Fern sat on an examination table in a private room, Recovery Girl checking her vitals for the third time.
The elderly woman's healing quirk had already been used extensively on the more seriously injured. Aizawa had a fractured arm and severe facial trauma, Thirteen had cracked ribs, several students had minor injuries.
Fern was physically unharmed. Not a scratch.
That itself was suspicious.
"Heart rate normal. Blood pressure normal. And no signs of quirk exhaustion." Recovery Girl stepped back, studying her. "You fought a creature designed to match All Might, maintained multiple high-powered barriers, suppressed dozens of quirks simultaneously, and you're not even tired."
"I'm tired," Fern said.
"Your body says otherwise." Recovery Girl tapped her cane against the floor. "Normal quirk users show physiological strain after heavy usage. Elevated heart rate, depleted glucose, even micro-tears in muscle tissue. You show none of that."
"Maybe my quirk is more efficient than normal."
"Or maybe it's not a quirk at all."
The words hung in the air.
Fern kept her expression neutral. "What else would it be?"
"That's what everyone wants to know." Recovery Girl moved to the door. "Principal Nezu, Aizawa, and Detective Tsukauchi are waiting to speak with you. The detective's quirk is lie detection, so I suggest you think very carefully about your answers."
She left.
Fern sat alone, mind racing.
A lie detection quirk. That's... problematic.
She couldn't lie directly. But she could tell truths that led to false conclusions. She could omit information. She could be vague.
The key is not to think of it as lying. Just selective honesty.
The door opened. Three people entered.
Principal Nezu, with teacup in hand and expression cheerful as always. Aizawa, arm in a cast, his face bandaged, and his eyes exhausted but sharp. And a man in a brown coat; Detective Tsukauchi, presumably. He looked tired, professional, the kind of tired that came from seeing too much darkness.
"Hayashi-san," Nezu began, settling into a chair. "First, let me say, you performed admirably today. You saved lives, including Aizawa's. UA owes you a debt of gratitude."
"I did what anyone would do."
"No," Aizawa said flatly. "You did what a trained combatant would do. There's a difference."
Detective Tsukauchi pulled out a notepad. "I'm going to ask you some questions. My quirk allows me to detect lies, so please answer honestly. This isn't an interrogation, we're trying to understand what happened today."
Fern nodded. "Okay."
"Let's start simple. What is your quirk's official name?"
"It doesn't have an official name. The registry classifies it as Energy Manipulation with Suppression capabilities. Principal Nezu recently theorized it might be psychokinetic."
Tsukauchi's expression didn't change. "True. Do you believe your quirk is psychokinetic?"
"I don't know what it is," Fern said honestly. "I know what it does, but not how or why."
"True." He made a note. "When did you first manifest your quirk?"
"Age four. At a park. I suppressed another child's fire quirk."
"True. Have you received formal combat training?"
Careful.
"I've taken self-defense classes. And quirk control training since I was four."
"Partially true." Tsukauchi looked up. "You've had more than self-defense classes."
"I've trained myself," Fern amended. "Practiced in private. Studied combat theory. I wanted to be prepared."
"True, but incomplete." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you ever killed someone?"
The question hit like a physical blow.
Fern's mind flashed to the war. To demons dissolving under her spells. To dark mages whose hearts she'd stopped. To enemies who'd attacked her party and never walked away.
But those were in another life. Another world. This body had never killed anyone.
"No," she said.
"...True." Tsukauchi looked puzzled. "But you hesitated."
"The question surprised me."
"True." He made another note. "During the USJ attack, you demonstrated capabilities far beyond your documented quirk. Barriers, enhanced speed, suppression of multiple quirks simultaneously. Can you explain this discrepancy?"
"When I'm under stress, my quirk becomes stronger. More versatile. I don't understand the mechanism, but it's happened before."
"True." He exchanged glances with Nezu and Aizawa. "Do you have multiple quirks?"
"I only have one quirk registered."
"That's not what I asked. Do you have multiple quirks?"
He's good. Forcing me to be specific.
"I believe I have one quirk with multiple applications," Fern said carefully. "Not multiple separate quirks."
"You believe. But you're not certain."
"I'm not certain."
"True." Tsukauchi leaned back. "Hayashi-san, I'm going to be direct. Your performance today was extraordinary. Veteran heroes would struggle against what you faced. Yet you're fifteen years old with no documented combat experience. How?"
Fern met his eyes. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just naturally talented."
"False."
Damn.
"You're lying about not knowing," Tsukauchi said. "You do know why you're so capable. You just won't tell us."
Silence filled the room.
Nezu sipped his tea. "It's alright, Hayashi-san. Everyone has secrets. But when those secrets could affect the safety of other students, we need at least partial transparency."
"I'm not a threat to other students," Fern said.
"True," Tsukauchi confirmed. "But that doesn't answer the question of what you are."
"I'm a student trying to become a hero."
"True. Also evasive." He closed his notebook. "Let me try a different approach. Is your quirk connected to something other than typical biological mutation?"
He's fishing. Testing different angles.
"I don't understand the question."
"False. You understand perfectly."
Fern said nothing.
Aizawa spoke for the first time. "Hayashi. When I used my quirk on you during the USJ attack—briefly, before Nomu interfered—your abilities didn't stop. I erased your quirk factor, but you kept moving at enhanced speed. You kept using suppression fields. Explain."
He noticed. Of course he noticed.
"Maybe your quirk didn't work on mine," Fern suggested.
"My quirk works on everything quirk-based. That's the point." Aizawa's eyes were hard. "Unless your abilities aren't quirk-based at all."
The room went very quiet.
Nezu set down his teacup. "That's an interesting theory, Aizawa. What do you think, Hayashi-san? Could your abilities be non-quirk-based?"
"How would that even work?" Fern asked. "Quirks are genetic. If I have abilities, they have to come from somewhere."
"True. She genuinely doesn't see a contradiction," Tsukauchi said. "Whatever she is, she believes it's possible within this world's framework."
"Or she's from outside this world's framework entirely," Aizawa muttered.
Fern's blood went cold.
He's guessing. But he's guessing correctly.
Nezu's eyes gleamed. "An alternate dimension? Reincarnation? Some form of transmigration? Those are myths, Aizawa."
"So were quirks, once upon a time."
"Gentlemen," Tsukauchi interrupted. "We're speculating without evidence. Let me ask directly." He turned to Fern. "Are you from this world?"
How do I answer this? The body is from this world. But my mind, my memories, my soul...
"I was born in Musutafu General Hospital fifteen years ago," Fern said. "Hayashi Kenji and Hayashi Yuki are my parents. I have a birth certificate, medical records, school records. I am from this world."
"...True." Tsukauchi frowned. "But phrased very specifically."
"Because you're asking complicated questions that don't have simple answers."
"True."
Nezu leaned forward. "Let me try. Hayashi-san, do you have memories of a life before this one?"
Fern's heart hammered. He went straight for it.
"Everyone has memories," she said. "That's what makes us human."
"Evasive, but true." Tsukauchi's expression was sharp now. "Do you have memories of experiences you shouldn't have at your age? Combat, for instance. War. Death."
I can't lie directly. But I can redirect.
"I have dreams sometimes," Fern said slowly. "Vivid ones. About fighting. About magic. About people I've never met in this life."
"True. 'This life', huh, interesting phrasing." Tsukauchi made rapid notes. "Do you believe these dreams are memories?"
"I don't know what they are."
"True, she's genuinely uncertain." He looked at the others. "This is consistent with some psychological quirks. False memory implantation, past life recall, genetic memory. There are documented cases."
"Are there cases of genetic memory that include combat skills?" Aizawa asked.
"A few. Usually from families with long hero histories."
"Hayashi's parents are civilians."
Nezu raised a paw. "Perhaps we're overthinking this. Hayashi-san, regardless of the source of your abilities; quirk, mutation, psychological phenomenon, or something else entirely, the question remains: Can you control them?"
"Yes."
"True. Will you use them to harm students or staff at UA?"
"No."
"True. Do you intend to become a hero?"
Fern paused. "I intend to protect people."
"True. Not quite the same thing, but close enough." Nezu smiled. "Then I see no reason to expel you or prevent you from continuing your education."
"Principal—" Aizawa started.
"She saved your life, Aizawa. She protected her classmates. She fought against overwhelming odds without hesitation. Those are the qualities we want in heroes." Nezu's expression became serious. "Yes, she's unusual. Yes, she has secrets. But who doesn't? We'll monitor her, certainly. But punishing her for being exceptional seems counterproductive."
Aizawa looked like he wanted to argue but couldn't find solid ground.
Tsukauchi closed his notebook. "For what it's worth, I don't detect malicious intent. Whatever Hayashi-san is, she genuinely wants to help people."
"Then we're done here," Nezu said. "Hayashi-san, you're cleared to return to classes tomorrow. Though I imagine you'll want to rest after today's excitement."
Fern stood. "Thank you, Principal."
"One more thing." Nezu's eyes were sharp despite his cheerful tone. "The League of Villains will remember you. Shigaraki specifically mentioned figuring out 'what you really are.' That makes you a target."
"I can handle myself."
"True," Tsukauchi confirmed. "Very true, actually. She's extremely confident in her combat abilities."
"Confidence is good. Overconfidence is dangerous." Nezu hopped down from his chair. "We'll be increasing security around you. Discreetly. And I want you to report any suspicious activity immediately."
"Understood."
They left.
Fern sat back down on the examination table, alone again.
They know something's wrong. They don't know what, but they know I'm not normal.
But they're not expelling me. Not restricting me. They're... watching. Waiting for me to reveal more.
Nezu's strategy. Give me enough rope to either prove myself or hang myself.
The door opened again. This time, it was Midoriya.
"Um, Hayashi-san? Can I... can I talk to you?"
His notebook was clutched in both hands. His expression was earnest, nervous, analytical.
The problem child. The one who thinks too much.
"Come in," Fern said.
***
Midoriya sat down, fidgeting.
"I wanted to say thank you. For protecting everyone at the USJ. You were incredible."
"I did what needed to be done."
"Right, but..." He opened his notebook. Pages and pages of notes, diagrams, quirk analysis. "Your quirk is really interesting. I've been trying to categorize it but it doesn't fit standard classifications."
"The principal thinks it's psychokinetic."
"Maybe? But psychokinetic quirks usually have limits. Range limits, power limits, focus requirements. Yours doesn't seem to have any of those." His eyes lit up with that particular intensity that came from someone obsessed with understanding. "You suppressed Kurogiri's warp quirk. That's spatial manipulation, one of the hardest things to counter. And you created barriers strong enough to stop Nomu. And you moved fast enough to pull Kacchan away from Shigaraki. Those are three completely different applications."
"Versatility is useful."
"But it's weird, right? Most quirks have a theme. Fire users create fire. Ice users create ice. Even combination quirks like Todoroki's follow a pattern; temperature manipulation. But yours is like... reality manipulation? You just decide things should be different and they are?"
He's too smart. Way too smart.
"That's one way to describe it," Fern said carefully.
"Have you always been able to do all of this? Or did your quirk evolve?"
"It's grown stronger as I've trained."
"True," Midoriya said absently, then froze. "Wait, I don't have a lie detection quirk. I shouldn't—" He shook his head. "Sorry. I'm asking too many questions. I do that. It's just... I spent years studying quirks because I didn't have one. Well, I thought I didn't. Turns out I did. It's complicated."
His quirk appeared suddenly. Late bloomer. That's unusual.
"How did you not know you had a quirk?" Fern asked.
Midoriya's expression shuttered. "That's... complicated. Family stuff."
He's lying. Or at least not telling the full truth. Interesting.
"I understand complicated," Fern said. "Some things are hard to explain."
"Yeah." He looked relieved. "Anyway, I just wanted to say, ummm, if you ever want to train together, or talk about quirk development, I'm available. We're both kind of... unusual, right? Might help to compare notes."
"Maybe."
"Cool! Okay, I'll let you rest. You probably need it after all that—" He paused. "Actually, you don't look tired at all. That's interesting too. Most people would be exhausted after—" He caught himself. "Right. I'm leaving. Sorry. Thank you again!"
He practically ran out of the room.
Fern sat in silence.
Midoriya is observant. Too observant. He's already noticed things others haven't.
I'll need to be careful around him.
Her phone buzzed. Message from Todoroki:
"Are you okay?"
She typed back: "Fine."
"Good. Bakugo wants to challenge you to a fight. I told him to wait until you're recovered. But he's insistent."
Of course he is.
"I'll deal with Bakugo later."
"Okay. Also… what you did today was impressive. You fight like a professional."
He's noticed too.
"Thank you."
"Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Fern stared at the message. Todoroki was direct, asking questions others only implied.
"Self-taught," she typed. "Lots of practice."
He didn't respond immediately. Then: "Nobody's that good self-taught. But I won't press. Everyone has secrets."
He understands. Or at least, he respects boundaries.
"Thank you."
"We're classmates. We should trust each other. But trust takes time."
"It does."
"Get some rest. Tomorrow will be difficult."
He was right. Tomorrow, she'd face her entire class. They'd all have questions. They'd all have theories.
And she'd have to navigate through it all without revealing what she really was.
A mage from another world, reincarnated into a society that doesn't believe in magic.
Simple.
***
That evening, UA faculty meeting.
Every teacher who'd been involved in the USJ incident was present. All Might; in his deflated form, looking exhausted. Aizawa, bandaged but functional. Thirteen, recovering but stable. Present Mic, Midnight, and others who'd responded to the emergency.
And Principal Nezu, presiding over it all.
"Let's address the obvious question," Nezu began. "What do we do about Hayashi Fern?"
"Expel her," someone suggested. "She's clearly hiding something dangerous."
"She saved Aizawa's life," All Might countered. "And protected the students. How is that dangerous?"
"Her power level is wrong," Aizawa said. "She's fifteen and fighting like she's been in a war. That's not normal development."
"Some people are prodigies," Midnight offered.
"Not like this." Aizawa pulled up footage from the USJ; security cameras had caught everything. "Watch this sequence. She identifies the Nomu as a threat immediately. No hesitation. She creates a barrier, then adjusts its structure in real-time as the Nomu adapts. That's combat intuition that takes decades to develop."
They watched the footage. Fern moving through the battlefield with eerie calm, suppressing quirks, creating barriers, and while walking like a cat, she even coordinating with other students without apparent effort.
"She moves like Eraserhead," Present Mic observed. "Efficient. No wasted motion. She's a pro."
"Exactly," Aizawa said. "And I never taught her that. So who did?"
"Maybe she taught herself," Thirteen suggested. "Some people are natural fighters."
"Or maybe she's not who she says she is," Aizawa countered.
"What are you suggesting?" All Might asked. "That she's a villain? A spy?"
"I'm suggesting she has a past we don't know about. And that past includes violence."
"Detective Tsukauchi confirmed she's never killed anyone," Nezu interjected.
"In this body, maybe. But what if—" Aizawa stopped himself.
"What if what?" Midnight pressed.
"What if she's a reincarnation. Or a body swap. Or some other phenomenon we don't have a category for yet."
The room went quiet.
"That's reaching," Present Mic said finally. "Come on, man. Occam's Razor. Simplest explanation is usually right."
"The simplest explanation is that she's an extremely talented quirk user with natural combat instincts," All Might agreed.
"Or," Nezu said quietly, "she's exactly what Aizawa suggests. Someone who lived before. Someone who died and was reborn with memories intact."
Everyone stared at the principal.
"You can't be serious," Midnight said.
"Why not? Quirks broke every rule we thought we knew about biology and physics. Why couldn't they break rules about consciousness and memory?" Nezu's paws wrapped around his teacup. "There are documented cases of children remembering past lives. Usually dismissed as imagination or psychological phenomena. But what if some of them are real?"
"That's..." Present Mic struggled for words. "That's insane."
"So are people who can shoot ice from their right side and fire from their left. We live in an insane world, Present Mic. We just call it normal now."
Aizawa leaned forward. "If you're right—if Hayashi is a reincarnation—what does that mean for UA? For hero society?"
"It means," Nezu said slowly, "that we have a student with potentially decades or centuries of experience in a teenager's body. Someone who's seen things we can't imagine. Fought battles we don't understand. And is now trying to fit into a world that's completely foreign to them."
"Or," All Might said, "she's just a talented kid and we're overthinking this."
"Perhaps." Nezu finished his tea. "But regardless of the truth, here's what we know: Hayashi Fern is powerful, skilled, and protective of others. She saved lives today. She acted heroically. Those are the facts."
"So we do nothing?" Aizawa asked.
"We observe. We support. We teach." Nezu's expression was firm. "We treat her like any other student, while remaining aware that she might be much more than that."
"And if she's dangerous?"
"Then I trust you to handle it, Aizawa. Your quirk can neutralize any threat." Nezu paused. "Assuming her abilities are quirk-based."
"You think they're not."
"I think we don't know enough to make that determination." Nezu stood. "Continue monitoring. But don't be hostile. If Hayashi-san is hiding something, pressure will make her retreat further. Kindness might encourage honesty."
The meeting adjourned.
As teachers filed out, All Might approached Aizawa.
"You really think she's dangerous?" the Symbol of Peace asked.
"I think she's unknown," Aizawa replied. "And unknown is always dangerous. But..." He glanced at his bandaged arm. "She could have let me die. Let the students die. Instead, she put herself at risk to protect us."
"That counts for something."
"It does. But it doesn't answer the question of what she is."
All Might had no response to that.
***
Fern's apartment, late night.
She couldn't sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the USJ. The Nomu's dead eyes. Shigaraki's unstable energy. The moment she'd dropped her mask and fought for real.
They know now. Not everything, but enough to be suspicious.
How long before they put all the pieces together?
Her phone lit up. Message from an unknown number:
"I know what you are."
Fern's blood went cold.
Another message: "Don't worry. I'm not going to expose you. I'm just curious. How does it feel, being so far from home?"
Who is this?
She typed: "Who are you?"
"Someone like you. Someone who doesn't quite fit. We should talk."
"Where?"
"Not yet. First, prove you're worth talking to. The League of Villains will come for you again. Shigaraki is obsessed with anomalies. When they come, survive. Then we'll talk."
"How do I contact you?"
"You don't. I'll contact you."
The conversation ended.
Fern stared at her phone.
Someone knows. Not UA. Someone else. Someone who claims to be 'like me.'
Another reincarnation? Someone from Earth? Or something else entirely?
She had no answers.
Only more questions.
And the certainty that her life at UA had just become infinitely more complicated.