present Mic huffed. Eraser Head nodded in resigned agreement. They had their parents’ blood and a taste for adventure now.

The Omnidroid scaled up the side of the building it had thrown Mr. Incredible into. Its visor reached the broken windows in time to see Incredible charging up to it. A single punch from the hero sent the robot crashing back to the ground.

Mr. Incredible landed and rolled onto the pavement before coming to a stop on one knee. A sound drew his attention to behind him, and his mood brightened. “Frozone! Yeah!”

The hero skated on freshly formed slides past his best friend and began icing over the Omnidroid.

“Aw yeah!” Hagakure punched above her invisible head. “Now all three pros have joined the fight!”

Todoroki perked up in his spot, Uraraka quietly giggling to herself. He’s like Deku with All Might…

In his defense, he wasn’t the only one excited to see the ice hero in action. “Finally convinced Honey to give up his suit, huh?” Ojiro noted with a tiny smirk.

“She probably wringed another dinner evening out of him, an even fancier one,” Shoji chuckled.

“Bob!” Elastigirl ran up to Incredible, but then Frozone sailed over them to slam onto the roof of a yellow car. He bounced off it with a grunt.

An irate Mr. Incredible whirled around. “Hey!” But the Omnidroid smacked him aside against a building. He rolled grunting along the street. It set its sights on Elastigirl next, but she nimbly jumped out of the way with her elongated legs. The heroine clung to the side of a building before evading another attack, then Frozone slid in to try and freeze the claw in place. The Omnidroid wrenched its claw free of the ice and turned its blaster on Elastigirl, who stretched and dodged along the street.

“Okay, this isn’t going that well,” Sero commented wincing at the robot’s blows. “That thing really is Syndrome’s masterpiece on the whole hero-fighting business, huh?”

Bakugo stared intensely at the screen. “That thing’s size and armor keep it from taking any significant damage. Ice blasts aren’t enough to trap it in place. And that gun helps keep the pressure even when its target’s out of range.” His foot tapped against the carpet. “But there’s something about its fighting… something off.”

“Syndrome would have spared no expense in buffering whatever weaknesses the Omnidroid might have,” Iida countered, a rare lack of hostility between the boys. “That is precisely why he built so many previous models.” And tested them against so many heroes, he needn’t say. “The heroes need some advantage.”

A dazed Mr. Incredible picked himself off the pavement when his eyes landed on something white nearby. He picked it up while getting to his feet and studied it, a memory coming to mind: Back when Syndrome had revealed himself to his former idol, he had called off the Omnidroid by pressing something on his remote. The same remote Bob was now holding. “SYNDROME’S REMOTE!!”

Aoyama’s eyes lit up with sparkles. “Aha, the monsieur has discovered the advantage!”

All Might’s angular face shifted into a triumphant smile. “Like a special item dropped during a boss fight…”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have shouted that to the world, though, because the Omnidroid’s head whirled around to lock onto the remote, then Incredible’s “uh-oh” face. A claw smashed down on top of him and hoisted him up. Mr. Incredible nearly dropped the remote in his ascent but caught it and began jabbing at whatever buttons he could find. Then the arm holding him suddenly detached, dropping him to fall yelling down to terra firma.

Violet and Dash saw this happen from their spot, and the former figured out what their dad had: “The remote controls the robot!”

Kaminari sighed in relief. “For a second there, I was worried the thing wouldn’t work. It got blasted and knocked around pretty badly…”

“No worries, bro,” Kirishima patted his shoulder, “Syndrome probably built that thing to last. It was supposed to be his secret weapon against the robot.”

“Too bad for him he didn’t consider the robot figuring that out,” Jiro snarked. “Some genius…”

Incredible quickly got up and began dodging the shots now aimed at him. “Hey, dad!” He then saw Dash hopping on his spot on the other side of the Omnidroid. “Throw it! Throw it!”

Mr. Incredible reared back his arm. “Go long!” He then hurled the remote like a football far across the street, the Omnidroid’s visor following it.

So did Dash’s eyes, and he was smaller and much faster. He sped after the midair device even as the robot’s blaster fired multiple bolts after him. He managed to avoid them while passing a visibly concerned Elastigirl.

Aizawa closed his eyes, the Forest Training coming to mind at seeing the mother’s face. “…Sorry, Mrs. Parr,” he murmured as though she could hear him, “but like it or not, those kids are in danger as long as they’re within the city limits. And it’s only rational that they use any and every advantage to stop the robot.”

“Don’t worry, Aizawa.” His tired eyes opened to see All Might watching the screen. “Young Violet and young Dash are more mature than you think. They know better than to fight the Omnidroid directly. It’s enough that they help keep the remote out of its claws.” The erasure hero silently conceded to the logic.

The remote flew towards the pond, so great was the force it had been thrown with. Water splashed up from the energy blasts that struck its surface, but the speedy boy ran across it, reaching out to catch the little white toy. “Got it!” He then reached the pond’s end and raced up onto the street. He didn’t get far, however; while the Omnidroid couldn’t keep up with his speed, it could outmaneuver Dash by blasting a car in front of him. Dash yelled at the sudden explosion and tried backtracking, but more blasts detonated cars all around him. Soon, he was trapped in a ring of fire.

“It adjusted its aim to anticipate where Dash would run and cut him off.” Yaoyorozu frowned worried for the younger boy’s safety. “And for all his speed, he can’t run through fire without risk of burns.”

“The suit can protect his body, but the smoke…” Iida have been warned about situations from his older brother; the best way to deal with a speedster was to put them in a place where their speed was of no help. “Meanwhile, the Omnidroid approaches to finish him off.”

A running Mr. Incredible saw this and called out to Elastigirl. “Honey, take out its guns!” Then a blast struck the concrete before him, throwing him back.

Still, Elastigirl had got the message and quickly came up with a plan. Pulling a manhole cover loose with a groan, she stretched out one arm while holding onto it and caught the cover with her other hand. She took a moment to aim before releasing it, and the makeshift discus shattered the blaster emplacement on the Omnidroid’s head.

Ashido grinned. “Now that’s sharpshooting!” Uraraka and Asui promptly memorized the move, planning to try replicating it later with their respective Quirks. Tsu didn’t look forward to man-hole taste, though.

Midoriya’s eyes then lit up as a lightbulb went off in his head. “It was so focused on Dash it failed to anticipate Elastigirl’s attack…” He spun in his seat. “Kacchan, that’s the flaw in its programming, isn’t it?”

“Took you long enough, Deku!” Despite the words, Bakugo put little bite in them and even explained to the inquisitive looks sent both their ways. “No Shit-droid ever had to fight more than one hero at a time, so even with its upgrades and learning crap, the robot’s still programmed to deal with one threat at a time.”

“That’s also why it hasn’t managed to kill any of them yet.” All Might confirmed, proud of his pupils. “It’s not used to fighting groups of heroes, and the more spread out they are, the better chances they’ve got.”

Meanwhile, Dash was still amidst the flames when Frozone’s voice rang out. “Dash!” The white-and-blue hero slid into the circle to pick up the boy and secure him onto his back. “Gotcha!”

The Bakusquad whooped in joy at SJ-hero’s slick rescue, Bakugo settling for a pleased smirk. He was more focused on keeping track of the battle, though he didn’t need to note everything down like Deku did.

Another student was similarly deep in study. Ever since Frozone had appeared in the battle, Todoroki had been hyper-focused on him. It wasn’t just the blasts of ice the hero could create, though Shoto filed that away for future reference as well. It was his mode of transport. The way his hands sent out waves of ice to freeze the moisture in front of him at the exact same time as his legs carried him forward… There was no hesitation or fumbling in his movements, just slick skating across ice that hadn’t existed seconds ago.

Shoto had pulled out his phone for recording (solely for research, so the copyright gods might let him off for that), but his own eyes tracked every step of the ice-slide process. If I can manage to produce the same results with just my right side, I could boost my mobility like sensei has advised me. Not to mention it’d be an alternative for Father’s flame-hovering technique.

The Omnidroid, now without its blaster, spotted Frozone racing with Dash, and more importantly, the remote in tow. It swiftly retracted its legs and rolled after them in ball form. Frozone noticed their massive pursuer and quickly changed course before collision, heading out onto the water. His hands repeatedly snapped out to freeze a path for them while the Omnidroid returned to its feet and took a big leap. Both heroes only had a second to notice the oncoming danger before it plunged into the water, throwing them both high.

A massive wave surged out from the impact, but Frozone twisted in midair to unleash his powers on it. Water instantly turned to soft snow that covered the street, saving Dash’s life as he bounced onto the white substance. However, he had lost his grip on the remote which now clattered on the street.

Bakugo growled. “Damnit, can’t that brat keep a better grip on the remote?”

“That’s what you’re focused on?!” Kaminari stared at him incredulously. “Dude, he just turned a giant freaking wave into a snowfield, just like that!”

Todoroki burned that technique in his memory. I’ve never tried creating snow before, but in theory, if I were to freeze the moisture around me or my targets into ice crystals fast enough… it could serve as a cushion for falling civilians or to smother flames without damaging surroundings like solid ice would.

Mr. Incredible had running for the fight when he saw the remote and made a break for it. The Omnidroid spotted him as well, though, and launched one of its its claws to snatch him right when he was about to grab the remote. “No!” Incredible reached futilely for the device as he was flung away.

The Omnidroid headed straight for the remote, Elastigirl seeing this and moving ahead. An approaching Frozone quickly coated the road in front of the robot with thick ice, causing it to stumble about. Elastigirl then stretched her body out from one lamppost to another so when the Omnidroid pitched forward, it tripped over the heroine’s body and crashed.

A slick combination move that not only their resident dual-element user took interest in. Shoji was wondering if he could grow out enough limbs in time to pull off Elastigirl’s part before he refocused.

But even then, it reached out to grab the device…

Only for it to seemingly levitate out of the way. A familiar yelp sounded out, making it clear that Violet had turned invisible and was dodging the robot’s tentacles. A little futilely grabbing for the unseen teenager, and the Omnidroid, missing two legs and three claws by now, was unsettled enough to collapse onto its side again.

Hagakure giggled triumphantly. “Score one for the invisible teammate!”

“Another prudent lesson there: Never underestimate the use of less flashy Quirks,” Aizawa advised his students. “With the right timing and a little intelligence, any ability can be a game-changer.”

Violet turned visible again as she ran up to Helen, Dash and a worried Frozone. “Violet!”

“Mom, I’ve got it!” She held it up to them. “I’ve got the remote!”

The Omnidroid righted itself and began stomping towards them. Meanwhile, Frozone reminded the Incredibles he knew the least about what was going on. “A remote? A remote that controls what?” While he was asking, Violet was pushing random buttons on it as their enemy approached.

In desperation, she hit another button that caused rockets to activate underneath the Omnidroid’s claws. It blasted forward and over them, unable to control its flight. “The robot?!” Frozone watched alongside the others as said robot flew right into a skyscraper.

“Oh boy,” Ojiro sighed, his tail swishing about a bit from rising anxiety. “They might have the remote, but they don’t have a clue how to work it.”

“And Frozone wasn’t even with them on Syndrome’s Island, so all he knows is a robot appeared out of nowhere and is going on a rampage.” Tokoyami hummed by his spot. “No one but Syndrome knows how to use his remote properly, and even if he weren’t out of commission, it’s doubtful a spiteful man like him would assist.”

Sato cracked his knuckles with a growl. “They could persuade him.” Koda shivered a little at his suggestion.

“That would take too much time, and the Omnidroid would only continue tearing apart the city,” Yaoyorozu shot that down. “If only there was some way of piercing its armor, but it’s withstood tank ballistics, blows from Mr. Incredible, freezing and multiple collisions. What more does it take?”

Further behind them, Mr. Incredible was trying to pry himself loose of the claw.

“It’s coming back!” Dash saw the robot picking itself up once again and snatched the remote from Violet, hitting a button of his own. That one only opened up the claw holding Mr. Incredible, causing him to fall out with a yelp.

Kirishima winced as the hero hit the ground. “Kinda helpful, but still the wrong button.”

Not realizing this, Dash could only conclude, “That wasn’t right.”

“Give me that!” Vi took the remote back.

Kaminari gripped his head in panicked frustration. “Why couldn’t Syndrome just put an easy shut-down button on the thing? Hell, did he even bother adding some kind of shut-down protocol or something?”

“Sure, he did, Jamming-yay!” Jiro snapped nervously. “There’s no way he didn’t add some kind of failsafe for the robot, even if he’s a total egomaniac man-child who built a machine that can get smart enough to turn against him…” The two stared at one another in rising horror, then back at the screen. “…Oh hell, did he?”

The possibility washed over the viewers along with the worrying prospect that it may be plausible. “If he did…” Mic noted warily. “…Then the best that remote can do is slow the scrapheap down. And they’ve got to figure out a way to shut it down on their own.” He wracked his brain for a solution. “But how are they supposed to get through that armor?” Even his Loud Voice at max volume probably wouldn’t break it.

Behind them, Mr. Incredible had scrambled to his feet. “We can’t stop it,” he muttered to himself in frustration. “The only thing hard enough to penetrate it is...”

A memory flashed through his mind of when he’d defeated the Omnidroid’s eighth model; the robot had smashed its claws into its own body trying to get him. Back in the present, Mr. Incredible turned to the claw still beside him and realized the answer. “...Itself.”

“That’s it,” Izuku breathed. “The only way to pierce the Omnidroid’s metal is with its own metal, and he can use the claw like a tip to run it through!” His smile turned back into a frown. “But does Mr. Incredible have enough strength on his own for a piercing strike? Judging by its width…” He mumbled a few calculations.

“What if he aimed for the head?” Mineta offered. “It’s not that thick, and busting it would definitely take it down!”

Asui shook her head. “How is he supposed to throw the claw that high and that accurately? Besides, Elastigirl used a similar trick earlier, ribbit, and the Omnidroid won’t fall for that twice.”

The rest of his family was focused on the oncoming threat, Dash noting, “It’s getting closer!”

Mr. Incredible picked up the closing claw while Violet was desperately pounding on the remote’s buttons. “It doesn’t work!”

“Kids!” Their mother scolded them just as her daughter hit a button that ignited the rocket function of the claw their father was holding. He stumbled about in an effort to control the thrust.

Uraraka’s eyes brightened. “The rocket mode… that could give the claw enough power to punch through the armor!” She paused at Incredible’s stumbling. “…Assuming, you know, he can aim that thing properly.”

Then Elastigirl swiped the remote. “No, that’s not it.”

“It’s not doing anything!” Frozone pointed out, none of them aware of what was happening behind them.

“Do they seriously not hear that commotion behind them?” Sero asked incredulously.

Ashido elbowed him. “They’re probably a little preoccupied with the giant killer robot right in front of them!”

“Lucius, try to buy us some time!” Elastigirl told her friend while she studied the remote.

“Try the one next to it!” With that parting advice, Frozone rode up a hastily created ice ramp. He pressed his feet together while in midair, a metal snowboard unfurling itself that he used to speed faster towards the Omnidroid.

Despite the growing apprehension, Todoroki mentally added the snowboard feature to his plans. If I use my ice to make slides… His eyes widened and focused on his left hand. And my flames as propulsion…

While the ice hero was putting up a wall of ice in front of the robot, Incredible was struggling with the claw. “Honey!” The Omnidroid swung a tentacle through the ice.

Elastigirl pushed the top button, causing the rocket to deactivate. Mr. Incredible stared at it as a plan pieced itself together. “Wait a minute.” He called over to Elastigirl. “PRESS THAT BUTTON AGAIN!” Finally hearing him, Elastigirl hit… the button she’d just pressed. This one caused the claw to start rotating while closed, making it resemble a drill. “NO, THE OTHER ONE!” Incredible told her. “THE-THE FIRST ONE!”

“First button!” Her finger hovered over the one Violet had pushed. “Got it!”

“Okay, then hit the button already!” Mineta was about to start pulling out hair from the suspense.

Midoriya was almost as nervous, but he disagreed. “No, not yet.”

“It’s getting closer!” Dash repeated, this time with more fear.

Frozone continued to throw up ice walls, but with so little time, he couldn’t make them sturdy enough for the Omnidroid to not shatter them with one hit. “Look out!”

“He can’t hold that thing back much longer…” Kaminari muttered. “Isn’t it high time they let that claw missile loose?!”

“No.” he and others looked at a hyper-tense Bakugo. “Frozone needs to keep blocking that damn robot, get it to advance on the Incredibles.”

Elastigirl waved a hand towards Dash and Violet. “Get out of here, kids! Find a safe spot!”

“We’re not going anywhere!” Violet refuted, and Dash didn’t argue.

Kirishima silently gripped his fist in front of his chest. Brave of you, kids. You’re as manly as your parents…

“PRESS THE BUTTON!” Mr. Incredible shouted behind them, claw still at the ready.

“Not yet!”

“Helen!” The Omnidroid broke through another of Frozone’s barriers.

Bob’s face was one of impending horror. “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!”

“A CLOSER TARGET!” A determined Helen shouted back at him. “YOU GOT ONE SHOT!”

“Oh, she wanted to get the robot closer so Incredible’s claw hitting it would be guaranteed?!” Ashido finally got the picture. She chided herself briefly for doubting Elastigirl before returning to the movie.

Yaoyorozu had recognized her plan from the beginning, but she watched warily. “It’s their best chance of success. If the claw were to miss, they’d have to acquire another such piece. Something the Omnidroid would surely prevent from happening.”

“Then why make Frozone bother with all of the ice walls?” Sero asked exasperated. “If they need a closer target…”

“Learning robot, remember?” The tape hero-in-training, tense as it was, felt a slight chill from Todoroki’s voice, but he reassured himself he was in no danger. “The Omnidroid could realize they’re setting a trap if they made it look too easy.” Shoto elaborated. “Good thing it by default prioritizes one target at a time.”

Aizawa leaned straight against the couch’s back, his eyes glued on the screen. “This is their last shot.”

“Which means they won’t fail.” …Sometimes, the underground hero admired All Might’s conviction. Be that as it may, the teachers and students could only watch with bated breath.

The Omnidroid smashed through the last of Frozone’s ice walls; it was nearly on top of them. Elastigirl finally hit the button.

The claw’s rocket blazed to life even as its front continued to spin. “EVERYBODY DUCK!” With that warning out of his mouth, Mr. Incredible released the makeshift missile and fell backwards. All of the heroes threw themselves to the ground as it hurtled towards the Omnidroid…

The students themselves ducked despite being out of danger, so engrossed were they in the scene.

The claw tore straight through its owner’s armor and punched out the other side with the power core embedded on its tip. It clattered heavily against the road while the assembled Incredibles and Frozone peered inside the Omnidroid’s sparking new hole. The Omnidroid, still as a statue, slowly tilted over with a mechanical whine towards the lake and crashed in, waves rising in its wake. Its hole sparked a little more, then it blew apart in a fiery explosion.

Sighs of relief mixed with cheers and big “Yes’s!” as the class finally relaxed in the wake of the Incredible triumph. “They did it… They did it!” Deku laughed to himself as he, Uravity, Ingenium, Froppy and Shoto were pulled into a victory hug by his idol.

“Of course, they did!” All Might laughed as his muscular arms encircled those kids closest to him. “Heroes can always pull out a win in a pinch!” He squeezed them a little more, chuckling at two’s matching blushes and Todoroki’s nonplussed expression… before shrinking back down with a bloody cough.

Ojiro kept smiling as he turned to the screen. “The claw’s spinning must’ve helped it bore a hole through…” he chuckled. “Kaibara is gonna be ticked he didn’t get to see this.”

The heroes braced themselves against the shockwave but were unharmed. Mr. Incredible was the first among his family to straighten, then he flashed a chuckle and smile at his best friend. “Hey, Zone.” Frozone just laughed right back at him with a “I see what you did there” finger raised.

Clapping and cheers started surrounding the tired family, and they looked to find civilians stepping into the open full of gratitude.

A befuddled Syndrome finally regained enough of his senses to pick himself up from the roof. He found a rapidly increasing crowd gathering around Frozone and the Incredibles. “Huh?” His shock warped into a jealous snarl. “No!”

Bakugo barked a mean laugh at the villain’s face. “Serves you right, ya smug wannabe! The real heroes picked up the slack and beat your shitty robot!”

“Think they’ll catch him?” Kirishima cracked his knuckles eagerly. “He’s got some major payback coming, and that’s not even talking about going to jail for life!”

“Eh, he might slip away for now,” Uraraka smiled all the same, “but they’ll catch him soon enough!”

“Hey, did you see that?” One senior man nudged another on the sidelines. “Eh? That’s the way to do it. That’s old school.”

“Yeah,” his friend agreed while he laughed. “No school like the old school.”

Shoji blinked. “…Who are those two? I don’t think they appeared before in the movie.”

He then heard a big gasp beside him, then Koda was digging out his phone. “No way…” His eyes doubled in size as he shouted in delight, “I knew it! They’re Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston!”

“…Who?” Tokoyami traded a look with an equally befuddled Dark Shadow. Most didn’t know the names.

Yaoyorozu recognized them, clapping their hands in delight. “They were the two final members of Disney’s Nine Old Men! Nine of Disney’s first and most revered animators,” she quickly explained, “who worked either separately or collaborated on the studio’s films. One of their collaborations was the original Snow White!” That trigger a chorus of murmurs, most having seen that film at least once, of course. “Sadly, they have all passed away, with Thomas and Johnston having been the last.”

Iida therefore suggested another moment of silence for them, which the others accepted. Once it was over, Kaminari eyed a blushing Koda teasingly. “No wonder you knew who they were…” The animal-loving hero managed to smile shyly back. “Nice tribute for them, though.” He nodded eagerly at that.

Frozone laughed in delight as he scanned the crowd. “Just like old times!”

“Just like old times.” With one hand encircling his wife, Mr. Incredible slapped his buddy on the back with the other.

Frozone winced from the slap but gingerly righted himself. “Yeah.” He winced. “Hurt then too. Ow.”

“No worries, pal,” Sero laughed, “you can kick back for the rest of the week, I’d say.”

“Not if Honey has anything to say about it,” Ashido countered teasingly.

Bakugo laughed for once with “his” squad. “She’ll make Frozone wish he was still fighting the robot.”

In the next scene, the Incredibles were getting a ride back home in a limo with tinted windows.

Mineta let out a wolf whistle. “Travelling home in style after a hard-won battle. Sweet!”

Inside, Agent Rick Dicker was explaining the government’s efforts. “We’ve frozen all of Syndrome’s assets. If he even sneezes, we’ll be there with a hankie and a pair of handcuffs. The people of this country are indebted to you.”

“Very rational,” Aizawa grunted approvingly. “Now that the family can testify against Syndrome’s actions and have surely revealed the location of his island base, the authorities can legally shut down his resources.”

Jiro giggled to herself at the agent’s hankie line. “I’m so gonna say that one of these days.”

“Does this mean we can come out of hiding?” Mr. Incredible asked hopefully. Helen had her ear pressed to the car phone.

“Let the politicians figure that one out. But I’ve been asked to assure you we’ll take care of everything else.” Rick gave his old friend a glum-looking but sincere smile. “You did good, Bob.”

Bakugo’s grin slipped a little. “Politicians? They’re the ones who banned heroes in the first place! Why should they get a say in what happens next for heroes?”

“Just the way it is,” Ojiro noted. “But after today’s adventure, I think they can afford to have some hope.”

Helen was listening to some messages recorded on her number. “Hi, this is Kari,” the sitter Vi and Dash had gotten for their baby brother said. “I have a question about Jack-Jack...”

She couldn’t concentrate well because Dash was playing with the automatic window opposite from her. Finally, she sighed at him, “Come on. We’re in a limo.”

“You are disrupting your mother’s concentration and taxing the window’s mechanisms unnecessary, young man!” Iida disapproved with four swift chops of his hand. “You might’ve saved the city, but that is no reason to misbehave in another’s limousine!”

 “Some of us have never even rode in one…” Uraraka muttered to herself wistfully.

Meanwhile, a smiling Bob was eyeing their daughter from the side. “Hey, you’re wearing your hair back?”

“Huh?” Violet stuttered a bit, stroking her hair self-consciously. “Yeah, I just... yeah.”

“It looks good.”

Vi smiled up at him for the compliment. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Yeah, you look great, invisible sis!” Hagakure gave her a thumbs up (or, well, held a sign with a thumbs-up picture). “You look so confident with your hair like that!”

Tsu smiled at the former shrinking violet (heh…). “It’s not just her hairstyle, ribbit. Even if the circumstances weren’t the best, she’s found some confidence in herself.”

“She’s earned it,” their teacher agreed, similarly happy (on the inside) for a fellow introvert.

Meanwhile, Dash was still full of energy. “That was so cool when you threw that car!” He beamed at his dad.

“Not as cool as you running on water!” Bob shot back full of pride. Even Rick was still smiling.

“Yeah, that was manly!” Kirishima flashed a broad sharp grin. “Let out that energy, buddy, you’ve earned it!”

Iida for his part reaffirmed his future training for running across water.

“Hey, mom!” He whirled on Helen. “That was sweet when you snagged that bad guy with your arm and kinda whiplashed him into the other guy. It was so sweet!”

“Honey, uh, yeah,” she gently tried to shush him, her attention still on the phone. “I’m trying to listen to messages, honey.”

While Dash chattered on, Kari was slowly sounding more… tense with each new message. “Mrs. Parr, it’s me. Jack-Jack is fine, but weird things are happening.” Beep. “Jack-Jack’s still fine, but I’m getting really weird-ed out! AH! When are you coming back?” Helen frowned at the phone.

Bakugo was frowning, too. “The hell is going on over there…? How hard can it be to watch a baby?”

“I know, I asked the same thing a while ago!” Ashido then froze, her pink whitening just a bit. “Oh boy, I tempted fate when I did that, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but we won’t hold it against you.” Kaminari’s joke fell flat this time.

And Dash finished his storytelling with one declaration: “That was the best vacation ever!” He fell with his back against his seat. “I love our family.”

Shoji rolled his eyes in good humor. “Nothing like a life-threatening adventure to help you appreciate your family.”

His mother was even more concerned as the messages continued. She could even hear Jack-Jack crying in the background. “I’m not fine, Mrs. Parr! Ah! Put that down! Stop it! You need to call me!” Beep. "I need help, Mrs. Parr!”

“Bob, listen to this.” He leaned over with a frown at her urging.

“I’m gonna call the police or someone...!” Kari wailed over the recording before it switched to a somewhat calmer, final one. “Hi, this is Kari. Sorry for freaking out, but your baby has special needs.”

Bob exchanged a perplexed/worried look with Helen. “Special needs?”

All Might stared confused at the on-screen phone. “What does she mean with ‘special needs?’ Is Jack-Jack sick or something?”

“Relax,” Aizawa drawled, “I’m guessing the baby just discovered its own Quirk.” Others whirled on him shocked, but he sat there calmly as ever. “It’s the most logical conclusion to make, considering the boy’s heritage. The girl probably just panicked because she didn’t know of that side and wasn’t expecting it.” A fresh sense of eagerness washed over the viewers; this day just kept getting more exciting!

The limo came to a stop. “Here we are.” But neither really heard Rick’s announcement.

Their attention was on Kari’s next sentence: “Anyway, thanks for sending a replacement sitter.”

“Replacement?” Yaoyorozu chewed over the word; something wasn’t right about this. Other than the obvious.

Iida adjusted his glasses in thought. “It’s only natural, I suppose, but…” He didn’t like it, either.

That sentence did make Aizawa bolt up in his seat. Present Mic frowned with matching concern. “What replacement, Helen and the others were occupied the entire time with fighting the Omnidroid… and… Syndrome…” He trailed off.

Class 1-A’s rep turned to his deputy while all three teachers stared at one another. Their eyes widened in dawning horror.

“Replacement?” Helen repeated terrified over the rest of the message. “I didn’t call a replacement!”

One by one, the classmates caught on to why the color had drained from their representatives and teachers, and their faces soon became a near-perfect match. Those were words you never wanted to hear from a parent.

“Oh, no….” Midoriya trembled slightly in his seat. He couldn’t be sure if it was out of fear or anger. “He wouldn’t…”

Not for the first time did Kacchan disagree with Deku. “Oh, hell yeah, he would…” But this time, there wasn’t a hint of smugness in his tone, only fury.

The Incredibles threw open the doors and raced into the house. Bob was the first one inside to find Syndrome standing in the kitchen. They gasped, but the grinning villain whirled around to freeze them all with a ZPE beam.

Syndrome faux-softly shushed them, a snoozing Jack-Jack tucked in his arm. “The baby is sleeping.” A wicked cackle rippled out from the villain.

Todoroki’s nostrils flared as ice and flame curled around his fingers. “He is.”

“You took away my future,” he snarled at the captive Incredibles. “I’m simply returning the favor. Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be a good mentor. Supportive, encouraging. Everything you weren’t. And in time, who knows?” He leaned in close to Jack-Jack’s sleeping face, his smile sharpening. “He might make a good sidekick.”

“Bastard!!”

“Let him go!”

“You touch one hair on Jack-Jack, and I’ll-”

With that, Syndrome hurled the heroes through the wall on his right, then blasted away the ceiling with a triumphant laugh.

Helen was the first on her feet. “He’s getting away, Bob!” Syndrome activated his boot jets and flew through the hole; Jack-Jack wailed, having been awakened by the noise and finding himself separated from his family. “We have to do something! We have to do something now!” The four stared through the hole in their ceiling to see a crying Jack-Jack reaching for them.

Bakugo snarled, frustrated with the Incredibles and himself for letting their guard down. Should’ve known Syndrome would pull off a dickish move like this… If he had been there, the teen would’ve blasted himself straight up to snag Jack-Jack free and throw a Howitzer Impact at the kidnapping bastard for good measure.

Unfortunately, no one in the family could fly like him, and Elastigirl clearly couldn’t stretch that far. The further up Syndrome flew, the worse the odds of saving Jack-Jack grew…

They rushed outside while the poor little guy turned slightly towards his captor. Then Jack-Jack burst into fire, surprising Syndrome.

Eyes opened wide as saucers, some like Koda, Uraraka and Hagakure instinctively screaming, “Jack-Jack!” in fear for his life. They quickly calmed down with help from their friends, but the surprise remained.

It was All Might who put their shock into words. “Jack-Jack… does have powers…”

They all turned to Present Mic, who just held up his hands helplessly. “Don’t look at me, I never got a card for the tyke!”

Syndrome held the burning baby away from him, only for Jack-Jack to suddenly shift into solid steel. Thrown off by the abrupt weight gain, Syndrome sank screaming back down, straining to pull himself and the baby to his getaway ride. That’s when Jack-Jack seemingly turned back to normal but shaking and with a very angry look aimed at a much less confident Syndrome.

Elastigirl and the others were too far away to see Jack-Jack’s powers, so she feared the worst. “Something’s happening! What’s happening?!” She asked Mr. Incredible who had no answer.

Jack-Jack’s skin and eyes turned red, his ears pointed, his arms muscular and a row of sharp teeth grew from his teething mouth. The villain screamed in fear as the demon baby began throttling him, his flight path utterly disrupted.

They watched utterly befuddled by the rapid transformations both for Jack-Jack and in terms of power.

Eventually, Kaminari found his voice and his smile again. “What’s happening is your baby’s kicking Syndrome’s sorry ass!”

That kickstarted the laughter and chatter as they talked over the development. “He turned into fire, then metal like Tetsutetsu, and now he’s some kinda demon baby!” Mineta half-screamed, half-laughed. “What the heck kinda power does he have?!”

As if on cue, everyone except for Bakugo (who was enjoying Syndrome’s beatdown by a baby) turned to Midoriya who was brimming with speculative energy. “It could be a shapeshifting Quirk, something that alters his body composition to suit his mental state. Fire and steel as a defense mechanism… If grown up and trained, he might be able to assume other forms… or maybe he has more than one power, like Violet…” He went on with his mumbling, slowly becoming unaware of his mirthful surroundings.

Meanwhile, Hizashi had noticed the guy sitting next to him having paled, difficult though that was to make out between Aizawa’s complexion and his scarf. “Aw, what’s the matter? No wait, let me guess.” He put a finger to his forehead and pointed another at the frozen teacher. “You’re imagining what it would be like if Jack-Jack were to enroll in UA? If he happened to end up in your class?”

Aizawa shrunk into the couch’s cushions, a shiver rippling across his body. Mic grinned; he wasn’t a sadistic man, but poking fun at his classmate had always been fun. “Yeah, I can see why that would be a toughie for ya. Especially since that power looks like a transforming Quirk, the type you can’t erase…” He faked a sigh. “And if little JJ has picked up his dad’s habits-Ggrk!!” Capture Cloth cut him off choking.

“Stop. Talking.”

“We have to stop him!” An increasingly desperate Helen shoved Bob. “Throw something!”

“I can’t! I might hit Jack-Jack!” Bob countered in the same tone.

Demon Jack-Jack was pummeling Syndrome all over his rotten skull, tearing out clumps of hair to his increasing pain, then started climbing down with one last kick to his jaw.

Sero winced but still had a sharp smile on his face. “Can’t we let the little tyke clobber him for a couple more minutes? He seems to be having fun.”

“Syndrome or Jack-Jack?” Jiro joked, triggering more laughs from her friends.

Yaoyorozu finished a small bout of giggling before speaking. “Even so, Jack-Jack is miles above the house and appears to have little control over his powers, whatever they may be. It’s also safer if there’s as much distance between him and Syndrome as possible.”

Down below, his mother had an epiphany. “Throw me,” she whispered to herself.

Demon Jack-Jack had reached Syndrome's feet. He wrecked the villain’s left jet boot, causing Syndrome to fly up and slam against the wing of his jet. The jolt caused Jack-Jack to fall loose, his body turning back to normal as he fell crying down.

Asui’s tongue shot out on reflex, nearly sticking itself to the screen before she reeled it back in. Discussions quickly broke out on who would be best to catch the falling baby, the general consensus leading to Uravity with her gravity-nullifying touch, Tsukuyomi and Dark Shadow (so long as it wasn’t too dark out), Creati by making a parachute and/or something very big and soft to land on, and maybe Shoto if he got the hang of creating snow instead of ice and Grape Rush if he could pop off enough hairballs.

Fortunately, one of his parents had a plan. “Bob! Throw me!” Dad caught on immediately, picking up Mom who’d straightened up and launching her like a javelin towards their youngest, seemingly powerless child. Jack-Jack immediately calmed down and gurgled happily as Helen pulled him into her lap.

Uraraka and Midoriya watched the scene before turning to one another. “Next time training together?”

“Definitely.” They sealed it with a fistbump, certain viewers coyly interpreting this setup as a hero date.

Syndrome didn’t have anyone to help him, but he still managed to steer himself towards his plane’s door. While Elastigirl assumed her parachute form, the rest of the Incredibles watched Syndrome point menacingly down at them. “THIS ISN’T THE END OF IT! I WILL GET YOUR SON EVENTUALLY!”

Mr. Incredible glared up at his onetime number-one fan who had caused him so much grief these past few days, then glanced about until he locked onto his new car.

Everyone glared disdainfully, not at all impressed with Syndrome’s monologuing. For Bakugo, Midoriya and All Might, there was nothing they wished more in that moment than for Bob to shut him up for good. Except maybe the chance to do so themselves.

Syndrome thoroughly deserved it after all the death and destruction he had caused, all the heroes who had suffered because of his machinations… No redemption, no second chances. Not for him.

“I’LL GET YOUR SON!” Syndrome closed his eyes while punctuating his monologuing with an evil laugh. He opened them to gasp at the car hurtling towards his plane. “Oh, no...”

“Thank you!” Bakugo shouted grinning.

The car smashed against the front of the plane, and the resulting explosion sent Syndrome falling backwards until he landed in front of the turbine. Panicked, he tried clawing his way out, but his boots were too damaged, and his fluttering cape only kept pulling him closer to the rotating blades. Then with a snagging sound and a face of sheer terror, Syndrome was sucked in.

Despite their opinion towards the villain, everyone, including Bakugo and Aizawa, winced alongside Incredible from the explosion that followed.

Aoyama nodded shakenly. “Wh-While I shall proudly continue to wear my cape… I recognize the logic behind Madame Mode’s policy towards them…” Aizawa reached over to pat his shoulder; a rare gift.

Tokoyami nodded mutely in agreement.

Jack-Jack giggled about in Elastigirl’s arms as they slowly floated down, his eyes trailing up to the fireball behind them. “Look at Mommy, honey,” he was told. “Don’t look down. Mommy’s got you. Everything is all right.”

Mommy and Jack-Jack landed a few seconds before the debris did, pulverizing the house and kicking up a massive cloud of smoke.

They watched with bated breath; surely, there wouldn’t be a tragedy this close to the ending. Some, though, placed their faith in one particular Incredible.

Soon, the smoke began clearing away to reveal the Incredibles huddling together… safe inside the force field Violet had created. They inspected their surroundings before Helen beamed at her eldest child. “That’s my girl.”

Hagakure beamed so much her smile was practically visible. It was almost as baffling as Aizawa’s grin.

All Might, though, settled in his seat with a proud gleam in his normally shadowed eyes. Well done, Young Violet. His thoughts were echoed by everyone else in the room, including Bakugo. Albeit… differently worded.

Dash was grateful, too, but he couldn’t help asking. “Does this mean we have to move again?”

Luckily, his family wasn’t too worn out to laugh with him. “Oh, man...” Incredible turned to find the boy on the trike staring starry-eyed at the Incredibles. “THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!”

“Kid, you should’ve seen the rest of their day.”

Three months later, the stands were filled quite nicely at the Metroville stadium. Dash, wearing a shirt emblazoned with a 2 and running shorts, stood at the ready amongst other boys on the tracks. His family watched from the stands, well, most of them.

Kirishima brightened at seeing the boy’s wear and location. “Hey-hey, looks like he gets to try out for sports after all! Manly way of putting his energy to good use!”

“He’s earned it after all the racing he did,” Sato finished his soda. “Just hope he’s got some self-control.”

As the PA made its announcements, Violet was chatting with a friend by the side. “Do we have to have cheerleaders at the track meet? I mean, what is that all about?”

“Well, I always thought it was more like a...” She trailed off as a certain someone stepped up.

Tony greeted them with a shy, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Vi smiled back.

“Tony’s talking to her!” Ashido squeaked in delight, her fists up to her mouth. “Oh, I didn’t dare hope for the teenage shipping!”

“You’re, uh, Violet, right?” he fidgeted slightly.

“That’s me.”

Violet’s friend walked off, exchanging waves with her. “See you, Vi.”

Asui had a sly smile on her face. “How nice of her, giving her friend the opening.” She made a note of that.

“You look different.” Sure enough, she was sticking with her new hairstyle.

“I feel different,” Vi admitted before adding, “Is different okay?”

“Always.” Nearly everyone said without hesitation.

“Hey, different is...” He smiled before clearing his throat. “Different is great. Would you wanna...”

“Yeah?” Vi watched him eagerly.

Tony kept stumbling over his words, but the hope in either’s eyes never dimmed. “Do you think maybe... you and I... you know...”

“Yeah?”

“Do you...” He stopped. Having a cute girl put her finger on your lips would do that.

“Shh. I like movies.” Violet suggested with a little grin. “I’ll buy the popcorn. Okay?”

Ashido and Hagakure were practically blurs in their seats, and even Yaoyorozu was twisting a handkerchief about between her fingers from anticipation.

“A movie.” Tony repeated like he was in a trance. “There you go. Yeah...yeah!” His face lit up, then he realized the girl he “asked” out was walking up the stands. “Wait, wait,” he called after her, “so, Friday?”

“Friday,” Violet confirmed as she moved to join her parents and Jack-Jack.

The Bakusquad was promptly trapped in a crushing, pink-armed embrace. Bakugo’s roars in protest were drowned out by a high-pitched squeal so powerful Jiro nearly thought she’d go deaf. She just barely managed to wedge her earphones in place, trying not to recoil from Kaminari’s drool; the noise seemed to have short-circuited his brain. It took a full two minutes to free the group.

Aoyama sighed dramatically, sparkles dancing around him. “Ah, such sweet l’amour…”

A certain girl was subtly taking notes on how to accept a date from a tongue-tied boy.

The starter pistol sounded off, and off the boys went. Dash, though, started with a leisurely jog which put him at dead last. His smile only softened as he noticed his family cheering him on.

“GO, GO, GO, GO, RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN! COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, PICK UP THE PACE!”

“COME ON! RUN DASH RUN! RUN, RUN, GO, GO! RUN, RUN, RUN!”

Dash promptly put just a little more speed into his run, effortlessly overtaking the others.

That, of course, made his folks a little worried, so they adjusted their shouts. “AH! NO, NO, NO, NO!! GO FOR SECOND!”

Dash stared at them confused, his pace slowing. And a man sitting right next to them was just as weirded out by their antics.

“AH! NO, MOVE BACK! MOVE BACK! JUST A LITTLE BIT! DON'T GIVE UP! MAKE IT CLOSE! GO FOR SECOND!! CLOSE SECOND, CLOSE SECOND!”

Tokoyami rubbed his ears a little but smiled all the same. “The burden of not being too fast, lest they realize who he is.”

Kirishima patted his grumbling friend’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, I get it…” Bakugo huffed. The situation was still stupid in his eyes, but he understood the logic. Besides, Dash could cut loose in hero mode, that was more appropriate for his speed anyway.

Dash finally got the message and sped up in time to make second place, much to the pride of his parents.

“YEAH! That’s my boy!” A slightly winded Dash gave them a double thumbs up amid the thoroughly exhausted (or nigh-unconscious in some cases) rival runners.

“WHOO HOOO!”

Iida nodded satisfied, as did a more reluctant Aizawa. “Still needs a bit work, but he at least understands the concept of restraint. In that sense, second place is well-earned.”

A little later, they were walking out into the parking lot, Dash proudly holding a second-place trophy where he sat on his dad’s shoulders.

“Dash, I’m so proud of you,” Helen praised up at him while nestling Jack-Jack in her arms.

Dash laughed before admitting, “I didn’t know what the heck you wanted me to do.”

“That’s fair,” Midoriya chuckled sheepishly. “All those shouts at once are hard to follow through…”

Suddenly, their attention was drawn to an underground rumble coming towards them. It sounded like an earthquake, but localized, concentrated. Cars was flung about in the parking lot and people screamed as they rushed out of the way. Then a titanic mining drill with two blades burst out of the concrete and slowly came to a stop before them.

A hatch opened up on top for a mole-like man in a dirty overcoat, a miner’s hat and metal hands holding a microphone. “BEHOLD, THE UNDERMINER! I am always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me! I hereby declare war on peace and happiness! SOON ALL WILL TREMBLE BEFORE ME!”

No one flinched this time from the drill’s entrance. “So, this is a classic villain’s monologue,” Todoroki guessed.

“Pretty much, you’re bound to run into them with the more dramatic villains,” Mic confirmed before flashing a grin at the screen. “But boy oh boy, did Mole-breath pick the wrong parking lot…”

Indeed, the students all knew what would come next.

The family stood there staring for a moment, then Bob Parr’s eyes narrowed. He turned to see Violet, Helen and Jack-Jack already wearing their domino masks. A glance upwards showed the same for Dash. Then the camera tilted down to reveal Mr. Incredible’s mask, just before he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the golden “i” amidst a heroic red.

And that’s when the credits began rolling.

For the next few minutes as the “Incredits” played, there was nothing but applause, cheers and wolf-calls. From the shy Koda to the hyper-aggressive Bakugo to their stoic homeroom teacher, every last member of the audience had thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Well, here it is. The final piece. Yes, I’m aware that it took me over a year and a half to get us this far, and YES, I am sorry about that. I have no excuses other than that my life doesn’t revolve around this story, and seeing as I imagine a few of you don’t give a damn about my life, it’s only fair that I don’t give a damn about said individuals or their griping.

And so, I’ve decided I’m not doing any sequels (yeah, I heard the rumors of Incredibles 3) or bonus features. Sorry, but I just don’t have the energy for it. For that matter, I won’t be writing any other react-fics for the foreseeable future. I’ve got other ideas and a life, and honestly, after everything that happened with THIS story, I don’t think it’s worth it. I started this for fun, and somewhere down the line between trying to imagine in-character reactions for twenty-three individuals, Fanfiction.net taking it down despite my best efforts to keep it up, writer’s block, and endless pestering from SOME readers to get it done (don’t worry, fanfictioner8, you’re not the only one on my official shitlist) … It honestly hasn’t been fun for a long while now.

I’ve finished “Class 1-A Watches the Incredibles” more out of obligation and less because I enjoyed it.

Now it’s done, and so am I. If someone else wants to pick up where I left off or show me how to “properly” write a watch-fic, be my guest. Any comments to beg, goad or threaten me into going on will be deleted with extreme prejudice and no second thoughts, warnings or regrets. I MIGHT try my luck again sometime in the far, FAR future, but not now. I hereby wash my hands of this.

Those of you who waited patiently even though I REALLY dragged it out between chapters (and I’m truly sorry for that), gave me constructive criticism over the years and/or just plain enjoyed reading this story, thank you. Thank you for everything.

And for those of you who are dissatisfied for one reason or another, with all due respect, I can’t even pretend to care anymore.

Deal with it and have a lovely day.

Oh right, I promised you a surprise. Here ya go:

Once the credits had ended, people started getting up and stretching. “Anyone want to check out the bonus features?” Sero held up the second DVD, a hungry look in his eyes.

Some like Kaminari looked eager, but most shook their heads. “No, thank you,” Iida politely declined. “I will be doing some running now to get feeling back in my legs.” And train to match Dash’s speed, everyone added to themselves. “May I be excused, or do you have need of me, sensei?”

Aizawa waved it off, already walking towards the doors. “Need to catch up on grading papers. However,” he turned to acknowledge the truth, “that was a good movie, both in story and with plenty valid parts concerning heroes. I’ll be conducting sessions based on what we saw in the near future, and of course, you’re advised to think about the lessons shown and maybe improve yourselves on your own time.”

A chorus of nods and murmurs in agreement rang out; Todoroki, Midoriya, Uraraka, Bakugo and even Hagakure seemed especially keen on hitting the training courses. Aizawa and All Might would make proper arrangements.

Then Shoji spoke up. “Hey Jiro,” he held up the package, “there are still a couple of other stuff in here, and it was addressed to you. Mind if we pack it all out, or do you wanna do it yourself?”

“Nah, go ahead.” She assured the bigger student as she walked over, other gathering around. The book, it turned out, contained both artworks and official stats for all the Supers shown in the film; it was passed to Midoriya who acted like he’d been awarded an Oscar.

Jiro whistled as she pulled out a sleek vinyl record. “Classic, looks brand new, too…” She squinted at the tiny text. “Incredibles Movie Soundtrack… MINE!” She promptly clutched the record to her chest like it was her first child. Present Mic eyed the punk-rock student jealously as she stroked it. “My precious…”

Kaminari dug about until he found a CD version of the soundtrack, the DJ teacher accepting it grumpily. He couldn’t help but ask his music-loving friend, “Do you even have a record player in your room?”

“Yaomomo can make me one.”

The taller girl did a double take at her best friend who was staring at her strangely/intensely/pleadingly. She sighed. “I suppose Yaomomo can make you one.”

Todoroki was ready to retire early; he wanted to begin his Frozone training first thing in the morning. He happily (for his standards) accepted a white-and-blue mug Shoji pulled out and offered him, then his gaze fell on the machine at the bottom. It was a sleek metal-gray but felt like plastic in some areas, triangular in appearance, with an obvious bottom that wouldn’t slide easily. The four buttons had some slight markings on each one, but it was hard to make out their function. At the top, there were two seemingly removable rods with big red buttons atop, on either side of a projector, but no slide for a disc or the like.

Asui hopped over to him, the two sharing a curious look. As Todoroki set it onto the table, she noticed a power switch on the side and carefully switched it to On. “Greetings.” A male recorded voice rang out from the device, drawing everyone’s attention. “Welcome To The SITR Module. To Access The SITR, Please Press The Alpha Button. For Introductions, Please Press the Beta Symbol.”

Tsu and Shoto exchanged a look before eyeing the machine more carefully. Sure enough, the markings were actually Greek symbols: Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omega. “Could be something dangerous…” Tsu warned as Todoroki nodded before deciding to press Beta.

“The hell’s a sitter?” Bakugo grumbled as he pushed past confused classmates and hit the Alpha button at the same time despite the teachers’ protests.

A bright blue light was emitted from the projector, halting about four meters from its origin and expanding into the size of a doorframe. Next to the device, a hologram flickered into existence, a life-sized model of someone they’d just seen in the movie. Life-sized… and short.

“Hello, my dahlings,” the transparent Edna Mode grinned broadly at them. She glared briefly at a suspicious Aizawa. “A hero wearing a literal hobo suit… If I were tangible, I’d give you the makeover of a lifetime!”

Even as his erasing glare tripled from the snickers surrounding him, Holo-E flicked her holographic cigarette holder to the doorway behind her. “Follow me, and I shall give you a tour of the SITR.”

“S-Sitter?”

“No, SITR, short for Simulation Incredibles Training Room.” Her grin somehow grew bigger, triggering a strange mix of trepidation and excitement inside the watchers. “If you thought merely watching superheroics was enough to get your heart racing, dahlings, then wait until you try them yourselves.”

Holo-E then strutted through the doorway with a challenging gleam in her “eyes”. “And teachers, don’t forget the styluses. You’ll need them.” Both rods clicked out a little, ready for removal. Bakugo, Midoriya and Todoroki were the first ones in. Shota Aizawa could only sigh as the rest of the class followed. “Come teach at UA, it’ll be fun…” he grumbled even while Mic pulled him along. The former snatched up a stylus on the way.

All Might took the other and brought up the rear with his trademark grin. “Pixar movies…”