Chapter 7
The next day felt more like your typical school day for Izuku and Raphtalia. While U.A. was designed to train the next generation of heroes and the people who supported them, such as engineers for their tech, the school also handled their full high school education. That included things like English, math, science, and art. Of course, classes were far more exciting when heroes were teaching them! How could anyone find thermal conduction boring when it was Power Loader teaching the class? Or discussing 'The Tale of Genji' with Cementoss? For Izuku, he hung onto every word that was spoken as he eagerly took notes.
Though there were some classes he was looking forward to more than others.
One of those classes was Modern Art taught by none other than Ms. Nemuri Kayama; A.K.A the pro-hero Midnight! Sadly he had to wait for the period right before lunch, but the moment the bell rang Izuku was the first to turn his head to look at the door as the R-Rated Hero slid it open with a flourish. Izuku's eyes sparkled with awe as he watched her saunter into the classroom, dressed in her hero uniform, just like she had all those years prior in the hospital. Briefly, he glanced over at Raphtalia whose eyes were sparkling in the same way. Though that wasn't the only thing he noticed. While he didn't need to see Mineta, who was seated right behind him, to know that the tiny gremlin was looking at Midnight with pure lust, Izuku saw that there were a few who were slightly blushing at their teacher's entrance.
Once she reached the front of the class, Midnight leaned against the desk while giving the class her infamous alluring look. A moment later she announced for their first lesson that they would be having a little fun.
"I want to see what my new darling students are capable of," she said with a half smile, eyes roaming over the gathered students. "Draw whatever you desire with no restrictions. As long as it's something that speaks to your soul, your passion. I want to see it. And don't worry if it's not perfect or even finished, you won't be penalized. But all of you will be presenting your works to the class before the bell rings."
A few students grimaced at that last part, with one or two complaining until, with a loud crack of her whip, Midnight silenced them.
From there, the only noises that could be heard were the scratching of pencils against paper, furious erasures, Kacchan's foul language spoken under his breath, and Mineta's perverted giggling as they worked. Izuku, however, took a bit longer to get started as he tried to figure out what he wanted to draw. What spoke to him the most? Well, All Might of course. Who better symbolized what it meant to be a hero? Perhaps making a drawing of that old video, the one he still watched online? He also toyed with the idea of drawing the first hero in action he had ever seen. But, seeing as it was Midnight, that this was her class, and that they would be presenting their work his classmates might get the wrong impression.
When his pencil finally touched the paper, he paused for a moment as his thoughts went back to the three other weapon users he had met yesterday. Something about their words still ate away at him a little. That they considered him the weakest, not believing that he could ever go as far as them. Writing him off without even giving Izuku a chance to show what he was capable of. All because he had the shield.
But as soon as Izuku began to sketch the outline of All Might, back hunched as he was bringing several injured people out of a flaming wreck, the freckled-faced teen shook away those thoughts. Raphtalia was right, there was more to being a hero than their quirk. More than just pure power. So what if they could destroy more robots on their own? To him, saving and protecting people was the way to go.
So, with that, Izuku focused on his work along with the rest of the class until time was called. Once everyone's pencils were put down, they were each called up one at a time to display their work. Some of them were rather simple, like trees in a field or, such as the case of frog-like girl Asui, lily pads. Others took Izuku by surprise, like how the large muscular teen Sato drew a five-layered cake with strawberries. Or how Uraraka drew planet-sized mochi in space.
Then came Bakugo's…
"It's an explosion!" exclaimed the blonde teen as he held up his drawing with pride. Everyone just blinked at the image the ashen-haired hero hopeful held up, staring at the mix of jagged and wavy lines that seemed to consume his sheet of paper. Silently Izuku chuckled at his childhood friend while the rest of his class just sort of sat there as they continued to process both image and explanation.
Once class was over, everyone headed down to the lunchroom where the pro hero Lunch Rush served up a very extensive and tasty menu. However, before they left, Izuku and Raphtalia lingered behind to have a few words with Midnight alone. It was nothing major, with Midnight asking the two how they had been since they had last seen each other and how they were enjoying U.A. When the subject of Midoriya's accessory crafting was brought up, Midnight became very interested as he began to describe some of his projects.
"My, you must have been practicing this skill for some time," she commented. "Any reason you picked it up?"
"Well, after I discovered that my shield could take in various materials to unlock other shields, I wanted to get my hands on whatever I could," began Izuku as he scratched the back of his head. "Around that time, there was a man in my area who started up an artisan jewelry course. I figured that maybe he might let me keep some of the extra material. You know, pieces too small to be reused or just anything they were going to throw out. It looked like he was about to say no at first, but then told me that I could but there would be a few conditions. The first was that I had to sign up for his beginner's class. The second was that I had to wait until the end of the class before feeding any of the extra materials into the shield. According to him, it was to make sure that I was only feeding it a small amount and not just grabbing handfuls of whatever I could get my hands on instead of paying attention to the class. At first, I thought I would just take the first lesson and be done with it. But then I learned that we would be working with all types of materials so I wanted to at least get some. But, over time, I found myself enjoying the class so I stayed on. I've gotten good enough to the point where I can do commissions."
"Well that's good to hear," she said before a smile appeared on her face that somehow made Izuku nervous but not knowing why. "And I'd simply love to see the accessories that you craft. Now, you two lovebirds better hurry up and get to the lunchroom. You wouldn't want to start your first hero class on an empty stomach."
Her smile grew as the two teens began blushing.
"L-L-Lovebirds," stammered Izuku before hiding his face with his hands.
"I-It's n-nothing l-like that," added Raphtalia, waving her hands in front of her wildly.
After that rather, er, embarrassing conversation was over, the two walked in silence towards the lunch room with their still red faces staring downward.
After lunch, finally, it was time for the lesson that everyone had been waiting for. Now with the entirety of class 1-A back in the classroom, the doors quickly opened just mere seconds after the bell rang.
"I AM HERE! Coming through the door like a HERO!" With that declaration, All Might himself burst into the room! The entire class marveled at the man as he strode across the front of the room. Some gushed in amazement that they were to be taught by the living legend himself. Others, like Midoriya, had sparkles in their eyes as they realized that he wasn't wearing his current hero outfit but rather his older Silver Age costume. To see it on him with their own eyes was certainly a treat. A hand reached down for his phone, ready to take a picture of this to use as his background. But, when his hand touched the device, a dilemma came to the forefront. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but would it be rude to do this? Would All Might, of all people, think he wasn't taking his heroic education seriously?
"Welcome class to the most important class here at U.A." continued All Might, his words causing Izuku to remain still as he focused on the greatest hero to ever live. All Might was now standing at the front of the room, fists on his hips as he struck a heroic pose. "Think of it as heroing 101! Here you will learn the basics of being a pro and what it means to fight in the name of good! Let's get into it because today's lesson will PULL NO PUNCHES!"
With his ever-present smile, All Might pulled out a card from…somewhere that had the word 'battle' on it in bold, red letters. Excitement rang throughout the class, especially with Bakugo who looked like every holiday had been renamed after him.
Then, the panels within the walls began to eject, revealing that they held large, silver briefcases on them with large numbers.
"But one of the keys to being a hero is looking good!" continued the Number One Hero. "These costumes were based on your quirk registration forms as well as your own personal requests. Get yourself suited up and meet at Training Ground Beta!" With that, the students of 1-A raced to grab their cases while All Might raced out of the room so fast he was nothing but a blur.
-x-
After getting changed, Izuku walked out of a long metallic hallway with the rest of his class, his green cloak billowing in the wind as he entered Training Ground Beta. Originally, Izuku had wanted something knightly with a helmet that was shaped like All Might's. But, after some careful and practical rethinking, he realized that it would be unnecessary as his shield already gave him amazing protection. That…and the fact that such armor would be both loud as well as difficult to move around in. So, instead, he went with a more simple look. Thick, brown leather had been stitched into the sides of his green pants, white fur lining around them. Over his green, long-sleeved shirt was a brown chest guard as well as a metal plate on top of that. Brown boots and gloves lined with more white fur protected his arms and legs. Finally, there were a few pouches on his belt which he had already filled with his homemade healing potions.
When he compared himself to people like Ida, who had gone with something like a robotic knight, or Aoyama, whose costume was also knight-themed, Izuku looked more like the King of the Barbarians.
"Wow, Izuku. You look so cool!" declared Raphtalia as she raced over to him.
Izuku's heart began beating a hundred miles an hour as he looked at Raphtalia now in her hero costume. She wore a red hide breastplate with puffy shoulders and a single shoulder guard, a white skirt, lace-up boots that went all the way to her kneecaps, and a pair of gloves. On her belt was a sword that brought together the image of a traveling adventurer.
"You too. You look…You look…I mean…Just wow," said Izuku breathlessly. His reaction caused Raphtalia to blush as she looked away, a hand coming up to her mouth to hide the smile forming on her lips.
An interaction that didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the class given they did all this out in the open. While the rest of the class saw this with a mix of awe at best or indifference at worst, three students were the exception.
"Would those two quit their shitty flirting already!" growled Bakugo loudly. "I swear if I get the chance I'm going to destroy that damn Deku once and for all!"
"While I don't agree with your choice of language, I must say that such actions are totally inappropriate," stated Ida stiffly, chopping his arm in the direction of the duo of shield and sword. "We are here at this fine institution to become a shining example of heroics and valor. Such actions are totally unbecoming of a hero in training."
"Why?!" wept Mineta with his tiny arms raised to the heavens. "Why is he the one picking up the chicks? I want a hot babe to gush after how amazing I look!"
Hearing that drew Bakugo's attention, turning to look at Mineta with a look of utter disgust. "You look like a grape stain in a diaper! So shut your trap before I murder you!"
Before anyone else could say anything more, All Might walked out to address the assembled group of students.
"They say that clothes make the pros," said the man loudly with a bold smile on his face. "And behold, you are the living proof. Take this to heart: heroes in training! You're getting me all revved up! You all look so cool! Now, shall we get started, you newbies?"
Ida then raised his hand.
"Sir, this looks like the fake city from the entrance exam," stated the tall, blue-haired teen. "Does this mean we're going to be doing urban combat?"
"Not quite Young Ida," laughed All Might. "I'm going to be moving you two steps ahead!"
With that, All Might began to explain to the group how most of the villain fights that they see on the news happened outside. However, battles with smarter and more dastardly foes happened indoors as they preferred to work in the shadows. Out of plain sight from the heroes, they could construct their underground lairs or do their backroom deals. So, for their first training exercise, they were to simulate a raid on these types of villains.
The exercise would proceed as followed: everyone would be split into teams of two. At random, one team would be the villains who had secured a nuclear warhead. The other team, the heroes, were to invade the villain's warehouse and either capture both villains or make contact with the warhead in order to win. However, if the villain team caught the heroes or secured the payload until time ran out then they won. However, All Might warned them all that this time they would not be fighting robots but instead living, thinking human beings. So they all had to be careful.
Once everyone's questions about the test had been answered, All Might announced that they would be drawing lots to decide teams. That caused Ida to once more raise his hand, questioning if this was the best method to decide teams. Before All Might could answer, Izuku spoke up pointing out that heroes often have to team at random. So, by doing it like this, they would be simulating the experience. That seemed to satisfy Ida as he and the rest of the class proceeded to draw lots. And, much to Izuku's delight, he quickly found out he was once more paired up with Raphtalia on Team A.
All Might, however, scratched his chin as he surveyed the pair.
'Hmm. They're together once more,' he thought, his eyes furrowing slightly as he watched the pair standing next to the other. 'Seeing how well they worked together during the entrance exam, I am tempted to have one of them switch teams so that they learn to work with other students. However, I don't want to waste any more time. That…and I am interested to see how much further their teamwork has progressed!'
Shaking his head, the muscular hero watched as over the next several minutes his students found their teammates. Team B was composed of Mezo Shoji and Shoto Todoroki, the two sizing the other up in a respectable manner. The same couldn't be said about Team C which consisted of Minoru Mineta and Momo Yoayorozu as the only 'sizing up' that was being done was Mineta trying to figure out his teammate's bra size. Something that Yoayorozu noticed as she gave him a repulsed look. Team D was made up of Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Ida, both teens just giving the other a look of disbelief. At least there seemed to be no issues with Team E which was made up of Yuga Aoyama and Mina Ashido. Team F consisted of Koji Kota and Rikido Sato, neither saying anything to the other. In the far back was Kyoka Jiro and Denki Kaminari who made up Team G. Then there was Team H which was made up of Tsuyu Asui and Fumikage Tokoyami. Ochaco Uraraka bounced next to her teammate in Team I, Mashirao Ojiro, who was looking at the pink-cheeked girl while scratching his cheek. The last group, Team J, had Eijiro Kirishima and Hanta Sero.
As soon as the pro hero saw that all of his students had found their teammates, All Might wasted no time in announcing the pairs for the first match. The first group of heroes would be Team A while the villains would be Team D.
As Bakugo and his teammate entered the building to get ready, the angry blonde shot a glare at Izuku before vanishing from sight.
"He really seems to have it out for you, doesn't he?" noted Raphtalia, her hands behind her back as she kept her eyes on the doorway the angry blonde had just walked through. "And why does he call you Deku all the time?"
Izuku, who had just pulled out a map of the building's layout given to him by All Might, glanced up at Raphtalia before giving her a small smile. "Don't mind him," he said. "Kacchan has just always been that way. He's a really good guy once you get to know him. And as for Deku, well, that's just a nickname he gave me back when we were kids. Back when I thought I was quirkless."
"Still…" said Raphtalia unsurely.
"Let's just focus on the exercise for now," said Izuku with a shake of his head before gesturing Raphtalia to come closer so that they could both look at the layout together. "If I'm reading this right, then we could use the small hallways to our advantage."
Meanwhile, with the villain team, both students were examining the room holding the bomb. Said object stood taller than either teen on the opposite side of the room directly across for the door between two windows. As for the rest of the room it was mainly bare save for several crates piled up on either side of the room. Judging by how they were positioned, it seemed like past students who had been here had used them in lue of chairs. As Ida walked over to begin examining the 'warhead', Bakugo simply paced in front of the door with his usual sour expression.
"Hmm. They really go all out on these simulations," Ida commented after a while, tapping his knuckles against the warhead as he spoke. "This 'bomb' looks so realistic that, if I didn't know it was a fake, I would have mistaken it for the real thing. Just as one would expect of a school such as U.A!"
"Whatever," growled Bakugo, turning on his heels toward the door. "Just stay out of my way while I deal with that damned Deku and that extra."
"Wait! Shouldn't we-" Began Ida, raising his hand towards the back of his teammate. Yet his words fell on deaf ears as the explosively tempered blonde marched out of the room, his fists clenched tightly as he did so.
Later, at All Might's announcement, the exercise began. Not wasting any time, both Izuku and Raphtalia made their way into the front of the building with Izuku taking the front. With his shield raised to his chest, ready for any danger that would befall them, Izuku carefully checked each hallway as the two hero hopefuls made their way to the stairway.
When they got to the second floor, Raphtalia's ears began to twitch while her hand went to grab the hilt of her sword. Izuku's ears picked up on the subtle noise and gave a quick glance to his partner who nodded at him.
Then, suddenly, Bakugo came flying out from a hallway directly in front of them with the palm of his hand facing the pair. Izuku saw this, lifting his shield arm up and hitting the wrist of his childhood friend upward just as the nitroglycerin sweat on Bakugo's palm ignited. Everyone's hair was flung backward and danced in the fiery winds created by the blast as Bakugo landed on the ground.
"Damn it!" yelled Bakugo, seething at the fact that his attack had been deflected.
"I knew you'd come for us sooner or later Kacchan," Izuku said, a small confident smile playing on his lips. "Sitting around and waiting for your opponent just isn't your style. I also know that-"
"Shut up!" screamed Bakugo, veins popping out of his neck. With amazing speed, Katsuki shot forward ready to deliver a right hook. Yet as his palm came down, it collided with Izuku's shield, sending it upward, out of the way of the green-themed hero. But the counterattack wasn't over yet as Raphtalia leaped over Izuku, landing in front of him before swinging her still-sheathed sword ring into Bakugo's now exposed gut. Spit flew out of Bakugo's mouth as he was sent flying backward from the force of the attack, but managed to land on his feet as he skidded to a halt.
"As I was saying," continued Izuku, "you like to start a fight with a right hook."
Panting heavily, Bakugo began to look more like a feral beast. His red eyes locked onto Midoriya's green ones as several small explosions began appearing in the palms of his hands. "Damn you…you…YOU SHITTY NERD!"
With that scream revibrating through the hallways the ashen-blonde thrust both his hands behind him, a huge explosion occurring just moments later that sent him rocketing towards Izuku faster than his legs could ever propel him.
"Chimera Viper Shield!" called out the green-haired teen as he raised his shield. Instantly, Izuku's shield began to glow green as it took the form it had acquired when Izuku managed to acquire the shed snake skin from Uwabami. When the light faded, his shield had transformed into a mostly green-colored, four-pointed shield with twin golden vipers on each side. Seeing the shield change, Bakugo used his explosions to send him upwards and over the caped hero-in-training. With his open palm facing the back of Izuku's head, Bakugo would have unleashed a powerful explosion had it not been for Raphtalia quickly moving to intercept him. The tanuki girl grabbed his wrist right before his grenade-shaped gauntlet, only to have his other hand shoved in her face. Rather than unleashing an explosion, he surprised them by planting his foot in her gut before launching himself away. However…
"Air Strike Shield!" shouted Izuku quickly. The green shield-like barrier took up the entire hallway, with Bakugo's back landing against it. The explosion quirk user's eyes widened in momentary surprise, just enough time for Raphtalia to lunge forward, swinging her sword at his gut once more with enough force that the Air Strike Shield shattered on impact. This, in turn, sent Bakugo rolling around on the ground until he finally stopped.
Panting and wheezing from the pain, Bakugo managed to get on all fours before pointing his palm at the pair.
"DIE!" screamed a further enraged Bakugo. A massive explosion followed, caused due to the large amount of sweat the teen was now producing. Quick to act, Izuku moved in front of his partner and raised his shield to block as much of the attack as possible. Flames licked at his cloak which billowed in the wind created in the explosion, yet the shield wielder never moved as he protected his teammate.
Then, before the flames had a chance to subside, came Bakugo. His hand reached out, grabbing Izuku's wrist with a tightness that would match a demon's dragging a soul to the underworld. The hot-headed blonde then used his other hand to create a series of explosions, spinning Izuku around until Bakugo flung him into Raphtalia.
Bakugo watched as the pair collapsed in front of him, the blonde's sneer growing wider and more savage.
But, that smile didn't last long as Raphtalia quickly got to her feet, running towards her opponent with her sword drawn. Seeing this, Bakugo raised his palms up while unleashing a number of small explosions. However…
"Hiding Shield!" yelled Izuku, unleashing the combo move that he and his partner had been working on since they discovered that they had been accepted into U.A. Bakugo's eyes widened as the image of Raphtalia as she leaped towards him in the air changed into the Air Strike Shield for a split second before becoming the Chimera Viper Shield! Now in front of him, the golden vipers on the shield came to life as they lunged forward and bit both his arms. The blonde could feel the weak venom being injected into his body as he cried out in pain, sweat now dripping from his brow as he stumbled backward.
Then, with shaky arms, Bakugo raised one of his arms while the other went to a pin on his grenade gauntlet.
"Let's see how good your defense really is, Deku," said Bakugo in a pained tone, one eye wide in rage. "These gauntlets on my arms aren't for show. They were designed to collect my sweat and store it for an even more powerful explosion!"
Then, just as Bakugo pulled the pin out…
"Shield Prison! Air Strike Shield!" shouted Izuku quickly. A dome of shields surrounded Bakugo, chains wrapping around to keep them all in place while, at the same time, a green energy shield appeared right in front of Izuku. A half a second later, the dome was shattered in an explosion that felt like it shook the building while parts of the numerous shields that created the prison went flying in every direction. Some even collided with the Air Strike Shield, creating cracks within it before the flames hit. Izuku gritted his teeth as he held up his defense, his final barrier shattering a moment later.
When the flames finally died down, Izuku lowered his shield and gasped at what he saw. Bakugo was on his knees: the ground, wall, and ceiling around him scorched. Burn marks covered the boy's body, a few flames still burning away at his now tattered costume. Then, before either member of the hero team could move, Bakugo fell face first onto the ground.
"Katuski Bakugo has been defeated," came the voice of their teacher over the PA system. "Medical drones will arrive soon to retrieve him and take him to Recovery Girl."
Both Izuku and Raphtalia nodded at All Might's words before letting out a sigh of relief as they approached the fallen blonde. Yet, rather than leaving Bakugo where he was, Izuku moved his childhood friend off to the side so that he was seated with his back against the wall. Not only that, but Izuku also pulled out one of his homemade healing potions which he promptly force-fed his foe in the hopes that it would do him some good.
Once they were finished, the pair continued on their way eventually finding Ida in a room a few floors up. However…
"That blasted fool Bakugo," bellowed the turbo teen. "How dare he run off on his own? And what did it get him? Caught by those do-gooders! Well, I won't fall so easily! Nay, I shall show the world my villainy! HAHAHA!" Both Izuku and Raphtalia sweatdropped at the sight before them as they peaked around the doorway, watching Ida as he acted and spoke like some corny Saturday Morning cartoon villain.
"Is…Is something wrong with him?" whispered Raphtalia, leaning close to Izuku's ear while keeping her concerned-filled eyes on the last villain.
"I guess he's just taking this exam a little too seriously," replied Izuku softly with a light laugh.
"Izuku, look at the floor," Raphtalia then said with a bit of a gasp, pointing towards something in the room.
Izuku looked down, spotting that the floor was littered with debris. Most of it looks like small shards of wood. If the green-haired teen had to guess, Ida had destroyed some wooden crates and spread their remains around. No doubt in case someone tried to sneak past him.
"Well, there goes any chance of you sneaking in without him noticing," said the shield user. Despite this, Izuku didn't sound too worried as he got up and simply walked into the room. This cut off Ida's laughing immediately as the taller teen stared down at the shield wielder.
"Well, well. So you've finally made it," said Ida in a villainous and mocking tone, refusing to break character. "But, judging by your appearance, I'm willing to bet that my nefarious compatriot at least wore you down a little whilst I am still fresh as an evil daisy. Tell me, where is your little friend?" As he spoke, Ida's helmet could be seen looking around at the floor. No doubt searching for any movement made by Raphtalia.
"She's already behind you," stated Izuku, his voice full of determination. "Air Strike Shield!"
"WHAT!?" yelled a confused Ida turning around, finding the green energy shield right in front of his face. He stared at it, looking through the semi-transparent material as if expecting Raphtailia to appear on the other side at any second.
"Second Shield!" yelled Izuku.
Another shield appeared behind Ida, pressing against him tightly so that he was sandwiched between the two barriers. As the armored racer tried his best to struggle, Raphtalia raced into the room and touched the bomb with a smile on her face.
"NNNNOOOOOO!" bellowed Ida.
"Sorry, but it looks like we win!" replied Raphtalia cheerfully as a moment later All Might's voice came over the speakers.
Chapter 8
"Welcome back Young Heroes!" The booming voice of All Might echoed through the large observation room where all of the students from 1-A were now gathered. Well, all the students minus one that is. Izuku, Raphtalia, and Ida were now standing off to the side, all of them looking a little beaten around the edges but nothing more. As for Bakugo, the explosive teen had been taken to the nurse's office, just like All Might had said, by two medical robots. The hero team looked on at their classmates who stood in the center of the room, both appearing a little embarrassed as all the eyes were on them. Ida, on the other hand, had his head hung low in defeat. As for All Might, the giant of a man stood with his back facing a large screen that was replaying the fight.
"Well now, that was a really intense first match!" declared Japan's Number One Hero, fists on his hips with a broad smile on his face. "It's got me all revved up! Now, can anyone tell me who was the MVP of this exercise?"
"Dude, it's got to be Raphtalia," exclaimed Kirishima with a toothy smile. "No offense to Midoriya. I mean, the way he protected both himself and his teammate was super manly. But I think the fight with Bakubro would have lasted longer without Raphtalia's speed and strength. I mean, did you see that blow she landed? She hit Bakugo so hard that Midoriya's shield shattered!"
"Yeah, you've got a point," said Sato, nodding. "Bakugo had the speed advantage over Midoriya. Without Raphtalia there, with her illusions and speed, there was no way the hero team would have been able to reach the bomb in time."
"Hey now, it wouldn't be wise to discount what Midoriya brought to the table," said Ojiro, folding his arms across his chest while keeping his eyes on the monitors. "While it is true that Raphtalia contributed to the majority of the attack force, Bakugo's blast would have hindered her without Midoriya playing defense. Not just that, but he also kept Bakugo off balance by messing with the surroundings. Like when he created that barrier right behind Bakugo when he tried to gain some distance from the hero team. That move took him by surprise, allowing Raphtalia to deliver her own attack."
"Yeah, as much as I want to agree with my horn buddy, I think Midori helped out way more," added Ashido, bouncing slightly where she stood. "With the way Bakugo was flinging all those explosions, without Midori, she would have been way more banged up before they reached Ida. Not to mention how he not only used his shields to protect them both from Bakugo's last blast but also using it against him was super cool!"
"Y-Yeah, well, Raphtalia was the one who touched the bomb," said Sero.
"Only because Midoriya made a sandwich out of Ida," countered Kaminari. "The guy was prepared for Raphtalia and if things looked bad he probably could have just picked up the bomb to run off with it."
"I have a question for you Midoriya," said the frog girl Asui as she raised her hand. "Why did you trap Bakugo in that prison? Ribbit. Couldn't you just use it on your team and protect yourself better?"
Izuku blinked before scratching the back of his head, a crestfallen expression on his face. "You're right, I…I could have done that. It might have even held up to Kacchan's explosion. I could have even reinforced my defenses with an Air Strike Shield and a Second Shield just to be on the safe side. But, when I heard about how those gauntlets were storing up his sweat I was worried about how much damage it would cause. The floors and ceiling could have collapsed. And if there was a gas pipe in the building or if that bomb had been real…"
Izuku's words trailed off, a shudder ran through his body while barely noticing that Asui was nodding in understanding. As he had been talking, the images of himself, Raphtalia, Kacchan, and even Ida buried under rubble waiting for the class to dig them out flashed through his mind. He might have been able to protect him and his partner, but the rest… He really didn't like to think about it. And, when he looked up at the rest of the class, he could see that their expressions had changed as well. While the talks about who was the MVP of the match had been light-hearted and upbeat, now their faces all seemed to pale.
Then, Yaoyorozu spoke up.
"I believe that assessment is correct," said the raven haired girl with a nod, the tone in her voice sounding much like a teacher preparing for a lecture. "Treating this exercise as if it were a real-life situation is the correct mindset to have. However, even if we remove the possibility of a gas line rupture, had the building's structure been damaged by Bakugo's explosion and the bomb gone off, there is no telling how widespread the damage would have been. Not only would the heroes and villains been injured or killed, but so too would countless civilians. With that said, the hero team as a whole should be considered the MVP. Both made good use of the tight space the hallways provided, using their quirks to manipulate the area and deal with their foes. They also took advantage of the villain's lack of teamwork."
Yaoyorozu then looked over at Ida. "As for the villain team, however, Bakugo was a loose cannon. He went off on his own, refusing to work with his teammate while trying to take on two heroes alone. Had they worked as a team, their combined speed and strength would have overpowered the heroes. And while his quirk is powerful, Bakugo was overall blind to his team's objective. Even if he hadn't caused the detonation of the warhead, at worst he would have destroyed their base of operations or alerted more heroes to the scene. In short, he was reckless. In contrast, Ida remained focused. Rather than chasing after Bakugo, he stayed with the warhead to guard it. He even created a crude method to detect any attempt by Raphtalia to sneak in."
All Might, for his part, looked at the dark-haired girl with something akin to surprise. But that look only lasted for a moment before he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Very good Young Yaoyorozu," exclaimed All Might while clapping his hands. "Very good. However, I would like to add that had the hero team made more of an effort to capture Young Bakugo with the capture tape I gave them, they could have avoided that nasty explosion. Also, Young Ida could have relaxed a bit more and not fallen for such an obvious ploy. Then again, given the nature of Young Raphtalia's quirk, there was a chance that she was, in fact, right behind him. So I will not fault him for that."
The number one hero then turned to look at the three students, each of them looking back at him expectedly.
"I hope all of you take these comments to heart," All Might continued. "Remember, whether you win or lose, there is always something that you can take from the experience. That is, as long as you are willing to learn from it. And that will go for the rest of you moving forward. Remember! Being a true hero means that you are constantly improving in order to combat the forces of villainy!"
Izuku beamed at the words as the mighty man that was All Might flashed them all a smile and gave them a thumbs up. Glancing to his side, he could see that Raphtalia was also smiling while Ida looked moved to tears.
"Now then, as for the MVP, I believe that-"
"WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN THERE?!"
The entire class, minus All Might, jumped as the face of the former healing heroine, Recovery Girl, appeared on the large screen taking up most of it. They all stood there, staring as the elder woman's face was turning red right before their eyes while she glared down at the back of their teacher. Speaking of All Might, his body seemed to shake and quiver slightly under the woman's gaze as he slowly, very slowly, turned to look at her.
"Ah, Recovery Girl, I'm in the middle of class right now so-" began All Might only to be cut off by the clearly livid nurse.
"The first day! Your first day of teaching and I already have a student in the infirmary in serious condition!" screamed Recovery Girl, her face turning a slight shade of red as she did so. "Burns across his body, broken bones, loss of blood! That boy is going to have to spend the night here at school while I use my quirk on him! He's just lucky that some form of healing was already in the works. But that I'll look into later. What were you thinking letting him go out there with such dangerous support? Well? ANSWER ME!"
"Well, ah…" The older woman just let out a growl of frustration as All Might stood there in silence.
For the rest of the class, everyone gave it their all…but did their best not to go too overboard as none of the students in class 1-A wanted to be on the bad side of Recovery Girl right now. Or ever for that matter.
-x-
"Good morning class." Those dull words were the first thing Mr. Aizawa said the next day, having finally made his way past all the reporters standing outside the school. Those reporters had been there since early morning, pestering everyone who tried to enter the school in the hopes of getting something on how All Might's career as a teacher was going. Thankfully, none of them could get into the building thanks to the security…but all the same, it was a headache and a waste of time. How that man or any of the other pros dealt with the press was a mystery to the dark-haired man.
As he walked to his desk, a stack of papers under one of his arms, he could hear the rustling of feet as some of his students made a quick dash towards their desks. Only briefly did he glance towards the rest of the classroom, thankful that everyone was here and not being held up by the press.
Once he was in front of the room, the tired teacher's eyes fell on one student in particular: Bakugo. The hot-headed teen still had some bandages wrapped around his body, courtesy of Recovery Girl, making him look like a half-finished mummy. A step up from last night when he had gone to visit his student, handing him a flash drive containing recordings of all the matches he had missed due to his injuries. His words to Bakugo were simple: watch everything he had missed as well as his own fight and be ready to discuss them the next day. After getting some form of acknowledgment that the boy heard him, Aizawa had gone to talk with Recover Girl to both ask if she could supply him with a laptop to watch everything as well as to seek assurances that Bakugo would be ready for his classes the next day. The old woman had been annoyed by the speed that Aizawa wished for his student's recovery, but still assured the tired teacher that she would be able to make it to the classroom. However, that was all she could promise. Due to the extent of the injuries, she would need to administer her quirk on him at least three more times the next day: before the start of class, after lunch, and after school. Only after that would he be completely healed and ready to do more physical training once more.
"I reviewed the footage from yesterday's matches," Aizawa began, starting homeroom off right away. As he stood behind his desk, the tired man looked towards his green-haired student before shifting towards the tanuki-girl. "Midoriya. Raphtalia. I understand that the teams were picked at random, but All Might should have made an exception for both of you. The two of you need to learn how to work with the rest of your classmates. But, with that said, I am pleased to see how much the two of you have improved since the entrance exam."
The two young heroes voiced their thanks while saying that they would make an effort as he asked. After nodding, Mr. Aizawa then turned his gaze towards the rest of the classroom.
"As for the rest of the class, some of you worked decently well," he said while his gaze glanced over at another two students. "Jiro. Kaminari. From what I could tell, you both made good use of your prep time to figure out duties and came up with a plan. Neither of you were as in sync as Midoriya and Raphtalia's team, but seeing as this was your first time working together, you both did well. As for the rest of you, your ability to work in teams needs work. We'll discuss it more in-depth later today, but there are a few of you I'd like to bring up now." Suddenly, Aizawa's eyes hardened a bit as he looked over at the dual haired colored teen. "Todoroki, while it was impressive that you can use your ice to immobilize everyone in the building like that, it came at the cost of the point of the exercise. You need to learn to rely on your fellow heroes. There will be times when you cannot rely on tricks like that." After that, Aizawa looked over at the shortest student in the room with eyes that had become so sharp that they made the boy let out a cry of fear. "Mineta. You barely did anything other than staring at Yaoyorozu's chest and rear. If I see that again, you will be lucky to get sent to General Studies and barred from ever returning to the Hero track. And Bakugo…"
As Mr. Aizawa's eyes moved from the horrified expression of the grape-haired youth to Bakugo's, a wave of annoyance washed over him. Bakugo, who had been staring at his desk, looked up with a sour look on his face.
"I double-checked our records and confirmed that you and Midoriya went to the same middle school," said Aizawa after a moment of pause, his eyes looking more like they had when he had stared at Todoroki. "That as well as what I saw in the footage showed that Midoriya knew how you fought, and knew what to expect up until near the end when you used your support gear against him. You didn't take that into account nor did you factor in the strength of his quirk. Instead, you rushed in, thinking you could just destroy whatever stood in your way with an explosion."
There was a short pause in the man's speech, the man's tired eyes focusing on the blond who began to look more and more agitated.
"I won't deny that your quirk is strong and that you have great talent," the pro hero said at last. "But…that will only get you so far. You need to stop looking down on everyone else or else that arrogance of yours will be your undoing. It may even lead you to an early grave."
With a heavy sigh, Aizawa then turned to look at the class as a whole. "Now, as much as I'd like to start going over the lesson in full, there is something that cannot be put off any longer. Something that may affect you for the rest of your lives: picking class representatives. I don't care how you do it, just don't take up too much time or wake me up until you're done." With that, Aizawa pulled out his sleeping bag, crawled into it, and went to sleep.
Once the class could hear their teacher snoring, a loud commotion broke out as everyone wanted the job. Not because they wanted the extra work, but because it would help you get scouted by hero agencies and show that you know how to lead a team. Everyone was just throwing out sales pitches over each other.
"I believe I would be best suited for this," claimed Yaoyorozu. "Due to my high performance in the recommendation exam, the quirk assessment trial, and my all-around high grades shows how competent I am. What's more, my quirk allows me to be more versatile and knowledgeable. I am positive I would make a great class rep."
"No way, you should all pick me!" exclaimed Ashido as she began jumping up and down. "I promise to keep everything chill and make sure the class is super friendly!"
"There's nothing to discuss," yelled Bakugo, shit flying out of his mouth as he stood up. Though he did so much slower than he would normally rocket out of his seat. "You either pick me or I'll kill you."
"Dude, are you seriously threatening us?" asked Sero.
"Guys, I'm your pick," exclaimed Mineta before Bakugo could answer, jumping onto his desk as he did. A wide, perverted grin appeared on his face as he caught everyone's attention. "Because, if I become class rep, I will work endlessly to make sure that all the girl's uniforms become far more revealing." As he said this last part, a slight bit of droll escaped his mouth as a faraway look filled his eyes. This, thankfully, didn't last long as Jiro's jacks jammed into the grape-themed 'hero's' eyes. The small, diminutive teen screamed in pain, falling to the ground while flailing his arms and legs for several long seconds. It was only when he calmed down that he realized that the room had gone eerily quiet. Looking around, he could see that the guys were giving him a look of disgust while the girls were giving off a cold, murderous aura. One so powerful that, if there was a quirk to make it physical, it would put out all of Endeavors' flames for life!
As a whimpering and sobbing Mineta scurried to a corner to get away from everyone, Ida stood up while slamming the palms of his hands onto the table.
"This is no way for U.A. students to be behaving!" he said, no doubt referring to the choice of class rep. "I say that the best way to decide who shall be our class representatives is to do so fairly with an election!"
"Yeah, but won't everyone just vote for themselves? Ribbit," asked Asui, tilting her head to the side while pressing a finger in her cheek.
Izuku found himself nodding at Asui's words, finding that they held merit. Ida tried to justify his stance, claiming that whoever did get more than one vote would prove just how ready they were to lead. But for Izuku, it was a hard sell as everyone wanted the job for themselves. Maybe one person might get more than one vote, but two might be pushing it. And if everyone did vote for themselves they would just waste time doing this all over again. Though it wasn't like they had any better ideas so…
"I think Asui has a point," said Izuku loudly, getting everyone's attention.
"Call me Tsu, ribbit," corrected the frog girl.
"Oh! Ah, right!" said a slightly embarrassed Izuku as he looked at Asui. Then, as he turned to face the rest of his class, the broccoli haired teen couched into his fist before speaking once more. "I think Tsu has a point about everyone voting for themselves. So, how about we just lay down a single rule: no one is allowed to vote for themselves."
The class thought about it for a moment before slowly, one by one, they began to voice their agreement. Well, all but two. Ida, who was upset that his impassioned reasoning was being disregarded, and Bakugo because…well…
"I don't know any of these extras' names!" he yelled.
From there, things went remarkably smoothly. Everyone took out a piece of paper, quickly writing on it before depositing it on Mr. Aizawa's desk. Once all the votes had been turned in, they were counted by several students with the names and number of votes written on the board. Very soon, it became clear that Asui had become the Class Representative. While the frog-like girl's face didn't show it, she did tilt her head while pointing at herself in confusion. And soon after that, Izuku found himself winning the Vice Representative role by a single vote.
"Me?" asked the shield user, pointing to himself as he sat at his desk.
"Congratulations Izuku!" cheered Raphtalia.
"HEY! HOW COME I DIDN'T GET ANY VOTES?!" screamed Bakugo, almost foaming at the mouth as he did so.
"YEAH! SAME WITH ME!" shouted Mineta, jumping onto his desk once more while shaking a tiny fist in rage.
At that, most of the class gave the grape-haired teen and the walking explosion a look that screamed 'Seriously? How are the two of you surprised?'
Not long after that, Izuku found himself sitting in the cafeteria, still a little surprised at how their class election had turned out. Sitting next to him on his right was Raphtalia with Tsu following right behind her and sitting to Izuku's left a few moments later. They were also joined by two other students: Uraraka and Kirishima. Both of them sat directly opposite of Izuku.
"This still feels unreal. I never thought I'd get that many votes," commented Izuku before taking a bite out of his food.
"To be perfectly honest, I voted for you. Ribbit," croaked Tsu as she turned to give Izuku her full attention.
"You…did?" Izuku turned to look at his classmate in surprise, watching her nod before pressing one of her fingers against her lower lip.
"You were the only one who agreed with me about the problem with voting," she said. "At least out loud. And you came up with a good solution. Ribbit. Also, I was impressed with how quickly you thought about all the damages Bakugo could have done and moved to act."
Izuku smiled at that before taking a quick bite out of his food.
"Thanks, Tsu. That means a lot," he said after swallowing. "And, honestly, I'm glad you got the job of Class Rep. I think a good leader needs to ask questions and point out flaws when other people make suggestions. It's not easy, but someone has to do it. Also, you just seem very calm and collected. That's why I voted for you." While Tsu's expression didn't change, Izuku could see the grateful look in her eyes right before she nodded her head.
"Thanks. Ribbit," she said at last before returning to her own meal.
From there, the group got to talking about who voted for who. No one was really surprised that Raphtalia had voted for Izuku, saying that he was really reliable. Though, the young shield user was a bit surprised when Kirishima agreed with her. He had thought that the way he cared for Bakugo after the fight was 'super manly'.
"I also know that Kaminari voted for you too," continued Kirishima. "Said he likes the idea of having someone in charge who can cage up Bakugo whenever he gets out of hand. But be careful. The guy wants you to start calling that move 'Shield Time-Out'!"
That got a good laugh out of everyone.. The image of an enraged Bakugo slamming his fists against the Shield Prisons walls as everyone else carried on with class like nothing was happening was just too hilarious.
"I, well, voted for Raphtalia," said Uraraka. "Don't get me wrong, I think Asui and Midoriya are good choices as well. I just thought that, after seeing her fight with her sword like that, she looked really cool."
That got a blush from Raphtalia. However, before she could say anything, an alarm began to sound creating panic throughout the school.
Chapter 9
When Izuku got to school the next day, the topic that seemed to be on everyone's mind was the events of the previous day. To those who had been in the cafeteria, the whole ordeal had been more embarrassing than anything else. So many of them were working to become the next generation of heroes, yet as soon as an alarm sounded they flew into a blind panic as they all fought to exit the room and head for safety. Thankfully Tsu had managed to keep a level head, calmly addressing the situation before asking Raphtalia if she could use her illusions to make something that would get everyone's attention. The Tanuki girl nodded, telling everyone around her to cover their eyes as she held her hands in front of her. A moment later, a bright, dazzling light filled the room. Then, before Tsu could ask him to do anything, Izuku used his Air Strike Shield to use as a platform for class 1-A's Class Rep. Once all eyes were on her, Tsu bluntly told everyone that they needed to remain calm.
"If this is how you're going to act when you hear a villain might be on the loose, then maybe you should rethink your career choice. Ribbit," the frog girl had finished.
Those words cut through the group with more force than anything a villain could ever hope to do as everyone lowered their heads in shame. More slowly now, they began to make their way out of the cafeteria in an orderly fashion. It wasn't until after everyone had left that Izuku, Tsu, Raphtalia, and Kirishima spotted the teachers outside watching as police officers escorted a large group from the press of the property. It didn't take them long to figure out what had happened, relief washing over them as most of them just got a good laugh out of it.
Though it seemed like not everyone got the memo of what happened. That or they just didn't believe it and simply made up their own stories. Walking down the halls with Raphtalia by his side as they made their way to the classroom, the pair couldn't help but overhear the various students around them talking. According to one student, the people who broke in were members of some supervillain gang made up of teens that the school had rejected seeking revenge. Another student, who seemed to be in a bit of a panic, thought that the zombie apocalypse was upon them as the people who had invaded the school were just the first wave of the undead. Eventually, the crowd was disregarded as the story became one where the teachers were busy fighting a green-skinned villain whose strength rivaled All Might's.
When the pair arrived at their class, they were greeted by an unusual sight. The entire class, minus Bakugo, was gathered around Yaoyorozu's desk. The tall, dark-haired girl stood there with such a happy expression while she gestured with her hands for everyone to see something.
"I thought this would be a fun little game to celebrate my family's latest business venture," exclaimed Yaoyorozu.
Moving up towards the desk, Izuku saw what was so interesting. On top of Yaoyorozu's desk were a dozen large eggs, each one bigger than his fist. All of them were laying in a special transport case which seemed to be designed just to accommodate them. Everyone was just looking at them while keeping their distance as if the slightest touch would shatter them.
"So what's the game exactly?" asked Kaminari as he inched his face closer to the eggs.
"I believe it's called a raffle. For the price of one thousand yen, you can pick out an egg. You're guaranteed a filolial. But you could get lucky and get your very own dragon! And those are being priced at ten million yen!" By this point, Yaoyorozu was almost bouncing where she stood as she spoke in a positively giddy voice. It was like she was having the time of her life. So much so that she failed to notice the shocked expressions on everyone's faces as they looked from her to the collection of eggs.
"Y-You're joking!" exclaimed Kaminari. "I mean, I heard rumors online that someone was creating dragons but I thought they were just rumors!"
"Well, we're calling them dragons, but from what I've seen they look more like the raptors from that old movie. Jurassic Park, I believe?" said Yaoyorozu as a thoughtful expression appeared on her features. Yet that only lasted a moment as the energy she had before returned with a vengeance! "But just imagine yourself on patrol as a hero, riding one of these creatures towards the scene of a villain attack! We already have a number of big-named heroes all around the world ordering them! Oh, and the one million yen? That's just the price for an untrained baby. According to my family's experts, if you train your dragon well, you can easily sell it for three to four times that amount!"
Izuku and Raphtalia had to take a step back as yen signs appeared in the eyes of all the students staring at Yaoyorozu. Almost as one, the gathered students turned their attention to the eggs as their imaginations soared. Some, like Mineta, imagined themselves riding on the backs of these dragons while picking up damsels they saved while others drooled at the thought of how big their bank account could get.
For a moment, it seemed like they were about ready to reach for their wallets and start throwing their money at the dark-haired rich girl. However, as soon as most of them touched their wallets, their expressions shifted to a more hesitant one. A couple even took deep, resigned breaths before taking a step or two back.
"Sorry Yaoyorozu, but I can't," said Kaminari with a sigh while a dejected look appeared on his face. "My parents would kill me if I ever brought home something that big."
"Given my speed, purchasing something like that would be unnecessary," responded Ida seriously as he began making chopping motions with his arm. "I hope you understand."
"My luck just sucks!" stated Jiro.
As Kaminari, Ida, and Jiro begin moving away, Yaoyorozu's happiness seemed to drop like a stone down an empty well. She looked at everyone around her, searching for anyone who might want to give this a chance. But many of the students there just looked away while scratching the back of their heads. However…
"I'll give it a try," said Izuku. Instantly he pulled out his wallet to pay for his purchase while many of the other students turned their heads to look at the shield user. Most of them gave Izuku either uneasy or worried looks as he handed Yaoyorozu the money. Tsu, chief among them, was the first to speak up.
"Are you sure you want to do this Midoriya? Ribbit," asked Tsu. "You live in an apartment so it won't be easy on you. Plus you might not get what you wanted."
Izuku didn't answer at first, just picking out one of the eggs at random while Yaoyorozu watched with sparkles in her eyes. Honestly, Izuku had never seen anyone look that happy from watching someone play a lottery game.
With egg in hand, the shield user turned to the class rep with a smile on his face.
"Well, when you think about it, it's a really good deal for someone like me," said Midoriya as he began to go into explanation mode. "I can't increase my speed with my quirk so having something I can ride will help me out when I go pro. And if I train it right, then it might be able to help me in battle or help me take injured people away from the villains! It might even be able to help in rescue missions. I heard that filolials love to haul carts, so maybe dragons will be the same. Also, U.A. does have a stable for filolials so I can just keep it here. All this for a far cheaper price than simply buying one normally! So when you look at it like that, no matter what I get will be use-"
"We get it, you damned nerd!" came the familiar voice of Bakugo. "You're utterly useless and need all the help you can get! We don't need to hear the whole lecture! So just take the damn egg and shut your trap!" Izuku, along with several other students turned to look at Bakugo. Said ashen-blonde had his feet on the desk, eyes closed while his hands rested behind his head. A few of the other students rolled their eyes in annoyance at Bakugo's words. Others were more vocal and annoyed for different reasons.
"Bakugo!" began Ida in a chastising tone. "Cease putting your shoes on your desk! Do you not have any pride or respect for the U.A. alumina who once used those very desks in the pursuit of their heroic aspirations?" As Ida walked towards Bakugo, making a chopping motion with his arm as he did so, a few of the other students gave a quick laugh while Kirishima looked thoughtful.
"I don't know about that," began the hardening teen as he looked from Bakugo to the green-haired vice-rep. "Midoriya made some good points there. You know what? I'm going to take a chance! Even if I do get a filolial, it'll be the manliest filolial that anyone's ever ridden on!"
In the end, Kirishima was the proud owner of one of the mystery eggs as well as three other students. The first was Mineta, who still hadn't given up the fantasy of looking cool riding a dragon and using it to pick up girls. In fact, you could practically see his delusions as he stood there with his mouth hanging open while trickles of drool escaped. Then came Uraraka, who had agreed with Izuku that this was a great deal. Too good to pass up! Also, she was hoping for a filolial with pink feathers to match her hero costume. The third, oddly enough, was Todoroki. When asked why he was buying it, the duel-haired teen gave an unusual smirk before muttering something about 'annoying his father'.
Before anyone could ask anything else, the door to the classroom opened at the same time the bell rang.
"Take your seats," grumbled Aizawa. Instantly, everyone got ready for class as their homeroom teacher took his place at the front of the class. As tired-looking as always, the man then held up a sign that had the word 'rescue' on it. "Today's training is going to be a little different. You'll be having three instructors: myself, All Might, and Thirteen. The three of us will be conducting rescue exercises. Shipwrecks. Natural disasters. That sort of stuff. This training will be held in an off-site facility so I expect you all to be on your best behavior."
At those words, the class briefly erupted in excitement. Especially Uraraka, loudly proclaiming that Thirteen was her favorite hero. It made sense given the space theme of her costume. As for Midoriya, he couldn't hold back his excited smile at what they were going to be doing today. Rescuing people in peril and saving lives was to him the most important part of being a hero.
'I wonder what they're going to teach us,' Izuku pondered, tapping a finger against his chin as he began to imagine the possibilities. 'Most likely, Thirteen is going to start us off with a basic lesson since we're all new to this. But, since All Might is going to be there and given his lesson the other day, there's a good chance that he might try to move us ahead. I wonder what that would mean. Would he already have ideas on how we can use our individual quirks to rescue people? Or would he ask us to figure it out ourselves and give us feedback? What kind of rescue work will we be doing?'
His thoughts, along with the excitement in the room, died down as Mr. Aizawa gave them all a powerful stare that sent shivers down everyone's spines. Once the room was silent, the man let out a sigh before pulling out a remote that would open up the wall revealing their costumes.
"I know you're all excited about costumes so you can wear them if you want," the homeroom teacher said, his tone barely hiding how he felt about this aspect of heroes. "But remember, you are still not used to them so they might affect your mobility. Get changed into them or your gym uniform and meet me out front in ten minutes."
-x-
The trip to the off-site facility was pretty uneventful in the grand scheme of things. Ida, being the overly serious person he was, presented a seating arrangement to both Tsu and Midoriya where everyone sat in order of the student number in order to avoid any potential conflicts. The two thanked him before showing him that it wasn't necessary since the bus layout was drastically different than what he thought. That and nobody was fighting over seats anyways.
"Curse this open layout!" bemoaned Ida from his seat, the bus already on the move.
"You really should learn to relax Ida," said Kirishima with a grin. "It's not good for your health."
Izuku let out a chuckle along with everyone else, scratching the back of his head as he watched Ida lowering his head dejectedly. After a moment, however, he began to feel eyes upon him. Looking around, he noticed that Kaminari, Mineta, Kirishima, and Ashido were staring at him. Or, rather, staring at his hand.
Kaminari was the first to speak up. "Hey dude," began the electric quirk user with a slightly nervous tint to his voice. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while now. Those scars. Have you ever thought about wearing a glove or something to, you know, hide them?"
"Yeah!" added Mineta as he pointed a tiny, trembling finger at the scared hand while his tone was laced with disgust. "Doesn't looking at those gross and nasty marks make you feel, like, all uncomfortable?"
As Kaminari gave his grape-haired friend a disapproving look, the atmosphere in the bus began to change. Izuku could now see more people who had been relaxing on the bus suddenly taking more of an interest in the conversation, their eyes now fixed on the young Midoriya. Some of them, like Uraraka and Yaoyorozu, looked a little uncomfortable at where the conversation had gone. No doubt they feared that his scars were a sensitive topic. However, Todoroki, who had been staring out the window since he had gotten onto the bus, was looking at the many scars covering Izuku's hand with a sick expression on his face. As if he were imagining all the ways he had gotten those marks, each one more horrific than the last.
Then, before he could answer, he felt Raphtalia's hand on his own. Looking at her, he saw that her expression was soft. Gently, he raised the scarred hand up a bit.
"I've had these scars for a long time," Izuku admitted. "And, honestly, I've never been ashamed of these scars. Or what I did to get them. They've been a reminder of what kind of hero I want to be. And, if it meant saving someone, I'd gladly take on more."
"Dude! That's so manly!" declared Kirishima, his eyes tearing up while pumping a fist into the air while Izuku lowered his own. "Those scars are like your badge of honor!"
"Midoriya," came the sudden and unexpected voice of Todoroki. Izuku turned to see that the recommendation student had moved away from his seat by the window so that he was now standing in the walkway of the bus. His eyes were glued onto the green-haired teen. Well, more specifically, Izuku's hand. "Would you mind telling me how you got those scars?"
That caused Izuku to pause for a moment. Mostly because it wasn't just his story to tell. Briefly, he glanced over at Raphtalia to see that she looked slightly uneasy at the question. No doubt not wanting to relive the events of that day. Something that Izuku could understand and agree with. Now was the time for excitement, of learning how to save people from natural disasters. He didn't want to lower the mood with a dark tale of kidnapping, child trafficking, and their escape.
As Izuku turned his head back to look at Todoroki, he paused halfway as his eyes caught something else. It was Kacchan. His childhood friend was gripping the seat in front of him, his body trembling for some reason. All Izuku almost tilted his head, wondering why the explosive teen was acting this way. Why he looked almost scared.
Before Izuku could say anything, the bus arrived in front of a large domed building. Mr. Aizawa wasted no time in ushering them in where, standing in front of a massive set of stairs, was Thirteen dressed in her astronaut suit. And just behind the space-themed hero was something that could have been mistaken for an amusement park! In one area, the class could see a mountain region, a city in ruins, a large domed area with buildings on fire, what looked like a water park with a boat in the middle, and others! While all these spots look fantastical, what tied them all together was the open square in the middle that reminded some of the teens of a park. There were even white benches and picnic tables!
However, Izuku noticed something was off. All Might wasn't there. After glancing around, he spotted something that caused him to gently elbow Raphtalia's arm. Once he got her attention, he gestured to Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen. The two were talking in a low whisper, but what was odd was that Thirteen was holding up three fingers.
"What do you suppose that means?" he whispered to his Tanuki friend.
"I don't know," admitted Raphtalia, her ears twitching as if she were straining them to try and listen in to get some sort of hint on what they were saying. However, Izuku could tell that even she couldn't catch enough. "They could be talking about All Might. It could mean that there were supposed to be three teachers."
"That makes sense," the shield user said in agreement. "I remember reading some hero news this morning. Apparently, All Might has been going around all morning stopping crime after crime. Guess he's lost track of time."
While he was happy to know the Symbol of Peace was hard at work saving people, Izuku couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that he wouldn't be learning from All Might today. And it must have shown on his face as Raphtalia placed a hand on his shoulder while giving him that smile that made his heart flutter.
"Well, in any case, let's give this our all," she said. "I'm actually hoping that we get to do some rescue work in that water area over there. Then I can show everyone what I can do without a water-based quirk!"
As she said this, Raphtalia brought her fist up and flexed her slender yet firm arm.
"Y-Yeah," said Izuku, a slight blush appearing on his face as he gave her his full attention. "Your family lives by the ocean, right?"
Raphtalia nodded at that , as she did, Izuku felt his disappointment fade away. After all, this was still going to be an amazing lesson! Thirteen was a great rescue hero in her own right with an amazingly powerful quirk. There was plenty that the hero could teach them in any environment. And then there was Mr. Aizawa. The man would probably be teaching them how to rescue people without using flashy or strength-enhancing quirks, something that would be useful to both himself and Raphtalia.
And they would be doing it together.
That brought a wave of guilt within the young Midoriya. For the last two days, between their first real lessons and picking class positions, Izuku hadn't found the right time to give Raphtalia her gift. Sure she didn't know about it and probably wasn't expecting anything, but he felt guilty for not making more of an effort to give it to her.
'You know what?' thought Izuku with fierce determination. 'Today, when we get back to school, I'm going to give it to her. No excuses! I don't even care who sees me giving it to her!'
Just as the young teen made up his mind, Thirteen called for everyone's attention. Once all eyes were on her, the space-themed hero welcomed them to the USJ before giving an inspiring speech detailing how dangerous quirks can be and why it was important to keep that in mind when doing rescue work. A single mistake could make the difference between life and death. But as she finished, the class began to notice something.
"What's that?!" asked a shocked Raphtalia as she pointed at something further in the complex.
Appearing in the middle of the USJ was a large, dark portal that seemed to spiral endlessly. And from that darkness came evil. The first was a tall, darkly dressed man who looked like he was in his late teens with messy light-blue hair. But what shocked him the most were the hands. Several pairs of severed hands were gripping onto him with one even serving as some sort of mask! And behind him came more people of all shapes and sizes, quickly filling up the plaza.
"What's going on?" asked Kirishima, scratching his head as he looked at the growing crowd of people who were clearly not there to sell them cookies. "I thought we were doing rescue training."
"This isn't training," said Aizawa, his voice more alert and full of energy that had been absent until now. "Those are real villains."
Izuku's eyes widened at his teacher's words. Quickly, he turned to look at his classmates, finding that most of them were just looking on with horror and shock at the situation. All but two: Raphtalia and Bakugo. The Tanuki girl was looking down at the villains, a hand on the grip of her sword and the fur on her tail standing upright. Bakugo had his palms up with the green-haired teen expecting a series of explosions to occur at any moment and an almost sadistic smile on his face.
However, before either of them could do anything, Aizawa's voice cut through the air. "Thirteen, get the students to safety. I'll hold them off."
The class gasped at the teacher's words. How could they not? With how many villains there were down there, he didn't stand a chance. But, when Izuku turned to his teacher the words would not come out as he beheld a change in the man. From underneath his scarf was an odd pair of goggles that was worn by only one hero: Eraserhead! The underground hero whose quirk allowed him to temporarily erase the quirks of anyone he looked at! Still…
"But Mr. Aizawa!" began Izuku as his focus shifted between the pro hero and the mass of villains in the plaza below. "There are too many. Your quirk is most suited for one-on-one fights and sneak attacks."
That got a small smile out of the man as he took the white scarf in both hands.
"You can't be a pro if you only know one trick." Without wasting another second, Aizawa leaped down the stairs and into the mass of villains below. Izuku, despite hearing Thirteen telling everyone to start heading to the door, lingered for a moment to watch a real pro in action when the odds were stacked against him. What he witnessed was beyond anything he had ever seen in the streets, starting with a group of villains with gun-related quirks pointing their weapons at the underground hero…only to then look at them in confusion as they refused to work. They did not get the chance to wonder what was happening for long as Aizawa landed feet first into one of them before wrapping the next in his scarf. Izuku's eyes widened as the man then swung the villain he had captured into two others, knocking them all out before leaping into the air to avoid an attack from the side. The man moved constantly, the energy he was outputting from all of this being a far cry from his normal lazy demeanor.
"Let's go!" shouted Raphtalia.
Pulling himself away, Izuku turned with Raphtalia as they, along with the rest of the class, headed towards the door. Yet, before they even got halfway there, the same black portal they had seen in the middle of the USJ appeared before them. And from the portal came a figure that was made of black mist, its yellow eyes looking down upon all those gathered.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the mist villain, his voice polite yet cold at the same time. "We are the League of Villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice. Besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the Symbol of Peace, to breathe his last breath? Though it is strange that he is not around. The information we acquired said that he was supposed to be here. I suppose there was a change in the schedule that was unforeseen. How unfortunate. But I must still carry out my role."
Before the mist villain could say anything more, Bakugo and Kirishima leaped to the forefront before charging at him despite Thirteen's cries for them to get back. And yet, all that happened was for them to pass right through him.
"How foolish. Now SCATTER!" decreed the villain.
With that, the floor underneath Midoriya's feet vanished revealing an endless, dark pit below which he fell into.