The lunchtime was a welcomed time off for the half ghost. He needed those calories after the generous waste of the first two rounds. Danny wished to join his friends and classmates at the cafeteria, and on his way he was catching certain glances. He wasn't much different from many of his fellow students, for all of them were the centrepiece of attention, but his prowess must have made him very well known among the visitors. So, he should have expected that attention even outside of the arena. All that's left was to thank the organisers for keeping the press out until the end of the festival. But at this point Danny started to enjoy this. His pride with himself was slowly overlapping the embarrassment.

Nonetheless, his journey through the many festival stands to the place of nourishment was interrupted once again, when on his way the half ghost encountered his guardian and Makoto, who had been looking for him after the match.

"That was a good job out there, Danny," the detective commented with a smile, making his charge smirk.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Phantom asked.

"Well, I am impressed, for one," said Makoto, "It's every bit as Naomasa described."

It was when Danny noticed another person near the two, the one who barged forward with a bright grin on his face. The blond jock-looking hero in a retro-futuristic outfit decided to speak.

"Well, colour me impressed, kid," he spoke in English. "This is one awesome Quirk you've got."

Danny blinked.

"Who are you?" He asked, making the hero deflate, much to Makoto's amusement.

She laughed and patted the hero's shoulder. "That's Captain Celebrity, one of the top American heroes. I am his manager."

"Oh," was Danny's intelligent response, "Nice to meet you, then."

The man didn't appear very pleased to be an obscure figure to his supposed countryman. And the halfa came to notice that.

"I'm surprised you don't know me," the hero voiced his emotions.

"Sorry?" Danny offered weakly. "If it's any better, I know very few heroes. So it's not just you."

"That's not the best consolation," Captain grumbled. "Is he going to be trouble like Koichi, Makoto?"

"I am still here," Phantom responded instead. He never liked to be discussed whilst he was there. "You saw that I can fight."

Makoto sighed. "Captain, I already explained his situation to you. No need to bother him."

"Hey, you want to hire the kid, but it is me who will have to cover him if he does something stupid. I am not running a daycare."

"You are right. I run this daycare," the woman smirked.

"Look, you two," Tsukauchi decided to intervene. "Danny must be tired after the two rounds. Maybe you should save it for later, don't you think?"

Captain smirked. "Yeah, sounds about right. I've wanted to go for lunch, anyhow," he said and turned to the half-dead teen. "See you around, Danny-boy. Don't take what I said close to heart."

The man ruffled Danny's hair and strolled away, towards one of the stands. Makoto sighed and followed him, leaving the halfa and the detective alone.

"I don't like him," Phantom commented.

"He's just concerned, I think. Makoto can be...very biased when it comes to hiring practices. Can't say it doesn't work out in the end, but Captain obviously doesn't want to take that initial risk."

"You all see what I can do."

"Being a hero is not just about defeating villains, is it? Don't worry, I'm sure he is just acting all tough. Perhaps he already made up his mind, I know he trusts Makoto a lot."

"The detective is reading people again?" Danny asked sarcastically.

"Maybe," Tsukauchi winked.

"He reminds me of my school bully."

Tsukauchi sighed. "Nobody is forcing you to accept Makoto's offer. Think of it as a safer option, in case you don't get any better offers. There's...also something else I wanted to talk to you about. It's about that outburst you had out there. I've never seen you like this."

Danny looked away. "It's just...it brings back an awful memory. Each time I get a violent shock, I become ballistic and hyperaggressive, it's some sort of a coping mechanism. My sister has a theory that my brain wants to subdue the pain, and that's the solution my Quirk creates. I get a strong desire to snap the neck of the one who did this."

Tsukauchi's look turned worried. "That's not okay at all, Danny."

"I can control it," the halfa responded. "I'm still...human enough," he mumbled.

That was a very strange choice of words on Danny's part.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Old man. Even if I turned into an angsty potato that lied on the ground. Be honest, what could you do?" Danny crossed his hands. "It's pretty much confirmed that ectoplasm stimulates my brain in a way hormones of aggression do when it happens. So you either remove the power cell that keeps me alive or do nothing."

"Not much of a choice," Tsukauchi agreed. "I suppose...electrical Quirks are not that common, and you hold yourself fine enough."

"Told ya. Murderous spree ain't happening, I promise," Danny beamed. "But I WILL be beating those people harder than usual."

"Can't say I'm satisfied, but you are right. Nothing can be done as we speak. I think you should go join your friends. And for the last time..."

"I'm fine, old man. I can keep going."

"Then keep at it, Danny. I'm sure you'll win this."

Danny nodded, before parting ways with his guardian. He made his way towards the cafeteria, buying some snacks from the stands along the way. In retrospect, it was maybe some good publicity. Some people wanted to take pictures with him, and Danny was quite embarrassed to be frank, each petitioner could see it. But, he couldn't bring himself to say no. Thus, the internet soon received a small influx of images where Danny tried his best to appear confident. The word 'tried' should be accentuated. Other contestants didn't seem to have this much trouble from the seems.

Eventually the halfa did make his way towards the cafeteria and his friends. After the customary emergence out of nowhere to the scare of everyone else involved, Danny could finally enjoy some good food in the company of his classmates.

"I wonder what the next round will be," Mina said. "I'm getting all hyped up already."

"There are twelve of us," Danny responded. "So I guess it's a bunch of 1v1 matches."

"That's right, but they change what those matches are each year. Last time it was a chanbara match," Kirishima said, before noticing Fenton's befuddled expression. "Think of fencing. But with samurai swords and techniques."

"And Quirks," Danny finished. "That's kinda cool. Wish I knew fencing. Could add some nice style."

"Don't you have enough?"

"It's never enough for the likes of me," Danny smirked. "You just have to stop yourself before long. One friend of mine suggested some instructors, but I declined. I mean, I got a couple of lessons, I know how to swing the thing, but that's pretty much it. My supernatural reaction helps a bit," his expression then turned more serious. "I really hope it's something more conventional this time."

"Heh, I guess some of us got scores to settle," Grinned Mina and nudged the halfa.

"Got that part right," Danny responded and took a bite out of a hamburger, as his eyes drifted towards one of the targets of his future revenge.

The halfa simply returned to his food, but he was soon nudged once more by his redheaded friend.

"What is it, pal?" Danny asked.

"Hey, check those out," he pointed at a bunch of white girls in cheerleading uniforms. "What's that thing about?"

"Cheerleaders? Seriously?" Danny deadpanned, as the girls noticed him staring and giggled. "Do I look funny?" He asked Kirishima.

"Come on, man, you are skilled in combat but denser than me. Someone is in his popular phase."

The halfa sighed. "I know that. Had a chance to see it firsthand. So they are fangirls, huh?"

"Or they laid their eyes on you," Mina rolled hers. "Sheesh, sometimes I wonder if it's just an act of yours."

"Huh?" Danny sounded genuinely surprised. "Oh, that way. I ain't falling for it again. The last cheerleader I dated had her mind taken over all along."

"Eh?" Both of his friends asked simultaneously.

Some time after the halfa was, surprisingly, approached by his purple-haired classmate of all people.

"Can I help you, Mineta?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, Fenton-san. I was wondering if you're doing something about the upcoming cheer battle."

"Cheer...what are you talking about?" Phantom rubbed his temple.

"Yeah, Mineta, please explain," Mina added.

"So you don't know? We just heard from Aizawa that the girls will be taking part in a cheer battle. You should have known this as a class rep."

If Mineta was looking straight into Danny's eyes, he would have immediately given away that something was not right.

"I...can't say I know that," the halfa rubbed the back of his neck, before shrugging. "Then again, I am a lousy rep."

"Don't worry, Fenton-san! I've already told the girls."

"Of course you have," Danny deadpanned. "Wait, didn't Aizawa say he was going to have a nap?"

"Oh, he just...said this before going."

The halfa didn't feel like he believed Mineta's words. Before he could address this, however, the small boy had already left. Something told him that he should verify that information and save the girls some humiliation. He had an idea for a shorter way. Kendo could be the solution to his problem. It didn't take long for him to find her. Being Yanagi's best friend, she was bound to stay close to the one holding on to Phantom's ectoenergy. The one he could sense clearly. That came across creepier than intended. Nonetheless, a brief talk to the redhead and the ever-shy former companion of his, a rather embarrassing one to be more precise, clarified one thing — that someone was full of shit.

And what do you know, one of those people turned up just here and then.

"Heeey, Fenton-san," came Kaminari's hesitant voice that soured Phantom's mood.

"Kaminari," Danny greeted.

"Look, dude...I was just meaning to say I'm sorry, alright? You told all of us about your trauma, but I still went along with that plan."

The halfa shrugged. "A bit early for that," he responded. "We still have a round ahead of us. You only have one attack, so if we fight...you get the idea."

"Oh, ehm...I'm sorry for that in advance?"

Danny gave a devious smirk. "What makes you think I'll let you even take a step, though?" He asked, making the human teen gulp. "Alright...you are forgiven. But just so you know, I'll do anything to stop that from repeating. Even if it means beating you unconscious," Danny patted Kaminari on the shoulder and went back to his friends.

The electricity-wielding teen released a sigh, full of hopes that he wouldn't have to face that menace again. But, one thing he had indisputably achieved — he managed to buy some time for his and Mineta's plan.

Danny returned to his friends, who by then had finished their own lunch. And he found only Kirishima.

"She decided to join the rest just in case. They were in a hurry," the redhead explained.

"Ain't that just peachy," Danny grumbled.

"Hey, maybe it's not so bad..." Kirishima said slowly, not entirely opposed to the idea of his girl classmates in nice outfits.

"I don't think they will share your opinion."

"Come on, Danny," the redhead wrapped his arm around his friend's neck. "I know you are dense, but you really gotta start enjoying what you can get."

"All we are getting is a bunch of girls who are going to stick out and die from embarrassment," responded Phantom, "And only I get to be a dead man walking here," he added, before the bell rang. The bell that signalised the end of the lunchtime and called for the people present to gather in the stadium once more. "Whelp. They are screwed now."

"Maybe we will catch up to them, they couldn't have gotten far," Kirishima said, accepting his friend's stance. Honestly, why did the usually uncaring teen have to act so incessantly serious at the most inappropriate times?

The two friends made their way to the arena, but the girls must have departed earlier and had taken a different route, for Danny and Kirishima didn't see them on the way to the stadium before it was too late. There they were, dressed in cheerleader uniforms they had taken from god knows where. The boys' surprise was not as profound as others', for they at least knew that this was going to happen. From their faces Danny could read just what he had expected, and he couldn't help a slight sense of guilt coming up. He could go faster, but his...less celibate celibate side must have been at fault. He couldn't make out what the girls were talking about over the noise of the crowd, but he saw Mineta and Kaminari relishing that view.

"So those two were involved," Danny grumbled, realising that he had been tricked.

"Gonna take revenge for that too?"

"Nah. This one the girls can handle, I think," the halfa shrugged, before noticing the confused glances other students were giving the girls of class 1-A.

It was a strong form of Spanish shame. But, whilst empathising with their plight, he knew there were more important things. He had made it to the final round, and he was there to win. Kaminari and Todoroki had done no small job in igniting his competitive spirit. The goal was far from noble, but it was clear and worth striving for in the eyes of a creature as vengeful as a ghost, even if partial. To make sure those two were trampled beneath him was all the revenge he could allow himself. It was, after all, the most humane way of doing so. His partial kin usually picked a different approach.

After the actual cheerleaders, who, as Present Mic explained, were invited all the way from America, finished their show, all students, even those who had failed the last two rounds, were invited towards the stage where Midnight was waiting for them.

"All right, everyone! Let's have some fun competing in the recreational games! When that's over, the sixteen participants that made it into the final round will duke it out tournament-style, one on one!"

And upon this, a lot of observant people noticed one huge discrepancy both on the screen and what was being said.

"Wait..." Tsu mumbled and turned towards her raven-haired classmate. "Fenton-san, your team had only two members, kero."

Danny nodded. "Yep. Guess we're in for a last minute surprise," he said sarcastically, before turning to Kirishima, who had stars in his eyes. "You alright, man?"

"I'm going to stand on the same stage that I watch every year on TV," he said.

"Now, let's draw our lots and decide on the bracket," Midnight pulled out a box. "Now, many of you probably wonder how we are filling the last two remaining slots, since we only have fourteen winners. It has been decided that the captains of the fifth and sixth teams shall be allowed to take part as well."

That meant two new contestants. Class B immediately looked towards the members of team Tetsutetsu, and their corresponding captain, who wore a shocked expression on his face.

"Really?" He asked. "But all members of our team just as much as I did!"

"Maybe," said his teammate, the one with lipless face and revealed teeth, and put a hand on the teen's shoulder. "But you still showed that you deserve getting into the next round. Do you agree?" He looked at the other two teammates, who nodded in agreement. "See?"

The loudmouth teen resisted the urge to shed a manly tear, showing how touched he was by the trust.

"I will do my best," he promised and punched his palm.

"We're sure you will!" Kendo gave a thumbs up.

"Hey, Yanagi-san!" Tetsutetsu excitedly called for the quiet girl. "Guess we both got in!"

Yanagi gave a small smile and nodded.

And the sixth team was not as vocal about their choice. Shinso was the team's captain, but neither the congratulations nor relief was shown. To be frank, none of them felt like they themselves deserved getting further, save for Aoyama. Shinso's feelings, however, remained an enigma, just like his Quirk. Danny stared at him for some time, trying in vain to read him, but the teen was like a stone in that regard. He shared that air with Aizawa, the halfa realised, but did not say this.

Then arrived the time to draw lots. The matches were quite intriguing.

As such, Tetsutetsu was going to be faced by Kirishima. Two teens of great physical strength and the ability to withstand a great deal of damage. The next pair were Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu — an interesting pick as well, for one could counteract the shadow with light-emitting devices, but were too different in fighting styles to make that interesting. They were followed by a pair of girls: Mina was facing off against Yanagi. And the audience was left wondering how they could properly use their Quirks against one another. One would have to be either inventive or redundant. The list went on, showing several more intriguing matches, with Midoriya being put against the enigmatic general studies student, or, finally, Fenton facing off against Kaminari.

When the latter read that, he prayed that he had misread. But no. Everyone shot him sympathetic glances, but when Kaminari turned to Fenton, he saw a grisly, toothy grin flashed towards him, and a pair of devious toxic green eyes.

"I'm so dead," Kaminari said with a meek voice.

"I'll take good care of your doujinshi, Kaminari-san," Mineta reassured.

"I gave you no permission!"

After every matchup was agreed upon and written down, Present Mic continued his job as a narrator.

"Alright, now when that's outta way, let's commence a momentary interlude!"

What followed next was a round of recreational games. The contestants for the next round were allowed to skip those, and many decided to use the time off to prepare, each in a different manner. Some devised their strategies, some rested, focusing on what was coming next. Danny decided to unwind, so he chose to play as well, without relying much on his powers. After his duplicate had brought snacks and water from the sellers standing outside. Joined by Kirishima, they soon decided to go on a scavenger hunt. A harmless activity, aimed at making the students and the viewers ease up. Besides, the journalists and agents did not go anywhere, although the interest from them was evidently much smaller. Good publicity was good, no matter what size.

"Alright, what have you got?" Asked Danny as Kirishima flipped his card.

"Sunglasses," he responded. "You?"

"A dog," the halfa responded dryly. "Just kill me again."

There were other games, like a ball race, and in general it was good time. Perhaps Danny could come across as careless, indulging in the games instead of making preparations. But in all honesty, he was not the only finalist who took that time off. He saw others competing in that friendly round. His eyes caught Yanagi during the ball race. She was obviously using that time to get accustomed to the augmented Quirk of hers. He noticed that without his presence, her Quirk manifested with purple glow still, but it did possess some specs of green. Danny figured he should observe her, lest his ectoplasm did something nasty to everyone involved.

"You feeling alright?" The halfa asked as Yanagi pushed the giant ball forward with her telekinesis.

"It's...nothing out of ordinary," the girl responded.

"You just need to get the hang of it," Kendo gave a thumbs up. "She does, right?" The redhead turned to the halfa.

"Well..." Danny hummed. "Human bodies have some limits. Yanagi-san's are admittedly bigger." He said and turned to the girl in question. "If you feel burning or chills that come from within, don't hesitate to use your Quirk. Ectoplasm needs release or it starts piling up and eating organic matter. My charge lets you grasp more residual energies, and expose yourself to larger amounts of those. But in our line of work this shouldn't be an issue at all. You'll come to use it a lot, after all."

Yanagi blinked. "I didn't know there were such downsides."

"I can take it any time if it causes you any discomfort," Danny offered. "Power doesn't come cheap. My heart doesn't beat, for one."

At this, he received a couple of concerned glances.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm an actual ghost," he sarcastically stated the truth. "Don't worry, I promise you'll be fine."

"Someone is a master of comforting," Kendo responded sarcastically.

"It's better than not knowing," Yanagi said. "Thank you for the warning. I'll keep this in mind."

And finally, the time for recreation was over. Danny himself situated at the special seat alongside his classmates, a bag of popcorn in his hands. He could as well enjoy it while watching. During the time off Cementoss created a fighting arena with his Quirk — a spacious rectangular one.

"Alright, everyone!" Present Mic shouted in excitement. "Here it comes, the finals you've all been waiting for are starting! Match number one: Hitoshi Shinso versus Midoriya Izuku! Even though he's done well, what's with that face?" The announcer commented on the photo of the anxious green-haired teen. "Well, no matter, the rules of this round are simple! Force your opponent out of bounds or immobilise them! You can also win by making your opponent say "I give up!". Bring on the injuries, for our own Recovery Girl is waiting on the standby! Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment. But of course, everything life-threatening is crap! It's not allowed! Heroes must use their fists only to capture villains!"

"I'll stop them if things go too far," said Cementoss, who sat on a cement chair and assumed the position of a ref.

"Alright, now, start!"

The fight did not begin immediately. Shinso was hardly a loudmouth, so his and Midoriya's conversation couldn't be properly heard over the noises around. However, whatever the indigo-haired teen said, it must have infuriated the usually non-confrontational student. It did surprise the half-ghost to observe this, but even more so what followed next. After making just a few steps, Midoriya froze in spot. And Ojiro jumped from his seat not so far from Danny and yelled.

"No! I went through all the trouble of warning him, too!" He exclaimed, grabbing his head. The rest of his classmates were at the edge of their seats as well.

"Hey, hey! What's the matter?" Asked Present Mic. "This is an important first match! Liven things up! Midoriya! The match just started and he is completely frozen?! He isn't moving a muscle! Is this Shinso's Quirk? He didn't stand out at all and yet it is something so amazing!"

"What's...going on?" Asked Uraraka.

"Blank look, lack of hostility...yep, signs are all there," Danny mumbled. "So, mind control it is, Shinso?" He asked nobody in particular.

"What!?" The classmates turned to him.

"This does make sense," mumbled Yaoyorozu. "Is there a way to fight it?"

She asked this, as Shinso issued his simple command to Midoriya— to walk out of bounds on his own.

"I have no idea," responded Phantom. "I'm not brainwashing anyone, I take over bodies. But if it's anything like my overshadowing...enough willpower must snap him out of his trance."

"But to do that his mind must be awake, kero," commented Tsu. "We don't know that."

"I think a jolt should work as well," answered Ojiro. "I told this to Midoriya...but I snapped out of trance after I accidentally ran into someone. But there's nobody who can do that to Midoriya," he said worriedly.

Everyone remained tense, they saw how Midoriya was walking towards his seemingly imminent defeat. But then, when he was close to the edge, something happened, and to Danny's own shock, a gust of air escaped his mouth.

"What the..."

The next second a powerful shockwave emerged from where Midoriya stood, strong enough for everyone to feel the air blowing into their faces. And when the dust settled, Midoriya was still standing at the edge, still not out of bounds, and most importantly — free of Shinso's control.

"Midoriya's has stopped!" Present Mic exclaimed over the noise of the elated crowd.

"Midoriya!" Exclaimed Iida with relief.

"I'm...I'm so glad," Uraraka breathed out.

Danny rose from his seat and approached the railing, his eyes piercing into the green-haired teen. Nobody expected such a lively reaction, but the interest of his was not only due to Midoriya's trick, which left two of his fingers wounded and swollen. Phantom's ghost sense had been triggered, and its source was located exactly where Midoriya stood. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, which made the halfa all the more confused. And besides, he sensed not one, but many traces that showed up for a fraction of a second. Powerful ones, which couldn't belong to someone with ectoplasm-using Quirk. But if they came, then where were they now? Something wasn't right!

But his shock at the underline of Midoriya's unexpected comeback remained largely unnoticed. Everyone was too focused on the match.

"What did you do?!" Shinso demanded to know.

Midoriya stopped himself from responding by putting a palm over his mouth.

"Why won't he answer?" Asked Kirishima.

"Because he finally remembered," Ojiro released a relieved sigh. "I had a theory that Shinso's Quirk activates when someone answers him."

That was quite convenient. Just saying nothing could easily negate Shinso's power. However, Kirishima saw that his friend was very distressed.

"Is everything alright, Fenton?"

"I just sensed...nevermind," Danny responded.

He knew that nobody but him believed in ghosts. It was pointless. And he didn't really know what was going on. In the meantime, Midoriya started approaching Shinso once more. He ran forward, before finally ramming into the general studies student, ignoring the provocative shouts of the latter. Grabbing Shinso, Midoriya started pushing him back, clearly being the stronger one despite the size difference.

"Say something!" Shinso exclaimed and punched Midoriya in the face, leaving a bloodied nose.

But his opponent was unrelenting, so Shinso changed the tactic. He hit Midoriya into his already wounded hand, breaking out of the grip, getting behind the enemy and now attempting to push Midoriya out first. But in the end, the student of 1-A seized the rival once more, and followed it with a shoulder toss and slammed Shinso out of bounds.

The audience exploded into cheers of excitement, and it was no different for 1-A. Danny let himself snap out of his thoughts and let out a cheer of his own.

"That was so manly!" Kirishima said.

"I think I'll go congratulate him in person," Added Danny and turned to leave.

"But he will be coming here soon."

"I'm quite impatient."

He needed to know for sure. That energy amount clearly did not belong to a human.

Danny knew where to go. Midoriya may have won, but his fingers were damaged after...the boy used his Quirk. That story had some missing pieces, so Danny went to the hospital to shed some light onto it. His match wasn't coming anytime soon, in any case. As the halfa traversed the corridors and rounded a corner, he accidentally bumped into a frail blonde man wearing a suit.

"Ouch, sorry," Danny rubbed his forehead, before looking the surprised-looking man over and blinking. "Uhm...are you from U.A. staff?"

"Wh-what makes you think so?" The man chuckled nervously.

"This is a restricted area, no?" Asked Danny.

"Alright, you got me, I do work here. But I needed to go to a hospital."

The halfa tilted his head. "For what?"

Why did young Fenton have to be nosy then all of a sudden?

"I...have a headache, young...child. Nothing serious."

"I was just heading there, too. We can go together, sir."

Toshinori gulped. That certainly complicated the matters. And he couldn't just say no, all hopes were on Recovery girl understanding the predicament. The two of them made it to the hospital wing, where the entrance was decorated with girly stickers. Toshinori always found her inner childishness amusing. He also was the one who walked in first, earning the reaction from Midoriya, who had his fingers and upper palm wrapped in bandages.

"All..."

And then Midoriya noticed Danny peeking in before he had the time to finish the sentence.

"Hey, pal, congrats on your win," the halfa smirked. "Hello to you too, old lady."

"As impertinent as the last time," Recovery girl grumbled.

"What last time?" Asked Midoriya.

"He still refuses to go through half of the checkups," the short old woman grumbled.

"Force of habit," Danny shrugged. "You'll get my weapon-grade blood over my fully dead body."

Toshinori coughed slightly, about to say something of his own, but the halfa noticed this and beat him to it.

"Oh, right. This guy needs some medicine for his headache."

Midoriya could see the discomfort, and All Might would not have come without a reason. Yet, he couldn't reveal himself in front of the halfa, so he had to go. An excuse was needed.

"Uhm, thank you for coming, Fenton-san. I'll join you guys up there soon."

Surprisingly, a smile on Danny's face wavered, and he turned more serious.

"I was also curious," he said and leaned against the wall. "What you did out there was pretty...odd. You haven't seen anything by any chance? Or anyONE?"

Midoriya's face was a strange mix between shock, curiosity and fright at how Danny pinpointed what happened so precisely.

"H-how did you...know that?" He asked, and All Might tensed up as well. They both had a question in their mind. Did he know about the Quirk?

"It's a speculation," Danny scratched his chin. "You know I can sense ectoplasmic energies. When you used your Quirk, I felt it. That's odd, because up until now I got nothing when you used it. And at such a scale, too. You'll think I'm crazy, but did you see someone...else in that arena? Someone who did not appear human?"

"Do you mean that someone else was there?" Asked Recovery girl in shock.

"I...don't know. That's why I'm asking. I never felt this much energy from a human, so I suspected something else," Danny's look turned even more serious. "You clearly saw someone, Midoriya, didn't you?"

"I didn't," the human teen lied through his teeth. Midoriya panicked. He suspected what those 'beings' were. But Danny didn't need to know that. He was getting awfully close to his and All Might's most important secret. "It's nothing serious, Fenton-san."

Danny stared at Midoriya for some time, before sighing. "I'm just worried, is all. I know that this much ectoplasm can kill a normal human. And if it's not someone from the outside but your own Quirk...you catch the memo."

"I'm fine, Fenton-san," the teen reassured. "I promise."

Danny nodded, but on the inside he was still torn. Midoriya looked fine enough, so his Quirk must have allowed him to handle that much ectoplasm. Maybe he was worried for nothing. But why did he feel a surge of energy only now? Midoriya didn't look like he himself knew what it was all about, so the halfa chose not to press yet. Maybe Midoriya's Quirk simply had more layers to it than he had thought.

"If you say so," Danny mumbled. "People who know of ectoplasm rarely understand how dangerous that thing is. More so than beings that are comprised of it. If something weird happens, like you starting to see things or feeling like you are twisted inside out, just ring me up. I told this to Yanagi-san already, but I can always remove the excess," he said with good intentions in heart.

Unfortunately, All Might gained a new fear at that very moment. He got reminded that it was within Phantom's power to reach his hand and take the torch that had been passed from generation to generation. From behind Danny's back the blonde motioned that the discussion had to end. But luckily, it was Danny that deemed the talk over.

"Anyways, we're waiting for ya up there," Danny smirked and turned to leave. "Again, congrats on your win!" he gave a thumbs up and left.

All Might released a sigh. "That was awfully close," he commented. "Now that we are alone...young Midoriya, did you tell him the truth?"

"No," Midoriya shook his head, staring at the door. "In reality, his guess was scarily on point."

"So you saw something?"

The teen nodded. "There...were silhouettes, of eight or nine people, I'm not sure. You were there, too."

"Young Fenton appeared confident that you were seeing..."

"Ghosts," Midoriya finished. "But you are still alive, so it can't be right. But do you think that I was seeing the people who had inherited One for All?"

All Might appeared shaken. "All of this is scary stuff. I also saw something like this before, in my younger days. It's a clear sign you got a better grasp on One for All. I think it's like a trace of something they left behind in One for All. It's not something with intent that can interfere with you, nor can you interfere with them."

"But Fenton-san clearly noticed their presence, too. I'm confused," Midoriya scratched his temple.

All Might's look turned serious. "Young Midoriya, you must also realise the threat Young Fenton may pose even if non-intentionally."

"What do you mean?" Midoriya's eyes went wide. "Fenton-san is a good friend and class representative."

"Yes, but you heard and saw him. He is fully capable of taking One for All."

"He said that it works only with Quirks that use ectoplasmic ener..." a look of realisation crossed the boy's features.

"Which he just confirmed that you may have. Even if...indirectly. Young Midoriya, I don't believe young Fenton to be a dark force waiting to strike. But nobody else must be allowed to take hold of something as powerful as One for All, be it a copy or unintentional passing, you have to understand. And if you get high enough in today's ranks, there's no doubt you'll have to face him. And there's no guarantee that he will be conscious of the consequences and doesn't decide to take..."

All Might didn't finish his sentence, because he was hit by a syringe-lookalike cane of the local nurse.

"Since when is number one hero this paranoid?" Recovery girl asked. "I'll be more worried about Fenton's own wellbeing."

"What do you mean, Recovery girl?" Asked Midoriya.

"I already told you that he missed half of the checkups. But from what I already gathered...he shouldn't be alive by any logic."

Both visitors stared at her, making the old woman sigh.

"Quirks always manifest themselves logically. Quirk factors adapt the whole body, change it so that it can fulfil the purpose. Some are born with Quirks that wound and cripple them. Fenton's...should by all logical sense kill him. His bones and muscles are not fit for super strength, his eyes and hands are not built to fire lasers, his whole body cannot logically withstand low temperatures with ease. And yet he does all that and more. He lacks a heartbeat, and I don't even know how he breathes. I really wanted to check his Quirk factor, but he refuses to let me. Same went for his blood."

"That's even scarier," All Might shivered. "So you are saying that taking One for All may actually kill him?"

"Well, yes and no. On one hand, he seems to be doing fine even without a heart. Somehow. I'm not going to cut him open to find out. But on the other, we never know what can be a final nail."

"All of those are simply theories," Midoriya sighed and got up from his seat. "I'll make sure he doesn't take One for All, intentionally or not. But I know that Danny doesn't want to do anything bad to anyone."

"We all know. I just...knew someone who wasn't as amicable," All Might mumbled solemnly. "And I'm afraid that he won't pull the brakes when it is much needed and will only end up harming himself and others. Well, off you go now. The tournament is just starting!"

A small cloud was released around the man as his gargantuan form was displayed.

"I'm certain you will only show your best!" He reassured his protégé with his signature grin.

Midoriya made his way to the seats of his class. Once he was there, he was immediately greeted by Uraraka's joyful cheer.

"Hey, Deku!" She called for him.

"We saved a seat for you," Iida added.

"Thank you," Midoriya smiled, before his look drifted to his other classmates.

Ojiro gave him a smile and a thumbs up. Then the green-haired boy looked at another group, where Danny was lively chatting with Kirishima about something, not noticing the newest arrival. And after everything talked about in the nurse office, Danny's inconsiderate words back from back then flashed in the boy's mind.

'I know that this much ectoplasm can kill a normal human.'

'How would you know it, Fenton-san?' Midoriya asked himself grimly, before sitting in his spot.

-Linebreak-

"Alright!" Present Mic's voice rang throughout the arena. "Next on the line are...these guys!"

The giant screen showed the next pair: Todoroki versus Sero.

"Alright," the commentator looked at the latter. "He's good, but what's with the plainness he just can't get rid of? From the hero course, it's Sero Hanta!" He gave his totally unbiased commentary. "Versus. Taking fourth, then second in the prelims, you are pretty strong, kid! He wasn't recommended for admission for nothing! Also from the hero course, Todoroki Shoto! And now, for the second round...begin!"

Sero did not waste a second. He immediately released his tape forward, wrapping the fabric around Todoroki's body. And then he attempted to fling the opponent out of bounds.

"A surprise attack! Don't you think it was the best choice for the situation? Seriously, get him, Sero!"

And then, the previously silent Todoroki's feet touched the ground. And immediately ice emerged from beneath his legs, a lot of ice. The overwhelming amount in but a split second grew in size that was previously deemed incomprehensible. With a powerful earthquake that shook the arena, Todoroki's entire power went into creating a glacier that was the size of several cruise ships piled together. It went up and up, higher than the stadium itself. Danny was more than impressed at that display, tapping on the ice that reached his very own front seat.

"Don't...you think it was too much?" Asked fully frozen Sero with cluttering teeth.

Half-frozen Midnight did not look amused. "Sero-kun. Can you move?"

"O-Of course not."

"Todoroki advances to the second round!" Midnight announced.

-Linebreak-

"Apologies for the lengthy wait! We had to wait until the ice was removed!" Present Mic spoke. "On to the next match!"

And as he said it, Danny made his way to the arena. The moment of reckoning made his core flutter in excitement. Something which could not be said about Kaminari.

"First comes the undisputed leader of the prelims from class 1-A, the one who scored higher than All Might during the entrance exam! Fenton Daniel from 1-A!"

"Aw, I'm blushing," Danny mumbled, hiding his embarrassment.

"Higher than All Might?" A collective murmur traveled around the shocked audience and the viewer base.

And an elated laughter sounded in an underground lab.

"Against him — Sparking Killing boy, Kaminari from class 1-A!"

Kaminari heard a stifled laugh coming from his opponent.

"Now, let's have a flashy battle just like the last one!" Present Mic shouted.

Kaminari was scared, that much was obvious, for Fenton's malicious grin did not go anywhere. He had only one chance at salvation — he had to strike immediately.

"Indiscriminate shock, 1.3 million bolts!" He exclaimed as the sparks of electricity danced around him.

Phantom knew what was coming, but that time there was a major difference. His still ice blue eyes were focused on his opponent. The next moment a powerful charge of electricity was released, but the halfa lazily waved his palm and conjured a dome over himself. Kaminari, who was slowly getting his brain fried by the very electricity who was using, and the audience as well observed how under the dome Danny conjured himself a glowing green chair as well. Sitting on it with a smug grin and waiting until the electric storm was over. Kaminari was helpless to stop his attack, and soon after, the braindead teen could only stand in place with a vacant expression, drooling.

Danny's smirk did not go anywhere as he removed the shield, standing up. "You shouldn't let the scare make you fire without thinking," he lectured, knowing full well that Kaminari was in no state to heed the advice. And then his eyes glowed green.

"The battle has been decided so quickly!" Present Mic exclaimed. "In just an instant! Wait, what's he doing with that chair...oof, that's gotta hurt."