Energy (D.P./M.H.A.)

. 1 8 .

The weekends consisted of training.

School days consisted of paying attention.

After-school hours consisted of planning.

Evenings consisted of sleeping.

Homework was crammed somewhere between that.

In short; they were exhausted.

If Aizawa noticed, he didn't say anything. If Tucker nodded off during his lecture about basic hero training, he let it slide. If Sam rested her head on her hands and looked at him with tired eyes, he avoided her gaze. If Danny was sloppy during the training exercises with All Might, he didn't bring it up with the other teachers.

Only Nezu.

"All I'm saying is that they are overworking themselves," Aizawa sighed as he stood in front of the principal. "They seem tired, nod off during class, are sloppy during the physical exercises and look like they don't sleep. At all. I'm concerned for their well-being and fear that it will only worsen in the upcoming month."

"We cannot have that, of course," Nezu chirped back. "Perhaps you should voice your concern to the children, hmm? I will call for them for an afternoon meeting. Yes, I suppose I will do just that. Thank you for your attentiveness."

Aizawa couldn't protest as he was practically forced out of the office by social etiquette, grumbling things in his mind as he walked down the halls and into the staff room. He ignored the other people in the room as he filled a cup with coffee and plopped down behind a computer, tiredly logging in and checking his mail and possible memos. Before he knew it, the school day had ended and the announcement rang over the audio-system. Aizawa trudged to the conference room and sat down in his chair, waiting for the three teens to finally show up.

The pleasantries, introductions and start of the meeting flew completely over Aizawa's head. He knew the kids, he knew All Might, who had stumbled into the room last minute saying it also concerned his students, and he didn't have the energy to deal with it, so he sat back and watched how it all sailed by. It wasn't until Nezu voiced his worries that he paid attention.

"What do you mean you want us to notch it down?" Danny semi-exploded at the principal. "We're handling everything, are we not? Why this sudden restraint? Aren't we capable enough, or something? It's a bit of a shame, since we're already here."

"Danny, calm down!" Sam hissed at him, sending worried glances at the principal. He merely looked back her, his expression unreadable. "You're being rude, so cut it out! You're overstaying your hospitality and being impossible to handle."

"But Sam," he whined, but he was shut up as she pointed at him.

"Not. Another. Word."

"I must say I understand Danny's worry," Nezu interrupted Sam. "It is, after all, his thing, am I right?"

Danny hunched in on himself, feeling very exposed. Aizawa was confused as to what the comment meant to the teen, but didn't ask as Tucker cleared his throat. "We'll make sure he won't do anything stupid, principal Nezu. And mister Aizawa and All Might too, of course. And we'll try to 'rest' some as well."

"Glad to hear it!" All Might exclaimed. "You're already working hard on both your studies and the Foundational Hero Studies, so you need to wind down every once in a while!" He glanced around the room and hesitated. "If...you don't mind me asking, what is this 'thing' you mentioned?"

Danny's chair made a scraping sound on the floor as he stood up and gave a terrifying glare to All Might and giving a small bow to Nezu, saying, "Excuse me," before he angrily stormed out of the office. Tucker and Sam shared a glance before Tucker stood as well and followed after Danny. Sam put her head in her hand and stared All Might down without a readable expression on her face, making him shrink into himself, wondering what he'd done wrong.

"We don't talk about the 'thing'," Sam said as she took her hand away from her face and sat up straight. "That's why we say 'thing' in the first place. Perhaps a warning would've been in order, but I had assumed it would remain undiscussed. You must excuse Danny for snapping like that. It's...a touchy subject, principal Nezu. I should also say that he's trying to catch his cool at the moment instead of setting the school ablaze."

"I am aware and thank him for containing his temper. Please tell him that."

"I will, thank you." Sam also gave a small bow to Nezu, shot an annihilating glance at All Might and a quick look at Aizawa, who was thoroughly enjoying himself. It was, after all, not every day someone could be so (semi) passive aggressive towards the Number One Hero, so getting it live, in real life, was making him undeniably humored. He gave a near invisible nod back in recognition of her ability with words and demeanor just before she turned around and left the room.

"You can't just ask someone what their 'thing' is!" Danny was pacing up and down on the small plaza in front of the school, within the gates. Tucker sat on one of the benches with their backpacks, just looking at his friend going off. "It's a 'thing', for goodness sake. We say thing. Is he too dense to catch up on that?"

"All Might?" Sam filled in as she walked up to the two. "He's pretty stubborn if you ask me. I'm guessing all that fake buff also went into his skull." She tapped at her head as she gave a glance at Tucker. "Thick as hell."

Danny chuckled a bit and rolled his eyes. "When you put it like that... But still, it was a bit rude of you, to basically cuss at the Number One Hero like that."

"He's got that number, but that doesn't make an excuse for him being rude to you. He's number one, so isn't he supposed to be the best?"

"He's just human, Sam."

"Still. The 'best human' should know better."

"It's fine," Danny said as he grabbed his backpack from Tucker's bench and slung an arm over Sam's shoulders, smiling at her. "We'll talk it out later. He's gotta have a conscience. Mine's already buzzing."

"It can wait 'til Monday," Tucker said as he stretched and slung an arm over Danny's shoulders. "We gotta figure some things out this weekend. No intensive training sessions, but little tests here and there. Just because All Might asked about the thing doesn't mean he wasn't right about the other things."

"Agreed. I need sleep," Sam yawned. "Oh, by the way, Nezu says he's happy you didn't blow up the school."

"I'm gonna blow shit up at home," he said, dead-ass, without giving Sam or Tucker a second glance. "Also one of the reasons I made that stupid pocket-dimension."

"It's a nifty power you got, so why not use it?" Tucker asked as they walked out of the gates. The pocket-dimension was serving as a place for training with their Quirks while not on school grounds, just, talking, but also a place to come to themselves without worrying about people coming in. "It's so cool."

"I'm creating dimensions, Tucker. Imagine how drained I am afterwards."

"He slept for a whole two days consecutively after he made yours' and the one we're keeping at the apartment," Sam cut in, turning from Tucker to Danny as she narrowed her eyes playfully. "For which I still have to scold him."

"We were in a time crunch."

"Could've asked Clockwork," she shrugged.

"...crap."

Tucker burst out laughing as Sam smirked at Danny, who was walking with his head low, having been a complete idiot. "Man, I love this universe."