current government is having trouble controlling the younger generations, and... it's looking like some demagogues are gaining traction calling on centuries-old grievances. Mainly on the USA, though Russia, India, Australia, and Japan are also high on the list. China's twenty-second century history teachers tell a very different tale than the rest of the world.
"It doesn't have much traction yet, but you know how fast these movements can grow. In all honesty, China may be on the brink of doing something desperate due to economic conditions, and are merely looking for justification."
And once again, people try to pull the USA back into the role of World Police. "Right. I know a few names who've been trying to convince my Dad to throw weight behind the revival of NATO and PACT. I'm sure they'll be happy to speak with you."
Not that NATO meant much anymore. Russia's dreams of hegemony were dead. These days, it would be more a method to keep Poland from getting some revenge of its own.
"Japan has a few of similar mindset, it's just a matter of convincing the larger whole. But you hardly need to worry about that. You should be in school, preparing for when it's your turn to worry about the entire world."
"Appreciated, Sir. I think?"
"Oh, don't thank me yet. Since you're already in the same city, and go to school with my daughter, what do you say about staying here?"
What? "I... wouldn't want to impose." There's a trap, here. I don't know what it is, only that I need to avoid it.
"Look around you, Son, there's more than enough space for a small village. I assure you, you're no imposition."
Couldn't deny that logic.
"And I'll need to head back home in a day or two," he added. "Much as I love my daughter, I'm afraid much is demanded of my time and only a small handful of people I can rely on to keep my company moving.
"So I'd feel better with a man about the house to look after things while I'm gone. Keep my pride and joy safe for me."
I almost laughed. Momo had a fucking precognitive supersoldier looking after her, what was I supposed to do to anyone who got past him? Then, I would be able to borrow his power without it being obvious, even if I'd probably only get about half of it. His quirk was too strong for mine to fully copy.
"Be that as it may, there are several questions about conflict of interest that might arise, were I to accept your very generous offer. Classmates are one thing, roommates quite another. And none of us want to start a bribery scandal."
"Ah, you may be right." Thankfully, he accepted that argument. Then, he knew my father, the man was a great Dad, but he and Ida had much in common where propriety was concerned. "Still, it wouldn't hurt for you to stay one night. It's getting late, after all."
"You're right. One night won't cause problems, as long as that's all it is. I appreciate the hospitality." I had to have some give, Mister Yaoyorozu was a damn good negotiator. And pissing off powerful businessmen by refusing their generosity often got disproportionately ugly. I was in a better position than most to weather the storm, but Momo would suffer for it.
"Excellent. Momo, dear. How about you take him to a room in your wing? Say, guest room four? I'll let the maids know."
Wing? Four?
"Uh... of course, Dad."
I followed Momo out, making certain we were out of earshot (though I'd bet there were bugs aplenty in this place) first. "So... don't take this the wrong way. But... it kinda felt like your Dad was trying to... sell you to secure a contract?"
There was nothing about the look on her face that I liked.
=====
A/N- I had to fill basically this entire damn chapter's worldbuilding myself. Neither Momo nor America nor history as a whole get much fleshing out in canon. I did what I could with what I had.
Alex's family, on the other hand... they're all pretty powerful, but Abby would be an absolute nightmare to fight. And as an assassin, hoooo boy. 'Trade you a drop of arterial plaque for this cesium I found'.
I'm going to break his-
Momo reached out and put a hand on my arm. "Before you run off to defend my honor, how about you hear the whole story? It's not nearly as bad as that. Not... perfect, by any means, but not what you're thinking."
She managed a smile. "Wouldn't do to go off without full intel, right?"
I took a breath. Never understood drugs. Why turn to foreign substances when adrenaline was everything cocaine wished it was, and free? "You're right. No sense causing a scene before I know why."
"Good. Follow me, we're not doing this here in the hallway."
That was reasonable. Momo led me to her bedroom, which was... much 'girlier' than I'd expected. She was kind of a tomboy when we were kids. Not to an extreme, mind, but a little bit. This was far more 'pink' than I'd thought her room would be.
She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the area next to her. I took the invitation for what it was.
"To start, you already know I'm an only child, and my parents' quirks."
I nodded. Her mother had a matter-manipulation quirk that could turn one substance into another. Not like Momo who could just summon gold from her flesh, but she could turn lead into gold. Or, in her case, help build otherwise impossible industrial equipment that would then go on to outperform any non-enhanced tech on the market.
Top notch even among enhanced tech.
Her father, a mental-processing power. It didn't necessarily make him more intelligent, but it did allow him to reach the conclusions he'd have naturally reached several times faster than he otherwise would have. Or to run separate 'processes' that could let him think about multiple things with full attention, or one thing from multiple angles.
"You don't know our family history," she said. "Both families were... competitors for the last century or so. There was bad blood there, industrial espionage and even sabotage on both sides. Mom and Dad were in a Romeo and Juliet situation of sorts, though, it took more than two days and nobody died."
She smirked at the thought.
"They went against parental wishes, and threats of disownment from the owners of their respective family companies. Then started a rival company of their own. It wasn't even ten years later before they bought out both the family businesses.
"And then, it was an act of mercy since they were on the verge of bankruptcy." A small laugh from her. "Turns out, when your two most talented members take with them all your secrets and more, it has consequences."
"Then they tried to have children. And tried. And tried. I'm the product of millions of dollars of doctors visits, and even a whole new branch of fertility research. But, they've turned a steady profit on that research since, so I ultimately made them money."
I had to admit, while this seemed tangential, it was fascinating. And made me a little less eager to start shit with her family.
"All that is to say that... what happened out there wasn't about you, or your dad, or even all the geopolitical stuff. It was about me, and how much my parents wish I'd follow in their footsteps and take over the business."
Oh. I replayed the conversation in my head. "So, his comments about getting old? And not having reliable subordinates to watch the business?" And the fucking terrifying bodyguard.
"All that and more. They've never forbidden me from pursuing my dream, never even outright said I shouldn't, but they have their ways to make their wishes known."
I nodded in understanding. My parents didn't often do passive-aggressive, preferring the blunt approach, but I'd seen it often enough in others.
"I'm sure in a week or two, I'll be hearing all about how maybe we should consider funding some of Abigail's research. Ask me to get information off you and look into it. That... you do know the limo conversation was recorded, right?"
"Suspected, but it's good to have confirmation. Is that even legal, in Japan?"
"Gray area. If they use that information for anything, it'd be a crime. But unless it's blatant... they have very good lawyers."
About the same story in America, so who was I to judge? "You were saying about Abby's research?"
"Yeah. A while back, I told them I wanted to be a hero to help people. Which I do. They didn't take long to focus on how much incredible good the business does in its charitable donations, research grants, scholarship programs. All of which is true, of course."
Hated to admit it, but I could see their point. Dad had much the same opinion- hell, even Mom had the same opinion, and she was a hero. She was also clear that guiding nations wasn't her talent set. She helped the best she could where she could, and helped those better suited help the best where they could.
"They fear that without me, their business will be torn apart by the family at large. And... they're probably right. Most of my cousins are smarter than that. Better to share a very big pie than fight over the scraps of a small one. Our parents' generation, however..."
She shook her head, almost out of pity. "But more, they fear I'll get hurt, killed. Business or no business, I am their only child. And they've tried."
Dammit, I'm supposed to be pissed at them, not in agreement. "And that is where... I come in, somehow?"
"That... was mostly Dad ad-libbing. Even he doesn't have the power to arrange this big a coincidence."
No, but my Dad does.
"I'm sure he and Mom have realized that if I marry, I may settle down to have a family, have children. And even if I pursue my dream after, if the worst happens they still have an heir." She laughed a little. "Plus, they're Asian. It's a stereotype for a reason."
Heh. "Mom's side is Polish. Trust me, it's not just an 'Asian' thing. But... he is aware I'm not likely to stay in Japan, right? Even if... all of that... worked, it's hardly a guarantee said hypothetical kids would be here."
"Mom and Dad invested heavily in the resurging American markets thirty years ago. They could, perhaps even should, run the company from there. It's bigger than our Japanese holdings. At this point, it's as big as our Chinese holdings, and you heard what Dad said.
"Plus, I'm sure some small part of him is hoping if we get together, it leads to some business opportunities, but that's a tertiary goal at best."
Huh. "I... see the logic." That was a shockingly well thought out plan put together in no time at all. Even if we assumed he cooked it up from the moment the bodyguard called. "But, if he knows my Dad at all, he knows he won't get one tiny iota of favoritism from him."
Dad was nothing if not a patriot. He'd never misuse taxpayer dollars. Also: precognition, so his selection process was as as unbiased as one could get with a black boxed game of hot and cold.
"Yeah, but he thinks he can sway anyone given enough time." Momo leaned against me. "Funny thing is? Aside the part with your father, his plan might even work." She looked up and smiled at me. "You can pick your jaw up, now."
"Uh... right." Brain, I need you right now. Pretty girls are a reason to work harder, not shut down. "I'm just surprised, I thought."
"Oh, I'm sure," she shifted toward me. "I may have had a tiny crush on George, but I've always had a massive one on you. And don't think I failed to notice your jealousy back in the limo."
"I... uh, yeah, that's obvious in retrospect." Any hope of hiding it was ashed and scattered to the wind, so why bother?
"If it makes you feel any better, I promise not to test you like that again. I know how guys hate that sort of thing." She moved closer.
"A little." I moved closer as well. This was the Momo I remembered- I liked to think I was intelligent, but she ran circles around me then and now. This was her show, and I was happy to be the audience.
She initiated the kiss, a soft, hesitant thing. I responded in kind. It was also painfully brief, as she pulled back mere moments later. I almost asked if something was wrong, but there was a smile on her face.
So I went with a different approach. "Raspberry?"
"I remembered how we always went foraging for them near your home. So, when I decided I wanted to do that, I..." Her lips sparked a little, the visual display of her power.
"Wow... we could get a lot of use out of that." Then I realized how forward that was. "I mean, eventually, if it comes to that."
She blushed a little and looked away. "Uh... right. That won't happen for a while. I'm... not experienced, and I wouldn't want to lead you on."
"No, no, it's fine." I left out that I was experienced, if only a little. "I came here expecting a meal and to catch up with an old friend. Everything else was a blindside."
"Okay, good." She leaned against me again. "But, if we're going to do this. Like, not that, but us, a relationship. We need to set some ground rules."
Not the most romantic of starts to a relationship, but that was fine. Momo and I were both pragmatic people in our own ways. "Of course."
"First: at least for now, we remain secret. You can tell your family if you want, I know Mom's probably already heard from Dad. But, as far as anyone else is aware, we're just friends whose parents are friends."
"Not... what I was expecting?"
She sighed. "Back in high school, I dated this guy. Once. One date. It wasn't bad, really, I might have accepted a second. But then rumors started. He told his friends some untrue things, and they told others.
"It was a whole mess even after he also told everyone he made it up to sound cool to his friends. It got into the tabloids. It stopped after the lawsuit, but I don't want to go through that again, and I don't think you do, either."
Considering George's shit... "I understand."
"If... if we're still together in a year, and things are looking good, then we can go public."
"That sounds fair. You're worth waiting for."
She snuggled up to me harder. "Oh, there won't be that much waiting. I'm just saying this is our thing, and not the paparazzi's."
"But now I'm left wondering how I can keep up my bad boy image if I don't punch at least one reporter." She needed a bit of levity, so I provided. "I'd promise it'll only be the ones who deserve it, but we both know that's all of them."
"Idiot." She elbowed me in the side. "But, there's one more rule. I will be a hero. If we're still together when we graduate, I'll probably follow you back home. I know you're way more attached to America than I am Japan. But then I'll be a hero in America.
The gentleness of her tone gave way to determination. "And, if for some reason, I do change my mind, that will be my choice alone, and I won't hear a single word from you saying otherwise. I can't choose my parents, but I can choose my boyfriend."
I knew dealbreakers when I saw them. "I'll have to ask you to at least accept a desk job for a while, if we get as far as having children. Pregnancy being what it is."
She considered it a moment. "That's fine."
"Any other rules?"
She bit her lip. "There is one, but it's not the right time to talk about it. It's getting late and it's been a long day. You, uh, can stay in my bed tonight if you want, but only if you take a shower first. You're... not at your freshest right now."
Considering I'd gone from gym to fight to here without a chance to clean much more than my face? She was very generous with her words. "Give me ten minutes."
I was not missing out on this.
=====
slept like a baby, next to an angel. Momo was beautiful... always, but especially when she was sleeping next to me. I'd have worried last night was a dream- the leadup was sure surreal enough- but as luck would have it, it was real.
A little smile crept up on her lips, though her eyes remained closed. "You can stop perving on me while I sleep, now."
Oops. "Err, sorry, how long have you been awake?"
"About ten seconds." She rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. "And you don't have to apologize. It's... nice, in a way. And thanks for being a perfect gentleman last night. I half worried you'd try to pull something, like acting like you were touching me in your sleep."
Ouch. What's worse is I'd be a liar (as if I wasn't already) if I said some part of me didn't want to. I wouldn't, but hormones didn't ask what I wanted. "Was that really a concern?"
"The boy I knew ten years ago? Never." She propped herself up on her elbows, which did wonderful things to the nightgown she was wearing. "But this isn't ten years ago, and we're not kids anymore. Both of us have changed, in more than just the obvious ways."
"You're right." As much as I wanted to deny it, we were different people now. "In some ways we're more strangers than friends. Which begs the question... if I had gone too far, which I wouldn't, what would you have done? To protect yourself."
"Told you to leave, and if that failed, shot you. I've gotten better with my quirk, and it's just basic self defense to know how to use a gun."
I knew Momo was a genius, but guns? That was a lot of moving parts for someone who had to memorize every piece. "Look at you, graduating from threatening me with dull swords to full on assault with a deadly weapon. I don't know if I feel safe anymore."
She took my teasing in stride. "It's fine. Out of respect for your culture, I'd have used a thirty-eight rather than nine-mil."
I think I'm falling in love with this woman. "That's... better. But what model?"
"Colt 1911, the 1929 model. I saw one in a museum when I was fifteen, and begged Daddy. It took some doing, but I was allowed to handle the gun under strict supervision. It was enough." She shrugged as if this was nothing.
"I can say without a doubt I have never been so honored to be threatened with murder by antique. Nor threatened with murder by antique at all."
She laughed. "I would have thought that was normal for you."
"Sadly, no." I leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"Want to know a secret?" She looked away. "If you only went a little too far, I think I'd have enjoyed it."
Damn!
"... But, I'd have been ashamed of myself in the morning. So, thank you, again."
Oh.
"Happy to not be of service, then." I then reached for my phone, and realized that maybe now wasn't the right time. "So... we did this all completely out of order, and it's making things a little complicated now."
She nodded, realizing I was building to something.
"So, first, I'm going to have to do something." I pulled up the files I'd downloaded, and set my phone on her lap, face down. "Look at it after my answer. I wanted to ask you out on a date after school, assuming U.A. doesn't throw some special nonsense our way."
She laughed. "Of course I'm going to say 'yes'... assuming the class schedule permits. Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Well, no, but I had something I wanted to show you, and didn't want it to come across as transactional." I gestured to my phone. "That's a gift to a future hero, not my girlfriend."
She picked it up and looked at it. "Alex? Did you just give me schematics for classified weapons?"
"No, they're only restricted, not classified." Dad would have had me preemptively executed if I tried to access, let alone share, classified information. "They're a couple experimental sonic grenades. One is a vertigo-inducing frequency that will inflict severe motion sickness, meant for crowd dispersal.
"The other... is more a direct weapon, and will likely blow out nearby eardrums. If you need something with less punch than a gun, but still real stopping power.
"I remembered the project was discontinued because they were too fragile. Eighty percent of the things don't survive handling long enough to deploy. Last night, I was thinking in the shower and realized you don't have that problem."
She grinned as she scanned through the schematics and files. "These are incredible. Mind if I send them to my phone?"
"Please do, those files are data hogs." As if that mattered to our phones.
"While that's going..." She held out her hand, and a little black cube formed, then another, and a third. "I remember your quirk can see through obstacles, right? So these are some smoke bombs I designed. For me, they're an escape option. You could fight under cover. Just pinch the sides together and toss. The chemical reaction will do the rest."
Forget falling. It's time to find rings. I took the little gadgets. First custom toys for my utility bet. "We really did do this out of order. First sleeping together, then gifts, then a date."
She giggled. "And I'm no expert, but isn't exchanging weapons fifth date material, at the earliest?"
It was good to be able to laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. "At least."
Yeah, maybe things weren't ideal in the way we got together. Rushed, haphazard, backwards. But in spite of that, I was looking forward to continuing down this road and seeing where it led.
For now, however, it led back to school. Momo's cook provided breakfast, her dad was thankfully nowhere to be seen. I might have understood what he was doing, but that didn't mean I liked it.
And we parted ways for class. Which at the beginning was very, very normal. I went through my prereqs like everyone else. Or almost everyone else. Midoriya looked like he was about to fall asleep in class.
Bakugo came in, saw the two of us, barely glanced at Midoriya before glaring at me and picking a desk as far from me as he could. That suited me just fine. Whatever history he had with Midoriya, he had current events with me. All that inferiority complex was directed at a guy who could and would fight back.
And, of course, socializing what little I could. Ida was surprisingly good company, very straight-laced, but that was a comfort zone for me. Unfortunately, I may have let something slip while we compared our hero families.
A something that some people refused to accept.
And so when we got to the hero basic training... well... "I HAVE... COME THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE NORMAL! HAHAHA!"
I knew All Might had to be somewhere nearby- given Midoriya's status- but to have him burst through the entrance in full showman mode was unexpected. I braced myself and hazarded the briefest glimpse of his quirk.
And couldn't make sense of what I was seeing. There wasn't a quirk there- that made sense, it was Izuku's, now. But there was till a churning, breathtaking ball of energy coursing through him, empowering his body.
As he marched in, several students muttered among themselves about how great it would be to have the champion of Japan teaching them.
"Now we can put that lie for what it is!" Bakugo shouted. "Hey, All Might, this guy says his mother beat you in an arm-wrestling competition!"
Everyone was now looking directly at me. Why do I bother with words? At least All Might didn't immediately accuse me of lying, so that was helpful. "This was about twenty years ago, you'd know her costumed identity as Aegis."
"Ah, yes, I do indeed remember that day quite well," he said with a booming but pleasant tone. "It's not often I get challenged like that, and rarer still that I lose."
Having glimpsed All Might's power, I now knew what I'd suspected since my glimpse of Midoriya: he let Mom win. Even this echo of power, the embers still flickering from when it moved on to Midoriya, would have been enough to equal Mom's best. The full thing? She never stood a chance.
Why he let her win? I could only guess.
"Still, I knew Aegis for many years, and I never... well..." He somehow manage to frown without losing even a hint of his smile. Using only the expression of his eyes.
"If you're trying to surreptitiously ask about her wife, the answer is she and Intercept are still together and if they're having problems, I haven't seen it. As to my father... evidence, such as his continued existence among the living, suggests he never touched my mother.
"I was the product of... Japan calls it a 'quirk marriage', I believe. Conceived by artificial insemination and trying hard not to think about the details."
Not that was I ashamed of any bit of it, but it was pretty gross. Probably not as gross as thinking about your parents having actual sex, but still. Though some of the students were looking at me like I came from another planet, now.
"I see. Well, it matters not how we came into this world, only what we do while here. That is what it means to be a hero! And you begin that journey today, in hero basic training, that will put you through all sorts of special training. No time to dally, today's activity is BATTLE TRAINING!!!"
Kind of All Might to serve as a distraction for me. Apparently a chance to fight each other was enough for these guys to forget all about me.
Shutters in the wall opened up to reveal our- "COSTUMES!!!"
Yeah, what All Might said.
Mine was a simple, classic approach that would never go out of style and I'll punch you if you disagree. Combat fatigue pants, check. Shirtless, check. Bandolier, check. Belt and way to many pouches, you better believe it.
Everything but the bandana. I was not yet worthy of the bandana.
Anything I may have been lacking in flashy, I made up for in abs. Best in the class. Unless you count the teacher. I had to admit, I felt pretty inadequate next to All Might.
"Looking good is very important, ladies and gentlemen!" Speaking of, he was still doing his showman thing. It was hard not to get dragged into the enthusiasm vortex. "Look alive, now! Because from today on, you're all heroes!!!"
He explained the rules- villains are hiding in a building, they have a nuke. Heroes have to siege the building, basic indoors CQC game. But with quirks.
I heard Ochako mutter something about it being 'fate' when she was paired up with Izuku, and against Bakugo and Ida.
I was inclined to agree, not about fate, but that was no coincidence.
And so they went into the match while we watched on TV.
Inside, Ida and Bakugo got the role of villain. With Ida asking Bakugo not to charge straight at Midoriya. While Ochako and Izuku planned at the front.
It gave me insight into Bakugo and Izuku's relationship. But it was good to hear he thought he had a plan to beat his old bully and current, in Ochako's words, 'fated rival'.
Me? I personally thought he could use a better rival. Maybe after I kicked Spiky's ass a few more times. Because it was going to have to happen.
Within seconds after the 'start' was given, Bakugo broke ranks to Ida's objections, and went to meet Izuku. Like the coward he was, he opened with a sneak attack.
"That's low! Sneak attacks are so unmanly!" Eijiro shouted.
"Yet they are a valid strategy," All Might answered back. "This is practical experience. But young Midoriya did well."
"Midoriya sure can dodge!" Mina was all smiles. "But, uh, doesn't Bakugo seem slow to you?"
"Yeah." She was right. "He's being conservative with his movements. Did... did he not see Recovery Girl after our match?" Or maybe he had, and this was the aftermath of her power at work.
Izuku got Ochako out of the way, then told her to go on with the mission, while he handled his old 'friend'.
"I'll mess you up just enough to not be disqualified!" Bakugo shouted.
Going to break this asshole's arm. Nobody would blame me. Momo won't protect him like she would her father.
Midoriya shocked me by stepping into the swing, grabbing his arm, and in a classic Judo maneuver, flipped him up over his shoulder and down on the ground. He didn't hesitate afterward, with a proper punch to the gut as a follow through.
He was smart to back off after the punch. Bakugo's flailing blast missed him by a hair's breadth.
A couple more unfocused blasts got Bakugo to his feet, and it became a game of cat and mouse. Each shot missed, blew chunks of concrete away.
"Bakugo, those explosions are dangerous! You're indoors! You could bring the whole building down, and kill your classmates!"
All Might gave a warning over the speakers. Bakugo... didn't seem to care.
"I'm not worried..." Midoriya stepped out from cover, facing his bully down. "Go ahead, hit me with your best shot. I'm not afraid of you anymore."
While touching, it wasn't a smart move. He'd taken a stance I was familiar with, open left palm in front, half closed right hand in back. One of the most basic Judo stances.
Bakugo did as asked and brought both his hands together and unleashed the full fury of his power directly at Izuko. Glass shattered, concrete crumbled, the whole building shuddered.
Several of the girls shouted in horror, and even All Might gave a gasp of shock and dismay.
Bakugo overestimated his durability. The bracers on his costume (shaped like grenades, no less) had splintered into slag, and his arms were blackened by the explosion.
And when the smoke cleared, Midoriya stood tall. Oh, the top half of his costume and everything below the knees was ash, but he was in one piece. He took another slow, meditative breath before he opened his eyes, a flicker of green lightning dancing across them.
"You can't hurt me anymore." Izuku walked off, leaving Bakugo sitting on his knees, unable to bring his arms up, let alone continue the fight.
"That was the manliest thing I've ever seen," Eijiro declared. "Uh, no offense All Might. Or Alex."
"No offense taken," I said back. I put together how he must have done it. His quirk was strengthening, but he couldn't control it. So he didn't. He just filled his body with it and let it sit there. Reinforcing his body to take damage, and nothing more.
It took its toll. I could tell even from the cameras that he'd stressed his body about as far as it could manage and he would be useless the rest of the day.
But he did it.
"Villains win!" All Might declared a moment after.
Well, except for that. While Izuku had his moment with Bakugo, Ochako wasn't nearly as successful in her attempts to overcome Ida. And even if Izuku had made it to them, he had nothing left to give.
=====
A/N- Almost all the dominoes are in place. The first begin to fall.
Also, my headcanon is Nezu rigged the selection box. It's not that hard, even without supertech. It's the Watsonian answer to the Doylist 'the author wanted to'. There was nothing random about that lineup. There will be nothing random about mine. Nezu wants to run an experiment, and who's to stop him?
In any case... this will likely be my last chapter until after Christmas day. But seeing as I managed a couple days with two chapter, you guys can just think of them as early Christmas presents.
"Villains win!"
After All Might's declaration, little helper-bots came out to do some cleanup and pick Bakugo up, in spite of his declaration he didn't need any help.
And, to be fair, he didn't need any help standing or even walking. The major damage was all upper body, so when he insisted on remaining in class instead of going straight to the nurse, it was hard to refuse him.
Or, maybe All Might was a 'tough love' type. This school seemed pretty cavalier about student injuries.
"Now, I think everyone here can see that Ida was the MVP of this match!" He declared to the unobjecting class. "But would anyone want to articulate why! Being able to analyze a battle is often more important than the fight, itself!"
"I would," Momo chimed in first. And speaking of Momo, hot damn did she pick a revealing costume. I mean, so did I, but I'm a guy so topless isn't as big a deal, and Momo always was a weird form of shy. Kid-me found it weird, older-me found it cute, current-me wondered if it wasn't a mild form of social anxiety.
"From what I saw," Momo continued. "Bakugo and Midoriya were fixated on each other, more interested in their personal history than either the objective or their partners. Which, whether for grudge or glory, is the worst mindset to have on the field.
"Uraraka and Ida both remained focused on the objective, but in the end Ida's quick thinking and adaptability to changing circumstances won him the match. Admittedly, the scenario at hand limited Uraraka's options, but they did so for Ida as well. Albeit not to the same extent."
"Yes! That is an excellent analysis, Miss Yaoyorozu."
She stood there, knuckles on her hips in a classic hero pose. "We've got to start at the bottom and work up! And if we don't earnestly cheer each other on, we'll never be top heroes!"
And there's the girl from my childhood who knows everything except when to let a topic die.
I still found it cute.
Meanwhile, I moved up to Midoriya. "So... what was that, out there? I know you're faster and smarter than that."
"Uh... well..." he stammered. "Yesterday, after you left, I kept talking with Kirishima, and some of the stuff he and you said had me thinking, so I spent all last night practicing and researching Judo online. B-but! That's not your fault! Mister Aizawa said today would be worse, I should have gotten some sleep!"
"That's true, but look at it this way. You won the fight and lost the battle, but you've clearly found something that works, so you're better positioned to win the war."
"Y-you think so?!"
"Absolutely." Playing secondary mentor to fucking All Might's successor could only pay dividends, so I embraced the role. "This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, and a little stumble off the starting line means nothing at the end of the day."
The next match put me and the invisible girl, Toru, against Kendo- aka: the girl who enlarges her hands to bigger than the rest of her body, and Shoto "the walking storm of ice and fire".
Speaking of stumbles, how the fuck was this a fair matchup? Two baseline humans against the ultimate in AoE and a high tier brawler. I moved next to Momo. "So... gonna need a small favor..."
Moments later, Toru cleared her throat. "Umm... Mister All Might? I've got... well... given the nature of my quirk and the nature of his quirk?" She presumably pointed my direction. "I mean, if he's immune to quirks, doesn't that mean he can see me?"
"Oh!" All Might's expression froze. "That... could be inappropriate, yes."
And I had already been planning a strategy that might work for us. "It's... fine," I said, looking toward the disembodied outfit of my partner. "My quirk doesn't nullify quirks like Aizawa, only as they apply to myself. If it were a form of mind control where you make people forget you're there, I'd be resistant. But your quirk is light manipulation, which lets it work on cameras, and me."
I saw no reason to mention my quirk-sensing ability. That didn't give physical details of the person- I didn't even know the regenerator I borrowed from was female until after.
"Ohhh..." Was that a hint of disappointment I heard in her voice. "Oh! Well, good! And if I find out you're lying to me, I'll... I'll do something really horrible to you."
Funny thing was? I could see her, if I were to copy her quirk, first. The way she scrambled light could be unscrambled the same way. But that was both skeevy as fuck and would reveal my secret.
And so we were given our five minutes. I turned to Toru. "So... if we do this the 'right' way, we've already lost. I can't protect you from Todoroki, and I can't win a fight against Kendo."
Not without resorting to very lethal tactics, anyhow. And even that was no guarantee.
"I was afraid of something like that. But! That's okay! It's just dumb luck! We can still do our best and not make it easy for them."
It was not 'dumb luck', none of it was. I've been around schemes enough to spot them in the making. No way in fuck last match was picked by 'chance', and I doubted it was any different with us. Someone was manipulating this behind the scenes.
That was fine. They wanted to play dirty. "We're going to cheat."
"Uh... Sure! But, you're taking responsibility!"
"Deal."
Ten seconds before the start of the battle, I hopped out of the second story window and landed right in front of Todoroki. I grinned at him.
"What are you doing, Howard?" To All Might's credit, he was the only person but Momo in this school who could say my name without adding an 'o' at the end.
"The parameters of the mission make it impossible for my team to win against a power like Todoroki's." I stated clear and loud for all the cameras. "I'm changing that. Besides, what self-respecting villain plays by the rules?"
"That's fine," Todoroki said. "I think we'd all be disappointed to win on technicality."
"Yeah." Kendo cracked her knuckles. "Though, I heard what you said back there, and that means I'm the greater threat. Todoroki, I'll hold him off. You secure the objective."
I wondered if Todoroki would obey, or pull a Bakugo.
"GO!!!" All Might shouted.
And I was encased in a pillar of ice. Yup. But I was ready for that, and had already begun heating my skin with Todoroki's power. Now, the interesting thing about Shoto's ice was that it wasn't nearly as cold, or as strong, or as melt-resistant, as normal ice.
Hell, I wasn't even sure it was ice by the definition of 'frozen water'. If it was, he had a water-creation quirk as well, because there just wasn't enough water in the atmosphere to do what he did.
And it more sublimated than melted when I cooked it away. Which is to say, rather than the hours it would have taken to melt out of a true pillar of ice that size, it only took me moments to burst out and grab his arm.
Where he proved that he, unlike the rest of my classmates thus far, had proper combat training. A quick twist, a burst of ice, and the fabric of his outfit shattered under the bitter cold of his power.
This guy knew what he was doing, and I'd have loved a real fight with him.
Buuut... Kendo also wanted a piece of me, so I was forced to disengage to avoid the hand that chopped down between us. "Thanks for proving my point. You tank him, you dodge me. Todoroki, go!"
Sadly, he listened. Which left me fighting Kendo. Who was a fucking nightmare for me. Her combat training wasn't the same heartless, brutal efficience that I and Todoroki were trained for, but she at least matched me on speed, and her power's reach was impossible to overcome without equipment.
It was all I could do to dodge her series of swift jabs that transformed into fucking small trucks as they approached.
It was reflexes and luck that I only suffered a glancing blow from one of her punches, and that was enough to send me bouncing across the pavement like a rock on water. Until I slammed right into the building's cracked concrete.
To her credit, Kendo didn't let up. Either she didn't have Todoroki's arrogance, or she learned from his mistake. I had a heartbeat to recognize what was coming and dive out of the way.
I popped one of Momo's smoke bombs. Blindfighting it was th-
She slapped the ground with both palms, generating a whirlwind that cleared away the smoke and almost put me on my ass. "We're barely getting warmed up and you're already resorting to toys?"
Damn, she's good. "What can I say? Smart, beautiful women have always been my weakness."
"You've lasted longer against me than most guys, so take pride in that."
I popped another smoke bomb.
"Again? Don't get predictable on me now!"
I obliged, landing on her hands and jumping toward her. She responded by shrinking her hands, but by the time she realized I was holding the ball of her thumb, it was too late. I clocked her in the head with my elbow.
Would have followed through, but she was accustomed to brawling and struck the ground to get herself out of the situation and into the air.
With gravity buying me a few seconds, I fled into the 'nuke' building.
And found Todoroki exactly where I'd hoped: hooked by steel cable to the nearby steel beam, not but ten feet inside the building. I put my hand over his mouth and the other over his eyes- wouldn't do for him to give too much a warning.
Moments later, Kendo shouted in shock as she tripped face first and slid into the building. Already her legs were tangled and a couple of clicks later, she was also hooked to a steel beam.
"Villains win!"
"Good! You've got the keys, now I need shoes! And a hot foot bath!"
"Start at room temperature, otherwise you'll damage the tissue." I unlocked Todoroki, and moved over to Kendo. Neither of them were thrilled by the outcome, but Kendo was willing to smile and shake my hand in congratulations. "I'd say congrats on the double-bluff, but something tells me your plan was just as good if I went in and Todoroki stayed behind to face you instead, huh?"
"A little worse, but not by much," I said. "It was a shell game. Any outcomes that prevented you from spotting the obvious flaw were acceptable."
"Ah, I see you are eager to start analyzing the battle ahead of time!" All Might declared over the communicator. "Would any of you students care to say what this obvious flaw was?"
"I can," Todoroki volunteered. "What should have happened was we both used our superior mobility to get in the building and leave Howard behind. But instead, he had us so focused on him that we hadn't considered that. We didn't even realize he didn't come outside alone."
"He presented it as if he was the only obstacle," Kendo added. "Made us all but forget about Hagakure, invisible to both sight and threat assessment. And we really shouldn't have- shackles and traps are perfect for her power set. Really, all of us should include some restraints in our equipment, but they're even more effective in her hands."
I nodded along. "Yes, to both. There was nothing either of us could do to beat you on mobility or battlefield control, so all we had was mind games. And that card's unreliable at the best of times. All I did was buy time, without Toru we'd have lost. She's my pick for MVP of this match."
Fortunately, All Might either agreed with me, or agreed with my decision to give her the credit. It wasn't like it was grade credit, only bragging rights. Momo deserved the real credit for the tungsten manacles.
Todoroki kept glancing at me on the trip back.
After a while, I got tired of it. "Looks like you have something to say."
He looked down, then back up with all the doubt gone in his expression. "I... wanted to ask you about your origins. You said you were the American equivalent of a 'quirk marriage'. Which has me curious... how are quirk marriages handled in America? You made it sound like there is no marriage at all."
"Usually, there isn't," I answered. This was all public information and a matter of some controversy, so if he wanted he could dig it all up online. "To start, it's usually called 'quirk corrective therapy', and couched in the language of gene therapy to prevent children from suffering debilitating genetic disorders.
"This is because Americans are still... more than a little squeamish about the practice known as 'eugenics'."
"It's understandable," Kendo mused. "Almost all of the most horrific regimes in the last four hundred years have been vocal supporters of the practice."
"Pretty much," I agreed. "And sometimes, it even is used for therapy. One of my friends in high school was such a quirk correction. Increased mental faculties at the cost of a severely crippled physical body. Coupled with a psychokinetic ability. He's able to live a normal life, thanks to such therapy.
"Mine... was much more calculated, and where people start getting uncomfortable. My parents wanted their powerful quirks to merge into something greater still."
"And the process is voluntary?" Shoto asked.
"Always. Well, most of the time it's a paid service, not volunteer. But if you think eugenics squick people out in America? Add rape into that and it's fifty years minimum in a federal facility."
"And in your case?"
I shrugged. "I was one of the lucky ones. All my parents wanted with this arrangement, so in effect I got three parents for the price of two." Even if all of them were busy enough that everyone thought Dad's live-in housekeeper was my mother.
"In any case, to avoid even a hint of impropriety, the whole process typically involves three lawyers and a medical team," I continued. "The genetic parents have their lawyers hammer out whatever details and terms of payment or parental involvement. The third lawyer is known as an 'unborn child advocate', whose task is to protect the wellbeing and rights of the child of such a union. Especially if for whatever reason the union fails to show the desired results."
Shoto nodded, though remained silent.
"And of course, the medical team to puzzle out the hypothetical outcomes of the merger and check for various mundane genetic disorders in the parents that might carry over to offspring." Because they might not call it eugenics, but it was still fucking eugenics.
"You said yours was done by artificial insemination? Is that normal? How available is this technology? Or was it, when you were conceived?"
"Yeah, that's normal," I said. Odd question, but again, public information. "I don't know of any cases where they opted to conceive the natural way, though I'm sure they exist.
"As to availability? Artificial insemination can be done with a plastic cup in fifteen minutes. Use your imagination. Full on in-vitro takes much more advanced technology, but it's only necessary if the parents struggle with conceiving normally. It was around for decades before quirks came to be. So maybe not every clinic can do it, but I imagine it's available in any decently sized city."
"Thank you. That has been... enlightening."
Whatever further thoughts he had, he kept to himself. And we were almost back to the 'mission room', regardless.
Where we watched the rest of the matches. Momo carried her match, disabling Mina with a vertigo grenade to take the win. And holy shit, she just saw the schematics this morning, and she'd already figured out how to make a working copy?
I knew she was brilliant, but damn.
After that party, it was time for my first date with Momo.
"Oh, man," Eijiro said. "I did so much better in my match than I would have without your help yesterday. You've gotta stick around and give us more pointers!"
But. On the one hand, I was enjoying the role, and kinda needed to keep Izuku close, which meant being part of this friend group. On the other hand, Momo.
Some others started crowding in as well.
"I would like some lessons, too," Momo said. "I believe I underestimated the physical demands of this career."
Did I mention I was falling hard for this woman?
=====
A/N- Shoto is now even more pissed at his father than in canon.
While Momo continues to be bae.
And hopefully, my explanation for Midoriya's divergence from the canon fits.
A/N-Ultimately, I had quite the crowd joining me for training practice today. Apparently I'd earned enough of a reputation to have a sizable chunk of first years, and even a few older students joining in.
In other words: a fucking mess that this lawn was not equipped to deal with. Lucky me, I had other training options.
"Okay, so, we're all pretty beat up from training today." I gestured at my shoulder, which was a nice shade of purple thanks to Kendo. Which was fine, she had a shiner to show for it.
... It's not domestic abuse if there's no 'domestic' involved.
"But that's okay, I'm going to start this training session with a history lesson." It was how I was taught, and I was a shameless thief of other people's good ideas. "Most of you have likely not heard much about the Navajo, and those that have probably only know them as the people responsible for a solid half of America's victories in World War Two. They are, indeed, still around.
"When quirks first started manifesting themselves, it was soon discovered that the Navajo, Inuit, and other natives of America that kept their ancient spirituality alive... were seeing disproportionate advantages with their quirks. Greater ease of use, faster development of power, less troublesome drawbacks."
I looked around the crowd. Most were about as confused as I'd expected, though several were nodding along, or listening with a practiced interest. They knew this story, or at least knew the local analogues enough to know what came next.
"See, the Navajo, the Inuit, the Guarani, and others who held to their roots believed, still believe, that quirks are the spirits of ancient warriors, shamans, and the other esteemed ancestors joining their modern descendants for some worthy purpose. Little consensus on what that purpose might be, but all agree it must be important."
I could see the skeptics in the audience, losing interest. Which was fine, that too was part of the narrative. "They were hardly alone. Africa, Australia, India, Asia, Japan, some Abrahamic sects. The people who upheld the old ways all saw similar advantages, and still often do.
"This is because they learn to talk to their quirks. And their quirks talk back." And I had their attention again.
"More modernist sorts believe this to be, fundamentally, a form of self-therapy. That we are interacting with the part of our own subconscious minds which controls our quirks. In much the same way our subconscious mind lets us walk without stumbling, lets us speak without having to think about every single word."
I shrugged, signalling my dismissal. "I... am agnostic on the topic. Maybe our quirks are independent beings." The fact that Midoriya has several of them lends massive credence to the theory. "Maybe they are a reflection of our own minds. Maybe they're something else entirely."
I let all of them speculate for a moment. I'd given them permission to choose the theory they liked best, and now I gave them time to embrace one. This was necessary for them to achieve the mindset for what came next.
"What I am about to teach you is an art about doing, not speculating. You don't need to be an expert on language theory and the biology of the larynx to speak. You learn, and you do, and with time you improve.
"To continue the metaphor. If you learn to speak to your quirk, it will sing for you. Walk beside it, and it will dance with you."
"I wonder if that applies to me." I recognized heteromorph with a black bird head from class. Toko-something or other. "After all, I can talk to my black shadow whenever I like."
Next to him, a shadowy figure with a similarly shaped head floated up. "But it might be nice to learn to dance?"
Well, that's something. A quick look did suggest it was much more independent than most quirks. Izuku being the exception. "I... don't honestly know. Could go either way. Maybe it'll be useless to you, or maybe you'll master it better than anyone without a similar quirk ever could. Only one way to find out."
That, the idea that this was something you could be the best at, was the catnip to this herd of cats. Competition was their drug, and I just gave them a brand new supply.
"Now, to start, spread out some. You'll want range of motion." I did the same, though in my case I had the ease of years of practice at my side. Hey, buddy, time to do something sneaky and difficult, you with me?
As if I'd ever hear a 'no'.
"Now, understand that most of the time, the 'talking' isn't literal. It's a sensation, a feeling, few people ever experience words from our quirks. That isn't a sign of skill, either. Many powerful heroes use this technique and never get a word from their quirks.
"And some people, apparently, don't even need a technique to converse with theirs."
No laughs, but I wasn't expecting any. "Listen to your heartbeats. Quirks are connected to our bodies as much as our souls. They draw power from us. Feel how its power joins with your breath, your pulse, your thoughts..."
As I was teaching them that, I was doing something special with my connection. They were just learning the early steps. I was about to perform a waltz.
Izuku was right there, learning alongside the rest even though he should be sleeping the day off. I reached out, brushing against the core aspect of his power. An energy gathering quirk, slowly collecting everything from waste heat to every punch absorbed.
I knew from All Might that the energy of their quirk didn't leave when the quirk vanished- not all of it, anyhow. Nor was it limited to any specific type of energy per se.
"You'll feel resistance, at first, almost as if moving through water. That is normal, it's even good. Follow that flow, breathe, flex your fingers, experience how it responds to you. There is no right path but your own."
I then, tentatively, reached out to some of the energy quirks in my audience. Fire, sound, electricity... yes, electricity was a good pick.
Dual-copying was a nightmare for me. It took all my concentration. If someone walked up and stabbed me right now, I wouldn't know it until I came out of this state.
"As you follow the stream, you'll find it moves places that aren't merely your body. Inside, but not inside, a direction that has no physical analogue."
I recited, not only to teach them, but because I needed to focus. I started the process, cobbled together as it was, to feed my little emulation of the power-collecting quirk with the energy-generating quirk.
It occured to me that if I needed to, I could borrow Midoriya's quirk to move my own quirk to someone else. Something to keep in mind in the future.
"Now, once you've found that path, stay there. You should feel the reflected presence of your quirk. Allow it to brush against you. Don't insist, just allow. It is connected to you, it will come to you as it always has before."
It was slow going. At this rate, I might catch up to the current All Might in about fifty years or so. But it was going, and now that the process had begun, I was trusting my quirk to manage it while I started paying attention to the class again.
My quirk knew how to dance. And whether it was some part of me, or some foreign being, it understood what I needed of it. Why I needed it. It was a power that might one day save my life.
Most of the class were busy doing the same, to varying levels of success. Bird-guy was, in fact, taking to it like a fish to water. His quirk was wrapped over his body, his costume, almost like a second skin.
Others, too, were seeing similar results. Momo's skin sparkled as if she was in the midst of summoning something massive, and yet nothing came. The guy with the electrical quirk I borrowed was sparking as lightning danced along his skin. Midoriya, something similar, but the lightning was green.
Ochako's hair was floating as if she was in water. I needed to stop thinking about how adorable she was. I had a girlfriend, now. And the only reason Ochako didn't have a boyfriend was because Izuku was as clueless as she was.
Other, less visually obvious, quirk wielders didn't have the same obvious tells, but many of them were making that early connection.
Others less so, but now that I was on 'autopilot' with my quirk, I stood up and moved from person to person, giving what tips I could where I could. I was hardly an expert, after all. But I made sure to temper everyone's expectations.
Ida in particular seemed to be struggling. Even if he bit his tongue about it.
"Getting frustrated will only make it worse."
He looked at me, looked at his legs, frowned. "I know."
"It... is sometimes more difficult for heteromorphs," I said. Even if Ida's trait wasn't as visually obvious as most. "And sometimes easier. Tell me, can you feel the parts of your legs that are machine? Like, do they have nerves?"
He considered his words. "They are... like teeth. If you push hard enough, I can feel it, but they don't directly have nerves."
Hmm. "Then a clear demarcation between flesh and quirk. For you, I'd look for the area where they must interact. I've seen them create exhaust, which implies fuel."
He lifted a leg, to look back at the vents. "I never gave that much consideration."
"Then focus on that. Your heart beats, it carries blood, it carries fuel for your quirk. Don't worry if the fuel isn't actually carried by the blood, this is all metaphor regardless. And don't be afraid to move as you test things. Flex your quirk and your body together, as long as you can avoid hurting anyone else.
"One way or another, all of you. Your body fuels your quirk, and your quirk fuels your body. They are the same, but separate. You seek the boundary between."
"I seek the boundary..." Ida closed his eyes, and began his attempt again. This time, with a bit of jogging in place added to the mix.
That seemed to help a lot of those who weren't quite getting it the first time. It may have looked a bit silly from the outside, all of them practicing whatever light exercise seemed most attuned to their specific abilities.
But they were getting there.
"Now, obviously, this is only your first time with this art," I said after I was satisfied with their ability to reach the basics of the state. "I can tell you that, like any art, it both gets easier with time and takes time to see any significant improvements."
For most of them, anyhow. Momo, Toko-bird, Midoriya, Kendo... they picked up on it faster than I'd ever seen anyone before. As well as the older students, who if I had to guess, had practice in similar arts.
"You've all done remarkably well for a first time," and that was true regardless of the four prodigies in our midst. "Most people, I expect to take at least a week before we see what you guys did in an hour. A testament to this school's standards."
A little flattery went a long way, especially when it was true. There were no untalented people in this place. Unhinged aplenty, but not untalented.
"Uh... teacher?" Ochako made it sound like a question. "Deku's not waking up?"
Deku? It took me a moment to realize she was pointing to Izuku. Fuck, he went into a trance.
"Neither is Tokoyami." Eijiro kindly told me bird-guys name. It was now less fuck. Two drew a hundred times less suspicion than one.
"They're having a deeper 'conversation' with their quirks than usual." I needed to downplay how significant that was. It took me two years for my first time, and I had quite literally the best teachers available.
"Don't worry, they're not hurt. And, uh, Midoriya might just be sleeping, he's been awake for two days at this point."
He wasn't. I could see that his quirk was active and his mind no doubt the same. He might have been dreaming, but he was dreaming while awake. But anything to downplay what was happening.
"I'm not asleep," Tokoyami said. "Dark shadow says we're done?"
His quirk told him during the-? Weird fucking power. "Well, yes, for now. I'd recommend all of you keep up the practice. It makes for a great exercise when you've got a few minutes and nothing to do. Better than wasting time on your phone."
Plenty of murmurs of agreement in response. No surprise, this school that only took the best of the best would be full of people who'd rather train than surf social media. Now they had a method which was always available.
I, meanwhile, looked down at Izuku, sitting there in a trance that I had no way of knowing how long would last. For most people, it was a few minutes. Most people didn't have his small army of quirks.
"We should probably get him to bed." If only so some dude didn't come along and draw dicks on his face. Or Bakugo didn't come along and rub his dick on his face. I was still about eighty percent convinced his behavior was some sort of tsundere bullshit.
"Oh! I can help!" Ochako said. "I mean, I can move him with my quirk, and I know where his dorm is."
"Oh?" Mina- who wasn't even nearby a moment ago- now had her head leaning against Ochako's shoulder. "And how exactly do you know where Deku sleeps?"
She's even cuter when she turns red. And I seriously need to stop thinking that. Instead, I would think about what her and Midoriya's kids would be like. People would think their quirk was making their faces turn into tomatoes.
"Right..."
"Here, I'll help out," Ida said. "I've got to study as well, and this way nobody raises any questions about the appropriateness of a girl in the boys' dorms."
"Ahhh-"
"Eeee-"
While Ochako and Mina demonstrated the versatility of the female voice, I took the distraction to let go of the quirks I'd been using. It was... an experience. But I could confirm that the power was still there, thrumming between my cells.
All of it combined might triple my strength for a few seconds. Or, taking a page out of Midoriya's book, triple my durability for a few good hits. It wasn't much, but it was second chance body armor. It could save my life one day.
"I wanted to thank you for the fascinating training session." Momo approached, acting like she barely knew me.
Considering we hugged yesterday, in front of several of these same people, this was the antithesis to hiding that something was going on.
She offered her hand. I took it, a quick little handshake. Where she passed a piece of paper into my hand. "I'm happy to help everyone."
"Yes, and everyone should appreciate that," she answered. "But, I must be going now. My class workload is quite something."
Class... Leaving aside the nonsense training, the class load wasn't bad. It was far too early in the year to have us getting into any serious projects, and Momo was a genius. "I guess it can't all be fun and games around here, huh?"
She left, and I took time to move to Izuku's other side so Ida and I could balance him out on the way to his dorm.
Mina grinned at me. "Ooh, that was frostier than Todoroki. Trouble in paradise?"
=====
A/N- Depending on how you look at this chapter, either nothing happened, or everything just happened.
Horikoshi kinda annoyed me with ignoring how quirks would impact spirituality... until suddenly he didn't... and then did again... and then didn't...
I'm taking a different road.