Chapter Text
Izuku’s steps were deliberately slow as he led his class to Ramshackle dorm. He glanced at them from the corner of his eyes, his mind analyzing every tell, every gesture of their body language to understand their thoughts in a familiar rhythm.
There is a lot of information one can get just from observing social cues. And Izuku’s skillset was refined to absolute perfection. That made his classmates’ reactions predictable. He could feel their questioning gazes at his back as they tried to both blow a hole in his body with their piercing gazes and observe their surreal surroundings.
Almost everything went the way he had predicted it to. He knew Katsuki would pick up on the hints Izuku dropped and snap (though he’ll admit, he couldn’t keep his excitement under control as much as he wanted to and let a few grins slip.), he also knew that Crowley would put him in the spotlight like that. After ball, the headmage practically lived in drama. His classmates’ reactions to the other Housewardens were also something he expected.
Though color him surprised, no one other than Katsuki spoke up. Izuku had expected the other hero wannabes to blow up as well. Though he couldn’t blame them. He already knew of the NRC housewardens’ distaste for heroes and his world. He had seen it for long enough when he was a student. The kids never stood a chance under their oppressive auras.
What was it that Idia had said when Izuku had told him about his world?
"Hero society? Sounds like a rigged popularity contest where people with flashy quirks play dress-up for fame. Most of those so-called heroes sound like glory-seekers playing dress-up in spandex, just waiting for their next endorsement deal or a chance to trend on social media. And you guys call them heroes? That’s like, the worst game setting ever. Your whole society is basically a shonen power fantasy gone horribly wrong, huh?”
Izuku stifled a laugh at how accurate Ignihyde housewarden’s words were. Even UA, Japan’s no. 1 hero school focused more on the publicity aspects than actual hero work. And even their entrance exam was based that way. And Izuku would admit, quite shamelessly, that he had a lot of fun trashing it.
He came out of his thoughts when he felt Uraraka gasp from a few steps behind him. He looked up to see the familiar hill Ramshackle Dorm was perched upon. He turned slightly, catching the wide-eyed expressions of his classmates as they took in the dilapidated yet strangely imposing structure. "Welcome to Ramshackle dorm," he said dryly, his voice cutting through the charged silence. Without waiting for a reply, Izuku spun back around and climbed the stairs, his classmates’ palpable unease easily ignored in favor of seeing Grim after an entire year.
He reached the dorm within seconds, his hands brushing over the strong wood fondly.
Only Izuku knew just how hard it had been to make the dorm habitable at the beginning, just how hard it had been to pry dorm funds from Crowley’s money-obsessed iron clutches even after doing work Izuku had no business sticking his nose into, for the lazy headmage.
And when the Styx Charons blew up his dorm, Izuku had absolutely no hesitation holding Idia at knife-point to cough up the repair costs. He had not spent the previous few months fighting tooth and nail, running unsavory and dangerous errands for the headmage just to get proper plumbing, suffered through Azul and the Leech twins for months on end working in the Monstre Longue for that extra penny, to allow masked strangers to blow up all of his hard work. Needless to say, he got his dorm back. And if he snuck in an extra electricity system into the compensation costs, nobody had to know.
The point being, Izuku was proud of his achievement. And with that warm feeling in his heart, he pushed open the creaky doors to Ramshackle, its familiar scent of aged wood and faint dust greeting him like an old friend. He stepped inside, letting his classmates filter in behind him, their expressions bouncing between curiosity and discomfort.
But he didn’t get far as a blur of gray fur and fiery blue eyes lunged at him.
"IZUKU!"
A guttural whumpf sounded as Grim collided with his chest, claws scrambling against his shirt as the cat-like creature clung to him. Izuku stumbled back slightly but caught his balance, his arms instinctively wrapping around the little monster.
“Grim?!” His voice wavered with genuine surprise. He hadn’t expected the hug. The dorm's faint, musty scent hit him all at once, memories of late nights, chaotic mornings, and strange friendships rushing back in a flood.
Grim pressed his forehead against Izuku's chest, his claws digging in just enough to remind him that Grim still hadn’t figured out a gentle way to show affection. “You! You left me here! For a year! Do you know how lonely I was?!”
Izuku blinked, caught off guard by the wave of emotion in Grim’s voice. “I—Grim, I didn’t—”
“No excuses!” Grim huffed, leaning back to glare at him. His tail lashed as he puffed himself up. “You went back to your world and left me in this dusty old place! I was stuck doing all the work! You’re lucky I’m forgiving enough to let you show your face here.”
Izuku fought the faintest smile. Grim hadn’t changed a bit. The same fiery little troublemaker who’d been his first friend here. “I’m sorry, Grim. It… wasn’t easy to leave…”
Grim’s ears flicked, his glare softening slightly as he snuggled back into Izuku’s arms. “Hmph. Well, now you’re here, so you’d better not leave again! This place was boring without you.”
Izuku’s smile froze on his face. Now that he finally had Grim in his arms, the weight of two weeks felt ten times heavier on his shoulders. Just how could he ever tell his partner that he’d be leaving again?
As he was spiralling, he didn’t notice his class stepping inside the dorm behind him until he heard a familiar screech.
“What the hell is that?!” Katsuki barked, pointing a sparking hand toward Grim.
Grim’s head snapped around, his ears flattening as he hissed. “What the hell am I?! I’m Grim! The Great Grim! Who’s this blond porcupine yelling at me?!”
Katsuki bristled. “Blond porcupine?! Say that again, you little—”
Izuku stepped between them, holding Grim firmly as the creature clawed at the air. “Grim, stop. Katsuki, stand down.” His voice was firm, his patience already waning.
Kirishima, sensing his blond friend’s growing anger, slid in front of Katsuki, hiding Grim behind him, “Come on Bakubro, let’s not start a fight. Especially with such a cute cat.”
“I am not a cat!” Grim snarled from Izuku’s hold.
Kirishima let out a hesitant chuckle, “Sure you’re not, Grim. My name is Kirishima Eijiro, nice to meet ya!” He said turning around and bringing his hand up for a handshake with the creature in his classmate’s arms.
Grim eyed Kirishima’s hand with narrowed eyebrows, his tail swishing in displeasure as he made no move to acknowledge the boy’s physical greeting. “Hah? You think I’m gonna shake your hand like some commoner?" Grim scoffed, puffing out his chest. "I’m Grim, the Great Grim! I don’t do handshakes—I accept offerings! Got any tuna? Bring me five cans. Then we’ll talk!"
Kirishima’s eyes widened as Izuku sighed in the background, “Er, I don’t have any tuna right now, but I promise I’ll get you some later!” He said, not at all offended by Grim’s sharp retorts with a big smile on his face.
Grim’s whiskers twitched and he hummed appreciatively, “I might just tolerate you, human.” He turned to Izuku, “I like this one.”
Izuku raised an eyebrow, “You like anyone who offers you tuna.” He turned to the rest of the class, gesturing to the direbeast in his arms, “This is Grim. He is a student here at Night Raven College and my former roommate. Hm, guess it's no longer former now.”
“Roommate?” Mina echoed, her wide eyes darting between Izuku and Grim. “And he can talk?!”
“And fight!” Grim piped up, puffing his chest out proudly. “I helped Izuku survive this place, you know! He wouldn’t have made it without me!”
Izuku sighed but didn’t correct him. “Anyway,” he said, stepping aside to gesture toward the interior of the dorm, “welcome to Ramshackle. Settle in wherever," he instructed, his voice clipped. "There’s no room service, and if you see something… strange, don’t bother screaming. It won’t help."
He turned to face them fully, catching the incredulous looks darting around the dorm as the heroes-in-training put down their bags and started exploring. A mismatch of weird portraits, suspicious doors, old pieces of furniture (those which had survived the raid), and the numerous other things that made Ramshackle unique, caught the interests of many students.
Izuku headed straight for the lounge, not interested in joining his classmates because he already knew his dorm like the back of his hand. He’ll take a round later, to check up over the changes made during his year of absence (Or more like the things Grim burned to ashes or Ace and Deuce broke over their visits).
As soon as his bag dropped on the carpet in the middle of the lounge, he was cornered. As much as 2A wanted to explore, questions for their mysterious green-haired classmate and his behaviour to their current situation garnered more curiosity and they crowded around him.
From the corner of his eyes, Izuku could see Katsuki barely restraining his anger, Kirishima holding him back, Aizawa’s expectant gaze, Uraraka, Iida and Yaorouzu’s confusion, Jirou’s narrowed eyes, Todoroki’s expressionless, yet guarded expression, the varying feelings of the other students. He wondered for a moment, if he should just ignore them.
No, it’s better to get it over with sooner rather than later.
Izuku let out a soft sigh, turning to face his class and homeroom teacher. He tilted his head, his eyes blank. Showing emotions at Night Raven College was like bleeding next to a shark and Izuku felt himself slipping into the mask he had made specifically for this school. “I’m sure the other housewardens said it already, but I’ll say it anyway, welcome to Night Raven College.”
“Midoriya,” Aizawa was the first to break the stifling silence, “Can you please explain how you were familiar with the students and the headmaster of this college, and why you felt it necessary to keep this information from us?”
“I was a student here once, before UA.” Izuku’s voice was soft, steady as he observed his classmates’ and sensei’s reactions. “I know most of the students and the faculty.” His eyes took in the expressions of disbelief in varying degrees.
Really? Hadn’t Crowley already said he was a former NRC student, what had them so surprised?
“And I didn’t say anything because I did not deem it necessary.” Izuku shrugged, the movement controlled and deliberate to make him seem like less of a threat. He wasn’t, but he didn’t want to sour his already thin relationship with the students he has to spend two more years with, so he tried to act as civil as he could. “There was no reason for me to bring up my past.”
“No reason?!” Uraraka cried, “Midoriya, we’re in a new place about which we know nothing about! A warning would have been nice.”
“Oh come now,” Izuku raised an amused brow, “All the theories you guys made about NRC on our way here were so entertaining, I just couldn’t interrupt.”
Iida stepped forward, his brows furrowed, “Midoriya-san, that is a very unbecoming behaviour as a UA student! As someone previously acquainted with this institution, it was your responsibility to brief your classmates and teacher.” Iida’s posture stiffened, his hands chopping the air in a firm gesture. “And yet, you kept important information to yourself, jeopardizing the class’ preparedness! Such an action lacks the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust we aim to uphold as future heroes. You owe us an explanation, Midoriya!”
Trust? These idealistic kids in capes? What a laughable notion.
Grim let out a yawn, jumping out of Izuku’s arms and onto the couch armrest, “You guys are a noisy bunch, huh? Lemme tell you something, glasses. Keep that attitude up and you’re gonna piss off someone you can’t handle.”
“Hey! That wasn’t very nice!” Mina exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.
Iida’s eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses, his posture becoming even more rigid. “Excuse me, Grim, but my ‘attitude’ is a reflection of discipline and responsibility—qualities essential for any aspiring hero. I will not allow your flippant remarks to undermine the integrity of our esteemed school!”
Grim flicked his tail lazily, smirking as he looked up at Iida. “Heh, big talk for someone who probably gets winded chasing after a mouse. Discipline this, responsibility that—sounds like a bunch of boring excuses to me. If you think you can boss me around, you’ve got another thing coming, glasses!” His tone turned mocking, his grin widening. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood. Otherwise, I’d show you why they call me the Great Grim, the future strongest person in the world!”
“You are not burning down the dorm again, Grim.” Izuku sighed, remembering all the times his partner cat got in trouble. And who had to clean up after that selfish direbeast every single time? You guessed it, Izuku Midoriya.
A fond smile made its way up to Izuku’s face as Grim jumped from the armrest and onto the couch, dismissing Iida entirely.
“Hah? I’m gonna be the strongest, you damned cat!”
Ah yes, there was the pomeranian as well.
“Katsuki, are you really trying to fight a cat?” Izuku asked, raising a brow and Katsuki balked at being called out. Who in their right minds would ever admit coaxing a 2 foot cretin into a fight? Certainly not Katsuki, his pride wouldn’t allow it.
With the explosion settled, Izuku turned his attention to Iida. “I will only say this once, so listen up. I don’t owe you anything. I am in no way obliged to share anything about myself or my past, and certainly not to you.”
“Midoriya-” Izuku raised a hand, silencing Uraraka while his gaze remained fixed on Iida.
His eyes turned frosty, “Tenya Iida, you have the habit of enforcing your own ideals upon others, believing them to be the best for everyone, even when they aren’t wanted. And while I don’t have a problem with your behaviour personally, it would be best for you to curb that attitude while at Night Raven College. The students here are extremely proud, and would not take kindly to you telling them what to do.”
He shifted his stance to address the class, all of whom were quiet and listening attentively. “The same goes for all of you. This is not a hero school. These students don’t hold any appreciation for heroes. Their values are different from yours, so try to keep your thoughts to yourselves if you don’t agree with something. We are guests here at NRC, let’s not be thrown out for not respecting their customs. I’m sure you have your doubts, and I’ll try to answer any that I can, as long as you remember that this is not UA.”
Even though Izuku said that, he wasn’t sure how much he’ll be able to answer. He still didn’t know the full story. Izuku had previously never spoken about NRC because it was a school in a different realm, and he never thought he would encounter it again. His realm and theirs had no connection.
If so, how did Night Raven College become a prestigious academy of America?
How did their realm even enter Izuku’s?
Why did they call the Dark Mirror a quirk and refer to the headmage as headmaster?
With the limited information he had, Izuku could only understand that Crowley was trying to hide the existence of magic. And without being aware of the cover story prepared by NRC, Izuku doubted he could say anything, lest he say something completely different from what Crowley prepared.
Shinsou dropped his own bag on the carpet and folded his arms, “Tell me something then, Midoriya, Iida is our class representative, so why were you chosen as the housewarden? Was it just because of favouritism because you were a previous student?”
Izuku gave a slight smile at Shinsou’s not-so-subtle attempt at trying to undermine NRC. “Not at all.” He answered smoothly. “I wasn’t chosen because of favouritism. It was because I was the only one in our class who understood what this role means.” He tilted his head, observing the growing frowns of his classmates with no less satisfying amount of glee, “Housewardens at Night Raven College exercise full authority over their dorms.”
His eyes locked with Aizawa’s as he straightened his head, his expression a controlled poker face, “The power this position holds is nothing to scoff at. Not even the teachers are allowed to interfere with what goes on inside the dorm.”
His gaze swept over the rest of class 2A, “The only person allowed to take the call for any situation is the housewarden or the headmaster. And it's not just within the dorm, the power struggle extends to inter-dorm rivalry. This position is a symbol of power, respect and authority in the entire college. And the rest of the students are expected to obey without question… This wasn’t favoritism at all. It was just a question of competence.”
At that, the heroes-in-training bristled. Their reactions were a mix of disbelief, frustration, and unease.
Iida stiffened, his arms rigid as he opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out immediately. He was visibly struggling to process the idea of unchecked authority in an academic setting.
Uraraka furrowed her brows, her lips pressed into a thin line. “That doesn’t sound fair…” she muttered under her breath, glancing uneasily at Izuku.
Katsuki clicked his tongue, his scowl deepening. “Tch, a school full of idiots letting entitled teenage brats run wild? Figures.”
Yaoyorozu had a thoughtful look on her face, “I understand the need for structure, but no oversight at all seems... precarious.”
“It is what it is.” Izuku shrugged. “There are seven dorms in Night Raven. Eight, if you include Ramshackle. Each dorm is based on a theme and a historical figure. The most primary way a housewarden is chosen is based on how much their personalities match with their dorm’s theme.”
“What does that mean, Midobro?” Kirishima asked.
“I’m sure you guys remember the housewardens.” Izuku answered, ignoring the ‘ I doubt anyone could forget those guys.’ muttered by Kaminari under his breath. “Riddle Rosehearts, housewarden of Heartslabyul. The dorm stresses the importance of order and following the rules. And Riddle takes his job as the housewarden and enforcing rules very seriously.”
“That’s a good thing, then!” Mina said.
Izuku sighed, “I won’t deny that. But Riddle gets intense when the rules are not followed. The punishments he dolls out aren’t pretty. The same way, Savanaclaw is ruled by Leona Kingscholar.”
“Wasn’t he the guy Bakugo argued with in the courtyard?” Hagakure exclaimed, clapping her hands, “He was kinda hot!”
“Right…” Izuku chose to ignore that, “The dorm believes in the survival of the fittest. And Leona is one of the most academically and physically gifted individuals in the college. It’s the same for the other dorms. The housewardens exercise such power because they earn it through their actions. And that’s what makes this position invaluable.”
“It’s politics.” Todoroki muttered, lost in thought.
“Politics all the way,” Izuku agreed. He clapped his hands for attention, “And on that note, settle in and find your rooms. We have a few hours until dinner, so rest and unpack. Remember Crowley’s rules- No quirks inside the dorms, nor outside of combat lessons, no matter what happens. The last room on the second floor is mine and Grim’s, and if anyone damages the dorm in any way, you will be paying the repair costs. Any other doubts can be cleared afterwards.”
The crowd in the lounge thinned slowly, reluctance clear on the faces of most of the students. Five minutes later, the only occupants of the dorm were Grim, who was snoring on the couch, Izuku, who hadn’t moved from his spot as he watched his classmates disperse with an unreadable expression on his face and Aizawa, who in turn, was watching Izuku.
“Sensei?” Izuku had felt his teacher’s burning stare the entire time he had been speaking and chose to answer it when they were alone.
“That was the most I’ve seen you speak in the entire year, problem child.”
“I suppose.”
Aizawa sighed, “Midoriya… these two weeks are not going to be easy, are they?”
“You should ask Nezu for a raise.”
“You think I haven’t tried? The rat shoots me down every single time.”
Izuku chuckled softly, “I guess that’s one thing common between Crowley and Principal Nedzu. They both love exploiting those they can.”
Aizawa raised an eyebrow, “Are you speaking from experience?”
Izuku raised his own in challenge, “Don’t you have more than me?”
“I guess I do.” Aizawa laughed. The laughter subsided as quickly as it came, “Tell me, just how bad should I expect things to get?”
Izuku mulled over the question, “If they keep their heads down? Not much. But I won’t be able to do damage control if they do piss off any of the housewardens. And I should warn you beforehand sensei, I have absolutely zero interest in saving your class if they do get in trouble.”
“Fantastic,” Aizawa muttered dryly, though a glint of amusement softened his tone. “If this is a fraction of what you dealt with before UA, it’s no wonder you’ve turned into such a mystery to the class.”
Izuku shrugged with a smirk on his face, “They would have been able to figure it out if they used even a single bit of common sense.”
“And isn’t that the irony of the century?”