A/N: I want everyone to get one thing straight because people are misinterpreting my stance on a certain character: I do in fact love Aizawa-sensei. He's a grouchy cat hiding behind human skin, sometimes becomes a giant caterpillar crawling around the school hallways in search of coffee, and I have a headcanon that his appearance is more like a disguise to blend with the public so people could assume he's a homeless man, making it easier to take villains by surprise.
From the reactions of the reviews left behind by the readers... NOBODY READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES! NOBODY READ MY WARNING OF OOC IN THE STORY!
C'mon guys, ya'll should be old enough to read instruction manuals before diving into whatever you're doing. It's there for a reason!
Last chapter, I literally gave you readers an example of what was going on with daily citizens who have none of the stuff they need to control their quirks. But this shouldn't surprise me at this point that nobody ever reads the author's notes because everyone wants to skim the story, react to things they don't like, and play ignorant when they leave the review. You skim the story and ignore my author's notes and you won't know what's going on or what to expect from the next chapter!
0 Jordinio 0, It's clear to me that this story isn't for you. You're impatient and frustrated with the pacing, and it blows your mind on why people shit on the main character when he hasn't done anything to provoke such a response. Unless you've been busy complaining about no longer being able to appreciate seeing Kuzan's biceps because I updated his hero costume from the prototype design, you're not really seeing the whole grand scheme here. Don't worry though, not a lot of people do.
That's what story-telling is all about. It's about slowly unfolding and unraveling the things that were left unmentioned until the revelation comes up much later. I remember during the Arlong Park arc from One Piece where Jinbei's name was mentioned once, and then hundreds of chapters later, he's revealed. I assure you that it won't take too long, we're probably halfway at this point, but that depends on filler chapters and my work schedule that'll get busy during the winter holidays.
As for Kuzan making a scene on confronting his tormentors? One) that's like getting a first rate ticket straight out the door because the school doesn't tolerate indoor fights and students attacking teachers outside of training (even Bakugō isn't stupid enough to pull that shit inside the U.A. classrooms (only during hero training), and Two) have a little something called patience. My story's biggest theme is based on actions and consequences, cause and effect, subtraction and addition. If you're dissatisfied with that, then you're free to knock my story off your favorite's list, man. No skin off anyone's back here.
Raphaim, I can only say this to you: you can either endure the repetition or stop reading the story. Kuzan hasn't really done anything (yet) to prove that he's more than some liability to their society, so stick around to see how the story plays out or drop it altogether. But you'll be seriously missing out on the stuff that'll happen in the future chapters, my best advice to you would be ignoring the name-calling he's stuck with and keep holding on! I won't blame you for quitting because like I said to the guy above, this story ain't to everyone's tastes.
O-NovelAddict-O, Hey buddy, sorry about the notifications thing that you keep getting because I keep going back to editing my chapters. There's actually a reason for that; a couple of years ago when I was moving my stuff to a bigger room, my computer's hardware fell over and it ended up getting damaged that all the stuff I stored up in there got lost! So much stories and drawings I had in there was forever gone! And then there was the previous times when computer viruses ate everything up and left me without able to access previous things like photos and videos from trips, along with drawings and stories. It's from all these incidents that I've become paranoid at the possibility of losing my stuff again that I just started to do it right inside my account. Again, sorry about the notifications you keep getting but I'm only playing it safe when it comes to stuff like this. Hope you understand. Thanks for liking my story, btw.
The Weapon 2000, I warned a lot of people in the previous chapter about the Out of Character business, but I suppose nobody likes to read author notes these days. Anyway, yes, there's that reason but another which will reveal itself if you care to read some more.
Guest, It's only been one day for Kuzan, so he's got a whole school of people to deal with. Yeah, I know you (along with a lot of people) feel disappointed with Aizawa's behavior, but you are right on that observation. Actions do speak louder than words when it comes to proving people wrong.
Mr Beaver Buttington, Once I begin my "Rubber Band Theory" side-story fic, I'll delve deeper into the subject. Until then, you gotta deal with the chapters I leave you.
redskin122004, I initially didn't want to make him into an asshole but like everything else I say: there's a reason behind it. Remember, this story is full of consequences from the actions that took place before, and you will eventually find out what it is that makes Aizawa feel such prejudice against Kuzan and his family.
Doremy Sweet, Oh yes indeed. This truly will come back to bite certain people's rear ends when the time comes (and it appears to be not that far).
ReadingnerdOtaku, A lot of people feel it, too. This is what happens when I go back to my Naruto manga collection and remember just how far that orange ball of sunshine had come from to become not only a hero to his village, but someone who eventually reached the title of his dreams since he was a lonely, angry child.
suntan140, You best buckle up and stick around because you're in for the long haul before that day arrives. But it will be worth the wait when the moment comes!
TRASHKIING, You have no idea how long I've waited to finally write down that line! I just knew deep down it would be the most iconic thing ever said upon first meeting the teacher! I had to, man! I HAD TO!
BUDDYBOIGuest, Here ya go, lol!
errydaymPurple, *shakes fist* You wish you won the argument, you little shit! Anyway, as for the battle trial thing, I've already come up with a couple of interesting pairs, you won't be disappointed when they clash. Trust me, it's gonna be epic! As for the memory thing, imagine you've been living away from your original place and then when you go back years later, you have to rely on sight and guesses on where the right direction is, you know? The only reason Kuzan even remembers Aizawa (sort of) is because he happened to like his character. Funny, huh? You like someone and it turns out they don't like you. Hahahaha... hah... ha... *cries*
Phantom Aficionado, Hey there, haven't heard from you for awhile! Like I said, take your time with your story, no rush at all. I'm almost a few chapters away from the USJ arc and its aftermath, so afterwards I can get to work on that story with Hien and Kuzan. I'm kind of excited!
Prince, Only you. ONLY YOU WOULD BREAK MY BOX! Ohmygosh, I sound like a petulant child who's throwing a tantrum over some broken shit, but whatever. Yeah, sorry but not sorry, everything was just literally out there! It made me fidgety and stuff, lol. Yeah, I was cracking up when I wrote that bit with All Might DEMANDING for Kuzan to respond or call or show up because he was so worried about his boy (we all know by now he's secretly co-parenting Kuzan when mom and dad are busy). I know it's all fanfiction and shit but I fucking LOVE HOW ALL MIGHT DOTES ON HIM, TOO! BECAUSE I KNOW HE'D DO IT FOR REAL IN CANON! #DADMIGHTISREAL!
Disclaimer: Boku no/My Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi, my only claim is my own original character(s)!
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Chapter II: Part IV
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"You want my what?"
Letting out a small sigh, I rubbed the back of my head while turning to face Taishirō. The giant was currently leaning against the wall next to the police station's entrance, dressed casually while we both waited for dad who was doing some last minute paperwork before heading out to join us. Mom sent us out to pick up some grocery and dad called Taishirō for his input on the case they both were still working around.
"The hero costume you wore when you were in high school," I stressed out. "Can I have it?"
His round eyes blinked owlishly.
"Kuzan, it won't fit on ya. You'll look like a lil' baby playin' dress up with grown up clothes."
I wilted at the news.
Okay, sure, I knew he was huge, but I was hoping he could at least own something tight enough that it could somewhat fit around my frame without engulfing me completely. The old Fat Gum costume my cousin wore when he started his internship had to have survived all these years... right? Costumes changed over the years, as if their experience was outwardly shown by the changes to their uniforms. I had hoped Taishirō might've kept his around for nostalgia's sake.
"Hey, hey," his humongous palms rest on my head. "What'sa matter?"
Another sigh.
"We have to admit submissions of hero costumes to the school." I quietly tell him.
As if possessing tingling arachnid senses that had nothing to do with Sentinel abilities and all about knowing the tics of your own flesh and blood, Taishirō instantly knew something was the matter with his baby cousin. And once he knew something was up, he would pull his years of experience from hero work to quickly analyze the conversation while simultaneously drawing up various ideas on why I wanted to have his old hero costume so badly. And after years of seeing his cousins take on the angry brunt of the people, the larger hero instantly pieced together what the problem was.
"Oh, Kuzan," Taishirō sagged. "The school wouldn't—"
The large man cut himself off. He remembered catching wind of what happened in the U.A. entrance exams; the Gunnarsen Bastard spotted picking up his uniform that was dumped across the campus' entryway. He also heard about the part where I fell inside the water fountain, forced to walk back home while dripping wet in the cold weather with a trail of laughter following behind my footsteps.
The school did the right thing in dismissing a lot of those little shits afterwards for their misconduct, but the action to do so took quite awhile as teachers were up in arms about it until the principal finally had to put his foot down on the matter. The whole thing left a bitter taste behind everyone's mouths.
Taishirō had a lot of reason to suspect, based on history alone, that this wasn't going to be the first incident he'll be hearing from his old high school.
Bearing in mind the possibilities of what could happen, it was safe to say I was right in worrying about what could happen if I submitted a costume to the Department of Support. Hero Support wasn't the top peak as it was in other various places around the world, but Japan stubbornly tried to catch up with its own resources they had left at their disposal. The only problem the country continued to face was the equipment not being as reliable; gear constantly breaking down after a week or month of constant usage or from damage received during battle.
The Fat Gum armor had to be constantly checked before Taishirō could go out on his patrols. It was a task most tedious, but it beat having something break down in the middle of a fight where most of the time you ended up hospitalized.
Or dead.
The mortality rate for heroes had grown exponentially after foreign companies pulled their support from out of the country.
What would happen if I, the person unfortunately related to the man who caused such a drastic recession, was to ask for gear? My cousin released a sound that was between a grunt and a frustrated sigh; it became obviously clear to him what could happen if I tried to submit a costume design.
"Alright." I ceased pulling at my zipper to find Taishirō pulling a phone out of his large pocket. "I've still got my old costume. I'm gonna call someone and see if they can do some size adjustments, 'kay?"
"Thanks, Tai." I told him, genuinely relieved of the news.
My cousin beamed the biggest smile he could muster, something All Might would be proud of.
"'S all good, bro! 'Sides, heroes are suppose to save the day!"
A couple of hours after we all survived expulsion from our (thankfully absent) homeroom teacher, we were introduced to the other teachers that we missed meeting in the entrance ceremony. English, Modern Literature, Art History, Mathematics, and some other mundane subjects, all of it reminding everyone that despite where they are and what they were training to become, this was still a high school focused on educating our young minds.
A majority of the class, mainly the pink girl, the idiot with the lighting bolt highlight in his hair, and spiky redhead, appeared to be disheartened with the news that they would be subjected to more boring lessons.
However, what the teachers were giving us wasn't going to be your average lesson; the subjects all had something to do with heroics. While I understood the need to delve deep inside the roots of heroes, another part of me wasn't as swayed as the rest of my eager classmates. They all were blind to the bright colors, the flashy lifestyle, and the exaggerated stories heroes often told when it came to their selfless deeds. Propaganda was immensely strong in the hero industry.
Society needed to fill in those blank slots whenever a hero fell, and who better to do that than a bunch of ignorant, starry-eyed brats who couldn't see past the capes, glory, and popular Pro heroes?
Seeing as the next teacher was coming in late (or did they purposely leave us alone?), everyone began to mingle with one another. The topic came back to the insane quirk apprehension test and what ranked they received when Aizawa showed everyone the results.
There was a girl's uniform floating in the air, their sleeves wringing in an almost frantic manner as they sounded distressed for being almost expelled when they saw their name placed above the grape boy who was ranked dead last. She, along with a few other girls, were standing around Yaoyorozu's desk, praising the tall girl for her awesome ideas that guaranteed her surpassing every test the teacher threw at us. I remembered her being ranked first place.
After her was the twin shaded boy, Todoroki. He didn't look to be paying any attention to the praises several other people were giving him. If anything, he seemed to be mulling over something since his gray and teal eyes didn't move from their spot in staring a hole into his desk.
I got third place.
I honestly didn't expect to rise that high in the ranks, but that's exactly what happened. A lot of the other students turned out to be better at several subjects than most others, but Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, and myself were pretty much spread all across the tests rather than focusing on one which placed us as the top five. It was moments like these I was glad All Might really pushed me to do better back at the beach, and even more glad I took up free running across the urban districts with Noctis and Cyan when my schedule allowed it.
The fourth place belonged to karate boy.
Bakugō landed fifth place.
The heat wafting from Bakugō's spot was telling enough about what he truly felt regarding his placement in the quirk apprehension test. He obviously thought his quirk alone was going to push him past everyone until he took first place for himself, but explosions didn't help him when it came to strength and endurance. Sure, the endurance run boosted him to get ahead of everyone else, but I knew for a fact that he couldn't continue for long.
I could still recall the jerk being warned time and time again to stop using his explosions so much because the nitroglycerin he secreted from his sweat glands would dry up and leave him exposed to the heat, burning his arms when there was nothing to keep his skin cool. And let's not forget the force of his explosion which could cause serious internal damage to his bones and muscles. He was in need of protective arm braces to keep him from breaking his limbs.
The ash blond teen wasn't used to being bested by other people no thanks to all the praises adults and other children alike have been giving him since early childhood (and that was before his quirk showed up). Everyone kept stoking the fire, building it up until the flames grew out of their control. People got burned by the heat and blinded by the brightness of Bakugō's powers.
And because of that, the little shit got it in his head that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I could only imagine how much of a shock this place was going to give him once Bakugō discovered that he wasn't on top of the hierarchy pyramid like he originally thought he was.
"Hi! I'm Uraraka Ochako, nice to meet you!"
The introduction came out of nowhere.
"Uh..." I stumbled with my words, not used to people whom I barely know approaching me with such cheery disposition. "Okay?"
"Sengoku Kazan, right?"
"Kuzan."
"Oops, sorry," the brunette laughed a little, cheeks becoming more rosy than they already were. "I kind of struggled to remember if it was ka or ku."
"Did you know our names are kind of the same?"
"Think of the number nine." I offered quietly. "It might help."
Something flashed across the girl's face. Her bright caramel eyes glazed a little and her smile dimmed, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. I felt the muscles of my jaw twitch like it wasn't going to wait for my brain to catch up. Thankfully, my brain did catch up, and it quickly yanked the muscles back from spilling words so carelessly like it did earlier this morning with Aizawa.
I had already pissed off one person in the short period of the first class session and it almost got someone expelled from the school, all because I opened my stupid mouth. So yeah, I was better off keeping to myself in order to prevent any further punishment. First day in school and already the majority of my classmates regarded me as a threat to their placement in the hero course.
"I promise I won't forget the name." Uraraka vowed, her tiny fist raised as if to emphasize the determination she felt.
"Sure." I mumbled.
A lot of people didn't bother to remember my name, preferring to call me by the usual label I've been slapped with since I was little. It used to bug the crap out of me back then, but after a decade of hearing it ring over my head like a broken record, it became a sort of thing that was simply there. It was like a bumper sticker slapped on your car, forced to go with you everywhere you went and not scraping off any time soon.
The classroom door slid open and everyone ceased their chit chat and mingling to see who came in. The moment I looked up, I found myself freezing up like a petrified victim who caught sight of a Gorgon monster.
"Everybody say HEY~!"
I was screaming.
Someone just had to hear me!
The music was too loud, the voices too high, I couldn't stop screaming for he—
"Hey, you alright?"
Quickly blinking out the dark images from behind my mind's eye, I found Uraraka giving me a look of concern. A glance towards the front classroom where Present Mic was gesturing for everyone to return to their seats (karate boy offering his enthusiastic assistance by wildly swinging his arms like he was a robot gone rogue against humanity), I swallowed the bile and gave a sharp nod.
I didn't trust myself to speak.
The brunette lingered but she was ushered back to her desk by the karate boy.
Inhale.
P͍͙̳̭̹̭ͅl͓̞̫̣̿̓ͥ̇̇ͫȇ̇ͫ͊a̷͗̉̈́̆̂̈́s̖̰͙é͉͖̼̣̖̻̰̓͑͝!͙̭̹̒ͫ̔͋ͩ̐̑͜ ̵̝̲̱̬̹̊ͣ̔̒F̩ͥ̊ͪ̎͝o̝̺͕r̙͔̔ ͕̝̠ͮͨṭ̺̳̞͚̞̔̂̈́̇͗̅͌h̦̝̻ͦͣͧ̉ͅe̋ͣ̆̆̍ ̜͙̮͊̆l͖̾͋o͓̬̼̳͓ͪ͞v̬̝̱̘̭̰̅ͣe͌ͮͭ̓ͪ̌ ̗̥̻̝͋ŏ͈̻̣̿̓̈ͪͧͫͅf̢͔͙̖̗̎̈́̂̇̅͆ͧ ̹̖̄ͪ̓G͚̣̥̝̦̫̻õ̧̥̯̜̲̱͓̍ͩ̉d̪̘̗̩̙̺͊͂̓̊ͧ̊,̢̝̟̘͎̱̱̙͛͗̓̑ͬͫ s̨o͕̭̗ͮ̈̆̍͊̚̚m͒͏͉̦̹͕̗͔e̳͔̱̯͚̺ͤ̿ͫͣͫ̅̿͞b̶ͨo͎͔̭͌̌̈̿ͪ̐͝d͖͎͖̼̾ͨ̔͝y̜̺̼͓̭̅̔̑̅͆͠ ̐̒̿̚ḧ̲͔͓̱̟̠̩e͎͍͔͆̌͑̊̍̄̉l̪̫̿͐́͆͛͆̚p̓ u̗̰͟s͇̲̫͗͋̐!͉̜̟̦̞̎̃̑̌ͯ̃̚
Exhale.
A familiar sensation tingled at the side of my head; someone was staring at me.
Giving into the urge, I looked to my left.
Glaring red eyes watched me like a giant magnifying glass watched a feeble insect. Bakugō was looking for something on my face, but I didn't want to help find whatever he was searching for, so I forced myself to look back towards the front of the room. I trained my eyes on the whiteboard and dulled my hearing sense to filter out Present Mic's voice while he went on about what subject he would teaching the whole class (it was English).
It took awhile, but the tingling sensation faded away.
...
The place looked more like a mall's food court than a school's cafeteria.
There was a couple of serving stations and buffet tables waiting to offer every student a healthy meal for surprisingly cheap prices. I could tell the food was delicious because my mouth was watering from the aromas hanging over everyone's heads. The first-years didn't waste time in following after the older students to nab themselves something to eat...
But I couldn't join them.
"Hey, where you going?" Uraraka asked when she saw I was heading towards the opposite direction of the serving lines.
"The tables are this way, Sengoku-san!" karate boy called out, arm stabbing the air towards where everyone else was going to pick up a tray and plate.
I waved my own little box of lunch in the air before continuing to find my own table that was hopefully separated from everyone else in the entire cafeteria.
As good as the food smelled, I could never put my trust in strangers who were handling my plate. It costed me an unpleasant week long stay at the hospital and I really didn't want a repeat of the incident. My family had to resort through other means to procure food by asking co-workers or Taishirō to pick up the take-outs we ordered online, or like with Noctis and Cyan, pulled cheap disguises on and grabbed the food ourselves (making sure to leave the establishment immediately afterwards).
In the middle of thinking about whether or not I was allowed to go outside and eat in peace, I spotted a couple of smaller tables at the other end of the cafeteria that appeared to be mostly deserted of babbling teens. The small tables only had a few seats which meant not a lot of people I had to force myself to deal with (though I'll just stare at them like some weirdo until they got creeped out and skedaddled elsewhere). I sat down and started poking around in my bento for the food I prepared myself this morning.
Munching on my tuna mayo stuffed onigiri, I eavesdropped on several conversations. Some were third-years talking about the good progress they made during their internships with the hero agencies they worked at, others were business students babbling about hypothetical charts and what ways they could increase Japan's economy, but majority of the chattering belonged to the excited first-years.
This was kind of like when me and my friends first started in high school, joking about how we were now in the same age group as the cool kids, get stinking drunk, and lose our V-cards to the hot girls, but that line of thinking went out with the trash because high school wasn't like the movies. It was humiliating, scary, and emotionally exhausting as it was mentally.
The one and only thing I was thankful for in this second life was that I was able to keep my memories so I wouldn't make dumb and embarrassing mistakes like I did the first time around. I was a bit wiser now, not as gullible as the next person who followed society like a religious whack followed a hypocritical leader.
Before I knew it, the day ended quickly and it was time to pack up and go home.
Once the teacher dismissed us, I was the first person out the door and power walking my way towards the shoe lockers the first-years were assigned to. Thank God those has locks considering what happened the last time I left my stuff unattended. After I switched my indoor slippers into my forest green Nike's, I all but jogged out the door.
I had to get home and change my clothes to work-out attire so I could make my way towards Dagobah Beach. The place was usually empty of lovers during weekdays, so that meant I could practice using One for All without any disruptions.
As much as it pained me to admit, the hobo homeroom teacher was right to assume that my control with One for All wasn't absolute. He was also right about getting my sorry ass handicapped in the middle of a fight since that's exactly what happened during the practical exams. Uraraka and the karate boy were the ones to save me from getting pinned under the giant zero pointer (putting their own lives at risk).
I never ever wanted to be put in a situation where somebody risked themselves to save me because I couldn't move my damn body.
Ǐ̽̆̊̽̊̿͏̹͙̯̥̹t̜ͫ͊̔̓̀'̄ͯ͟ͅs̰̯̮̰̪̒̀ ̶̯͍̼̬́̀̆͋̒̌͆ő̦͇͕͆̑k̛ͣͣ̑̈́a̞͔͐ͤ̈́̓y͈̦͉̬̤̖̕
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SPLASH!
"Ow! Dammit, owww...!"
Like I suspected, Dagobah Beach was deserted (yet I scoped the entire area just to be absolutely sure it was devoid of life). With only an ice chest full of cool packs to keep me company, I stood before the shorelines and practiced summoning the power of One for All. Much to my chagrin, my handle of its awesome power was barely stable, and there was moments where I thought I got a hold of it before it slipped away.
"C'mon, gotta do this right." I muttered to myself, aiming towards the ocean again. "Here we go."
Ignoring the muscles that screamed for mercy, sparks of orange light danced at the corner of my vision as I concentrated on the power flowing into my arm. I imagined One for All being an extension of my limbs, like a weapon I was holding when I stretched my arm out to strike. With a grunt, I swung my arm forward and released the tidal wave of power upon the ocean.
Like fire coursing through the streams of my veins, it burned and my sensory receptors immediately signaled my brain to cut off the source of the pain.
"Shit!" I cursed again, ignoring the explosion of water as I cradled my arm. "What the hell am I doing wrong?"
Before I could stomp over towards the ice chest to rip out a cooling pad, the familiar scent of blood pierced through the ocean's clean salt air. Easily detecting the illness clinging to the red copper, I didn't bother to watch their approach and instead focused on caring for my throbbing arm. Their arrival was mostly soundless thanks to the sand muffling their footsteps, but I could hear their single lung and the pulse of their heartbeat.
"You look like you're seconds away from murdering someone," came All Might's jolly greeting which made me stop and look back because it was too loud, and sure enough there his muscular form. "Should I be concerned, Sengoku-kun?"
"Why?" I grit my teeth whilst wrapping the cooling pad around my forearm. "You offering?"
"So violent!" All Might sputtered, his broad figure disappearing in a cloud of evaporated smoke until there was only his scrawny frame. His voice no longer booming but quiet and smooth. "Tough day, am I right?"
"That's a gross understatement." I glowered. "Out of all the people in the school, I get lumped with the one teacher who wants nothing more than to bite my freaking head off! That jackass threatened to expel me if I didn't do my best in his stupid apprehension quirk test, but then goes and tells me to quit because I was a sitting duck after using One for All in the exams!"
All Might winced.
"Now I gotta figure how the hell I can use it without hurting myself because something tells me that Aizawa's gonna ride my ass about it if I so much as use it during training." I snarled before furiously throwing the cooling pad back inside the ice chest. "Fucking prick!"
"Okay, okay," All Might stepped towards me to rest his hands on my shoulders. "Keep calm, kiddo. This is why I'm here: to help teach you how to wield its power."
With a heavy exhale, I forced myself to calm down. "Okay."
"Good, now walk me through what you did when you used it." All Might's thumbs pressed into the meat near the back of my neck while the rest of his fingers held onto my shoulders, making circular motions so it would ease the taut skin. "How did it feel when you used One for All?"
"Well, it hurt like a bitc—"
"Young man!" All Might admonished.
"Sorry," I grunt. "What I meant to say was I felt like a cup full of water."
"Good metaphor! Right now you're full of energy and it's slipping drops over the cup's rim, but with time you're going to grow strong enough to contain and adjust One for All's power!" All Might suddenly beefed up from behind me. "Like this!"
I stared at him as if he grew an extra head out of his shoulder.
"There's nowhere in that sentence where I caught a hint of how to manage One for All!" I growled at the bigger man. "You suck as a teacher, All Might!"
"So mean!" All Might coughed, deflating back to his scrawny form.
"Seriously though," I inspect my limbs, massaging their tendons to see if the last bits of cramps was completely gone. "How did you get accustomed to One for All's power?"
"It obviously wasn't easy. I mean," All Might pulled away as he tried to come up with appropriate words. Whatever he found, he perked up and whirled around to point his forefinger at my face like it was a sword. "One for All is about sensation!"
"What the hell are you going on about now?!" I demanded as I shoved his hand away.
There was no need for his dramatic speeches and cryptic words! It was just like every book and movie: there's a teacher and student, and it so happened the student was struggling over something and the teacher was being an ass by not telling them the direct answer. I understood the meaning behind the whole thing, Truly I did, with the student needed to grow in order to become more wiser and understanding of the world around them, but I needed more than some fucking training and "sensation"!
"I need help with this and you're just messing with my head!" I griped at the older man. "C'mon, man!"
"Sorry, I'm trying to figure it out myself here. It's been decades." All Might apologized, hand rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner.
Great, now I felt like a total dick for yelling at the poor guy.
He was doing his best despite how much he sucked at it. Still, he was lucky he was incredibly popular by the public and heroes to not get fired from his job... though that could change depending on how well he handled his first class session with the students. Hopefully he wouldn't get overwhelmed and distracted by the parading and screeching of the brats vying for his attention.
"So it's from a feeling?" I prompted.
"Like there's another presence residing within me." All Might tapped his chest.
That was an odd thing say, I thought.
Sentient quirks existed (I got a good glimpse of one up close at school), but to describe One for All as another presence inhabiting your body? Maybe All Might was getting sentimental on passing the torch of his powers to somebody else since his time masquerading as a hero was almost over. The older man probably would have given the hero business a few good years before finally throwing in the towel and retiring had the choice been still available for him.
Or maybe he would have continued on even as he was much older with silver strands standing out in his once bright blond hair.
Looking down at myself, I pondered on how to describe One for All. After a minute, only one thing came up in summarizing the quirk's existence.
"To me it feels kind of like a hand-me-down shirt."
A choked cough came from the lanky blond standing beside me.
"I can't believe you called One for All a hand-me-down," the blond chortled, electric blue eyes gleaming with mirth. "That's so disrespectful!"
"You say it's disrespectful but clearly you don't think it is." I quipped.
Soon his giggling turned into a type of laughter one felt when it came from the the depth of a person's torso, coming out deeply and sincerely. While watching him, an odd feeling of something light came over me. It was as if a heavy burden was hefted from my shoulders for a brief moment. Seeing the usually sickly, tired, injured, and sometimes troubled old man get a laugh out of something so silly, it made you feel like life wasn't all that bleak as most perceived it to be.
The muscles near the corner of my mouth twitched. The urge to pull my muscles back came, but it was gone as soon as I noticed it.
Forcing myself to concentrate on figuring out the mystery of mastering One for All, I delved back into my thoughts and memories when using the quirk. It was a power I could easily summon yet barely had any control over.
What to do, what to do...
"C'mon, young man, you're not gonna figure it all out in one day." All Might waved a hand towards the sky. "It's getting dark, you ought to head home and rest up because tomorrow is where things get really heated up."
"I know," I sighed. "But I can't leave this alone. This happens every time I'm trying to figure out a complicated puzzle piece I'm working on, I'd leave it alone, but then I'd see it in the corner of my eyes, sitting on the dining room table taunting me until I go over and finally connect the missing pieces together."
"You said One for All is like a hand-me-down shirt, remember? Start thinking of it as a shirt you have to wear!" All Might suggested.
"Not this again..." I groaned.
"No, no, c'mon, just try to think of it like that. Yes, it sounds silly when said out loud, but it might help you in figuring out how to control your new quirk."
"Ugh, fine." I glared at the sand while grumbling. "Anything to shut that hobo up."
"The last thing you'd want to be doing is antagonizing Aizawa-san. He expelled many students the last year because he didn't think they'd make the cut as professional heroes, so for your own sake ignore him."
Again, All Might was right. Aizawa was just another face in the long list of people who weren't all too shy in showing how they truly felt about me, and I shouldn't give a rats ass about what the underground hero thought of me.
But my mind rebelled and went racing back towards the ink-haired man.
Story time: back then in my previous life, Aizawa was one of the few characters of the story I actually liked. He was normal, chill dude, and I might have thought he was a hipster type of person, but he was pragmatic and the way he taught class was sensible. However, after meeting him, he was nothing but a cunt in league with all the other sheep. I would've thought he was sensible enough to not get caught up with the stupidity of society, but I guess that was my fault for being optimistic.
Shaking my head to clear the thoughts again, I pulled my arms up and watched the limbs illuminate from the static flashing around them. Making sure I backed away from All Might so he wouldn't accidentally fall over from the force of the swing, I aimed back towards the ocean and throw another powerful punch.
SPLASH!
"OOowww!" I gritted, cradling my arms to my chest again. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!"
"Here," All Might reached for a cooling pad inside the ice chest and wrapped them around my arms. "Seriously kid, you've got three years to figure it out. Take it easy."
"I just," I struggled a bit. "I don't get it! I'm trying to treat it like it's one of my own quirks, pulling up the power little by little so it won't give me these damn cramps, but it doesn't work!"
"Each quirk is unique, young man; you can't expect One for All to stretch your body or enhance all five of your senses, it doesn't work like that." All Might huffed with his hands at his hips. "While it's accurate that One for All is a hand-me-down, it's still a brand new shirt to you. Your sentinel and rubber quirks are like shirts you've worn for years from constant use."
When I opened my mouth to give All Might another snippy retort—I froze.
"What did you say?" I spoke, my voice uncharacteristically soft to All Might's ears.
The older man's brow scrunched a little in confusion at the sudden change of mood. "I said your quirks are worn shirts and One for All is the new one you need to wear in order to get comfortable with it."
"No, no," I shook my head slowly, my expression in a trance-like state as I looked into the distance for nothing ahead but for the something hidden in my mind. "What you said just then. Say exactly what you said to me. Please."
Instantly knowing that I was onto something, he did as he was told. "It's accurate that One for All is a hand-me-down, it's still a brand new shirt to you. Your sentinel and rubber quirks are like shirts you've worn for years from constant use."
My body was still yet my insides were exploding with activity. Thoughts were racing across my brain, bouncing inside my cranium as I slowly analyzed the words All Might said to me to find the missing pieces I needed to complete the picture. It was right there, it was right in my grasp. I could feel the answer edging closer towards my outstretched fingertips.
"One for All is a hand-me-down, but it's still a brand new shirt. My sensory and rubber quirks are shirts already worn from years of constant use." I whispered out loud.
My quirks, One for All, the shirts both new and old.
And then like a person who's suddenly discovered the true meaning of life, existence, and the universe, the dots connected and the pieces of my puzzle fell into place. The answer to the riddle was—
"Sengoku-kun?" All Might was waving his hand in front of me, seeming concerned of my utterly quiet and still form. "You still with me?"
I released a small huff of air.
"I'm an idiot." I exhaled breathlessly.
With only the starry sky to shed some light around the entire beach, the last thing All Might expected to see was brilliantly bright orange sparks dancing wildly through the air whilst chasing away the darkness surrounding us.
.
.
.
The first day of U.A. High School acted like an introduction to our courses. It was also a great way for the first-years to get comfortable and familiar with the new halls they were going to be occupying for the next three years. Nothing drastic really happened besides our apprehension test, but I suspected the next day was when our classes finally kicked it up a notch.
And I was right.
After the morning classes (making sure to keep my head down to avoid incurring the wrath of our homeroom teacher), and enduring an awkward lunch with my classmates because karate boy was insistent on keeping track of everyone for some odd reason, Class 1-A was finally going to begin the course everyone's been waiting for since they slipped their names into the administrations offices.
Hero Basic Training
"This is so cool!" lightning boy squirmed in his seat. "I can't believe we're actually gonna do training and stuff!"
"My blood's getting pumped up thinking about it, man!" the redhead with the shark teeth grinned at his companion.
"I wonder who's going to be teaching the class?" the pink alien chick who felt oddly feverish even from where I was sitting wondered out loud.
As if a demon summoned from a Satanic circle, I picked up the sound of heavy footsteps steadily approaching the door. It didn't take long to make out the huge figure from beyond the small window of the classroom, their silhouette of their antenna telling enough without sniffing. Knowing how dramatic he tended to be upon entrance, I braced myself.
I was not disappointed.
"I AM HERE...!"
Multiple pairs of eyes flew towards the entrance of the class where it had flown open to reveal the new teacher conducting our hero training session for the evening. Following the surprise, I heard a skip in heartbeats from the students.
"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
All Might was leaning forward on the tip of his toes while holding himself balanced by the grip he had on the frame of the doorway. His cape made a dramatic sweep, bringing out more awe in the kids as they continued to take in his presence like flowers to the brilliant sun.
"Herregud." I muttered under my breath while resting my cheek against an open palm.
The number one hero then proceeded to prance towards the podium like a show pony. Everyone was too busy gushing and bouncing in their seats to crack a joke at All Might's ridiculous entrance, their eyes shining with absolute adoration for the blond man and his antenna-shaped bangs.
"Hey look, I think he's wearing his Silver Age hero costume," the girl with long green hair pointed out. "Really old school."
"I'm getting goosebumps looking at him!"
"So retro!"
Giving the older man's costume a once over, I realized that he looked a lot like the action figure sitting on my nightstand back home. The edge of his cape looked a bit tattered on the bottom, and it surprised me that he hadn't gone to replace the fabric to make it more clean. But then again, he might've left it alone on purpose to give a subtle show towards the audience that him and his suit have seen a lot of shit throughout the many years he's been active.
"Welcome to the most important class in U.A.!" All Might beamed at the entire class. "Think of it as Heroics 101!"
Then the blond proceeded to get low while flexing his muscles, unequivocally shameless in the act of showing off his massive, bulky frame he knew would really get everyone's attention. I remembered back at Dagobah Beach, when I was still training under the blond, I had been swimming out in the ocean to collect trash whilst he kept a keen eye on me from the shoreline in case something went wrong and he had to interfere (after the truck incident, he became obnoxiously cautious of my work-out "equipment" scattered across the junkyard).
I had went under for a minute but when I resurfaced, All Might was trapped within a ring of bikini-clad women. Like sharks drawn by the scent of blood, they circled and took chunks of meat until their prey fled the scene in a hurry. Those tiny women literally chased the number one hero out of the beach! I took immense pleasure in poking and jabbing at the older man at almost every opportunity (which turned out to be a poor decision when he retaliated by making my work-out routine much more difficult than it already was).
Biceps bulging, quadriceps tight, pectorals bouncing back and forth across his broad chest, and neck tendons stretched out, he was the very definition of awesome power.
Meanwhile, I was staring at him in utter bewilderment because did he really just bounce his man boobs like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? This line of thinking also made me wonder if All Might also possessed the ability to give enemies an intense smoldering stare.
Who the fuck was I kidding? All Might was Japan's version of Chuck Norris!
"No time to dilly dally now, kids!" I snapped to attention from my thoughts when All Might presented a card for everyone to see. "Today's lesson of Hero Basic Training is battle training!"
I blinked.
'We're actually doing this?' I felt the entire classroom become more excited at the prospect of dipping their hands into some action. 'Isn't it too soon?'
All Might pressed a random button from the podium desk, and a wall near the corner of the classroom slid open to reveal rows of cases with bold numbers printed on the surface. By now, half of the energetic brats were on their feet, growing restless and eager to get the class started for their first battle stimulation. That was until karate boy commanded for everyone to return to their seats and wait for All Might finish his introduction speech. There was some protest but they did as they were told, flopping back to their designated seats.
My eyes trailed down to where my backpack sat.
I guess it was time to break out the masks.
...
The locker room was buzzing with energy.
With most of the guys gushing over the costumes they were pulling out of their assigned cases, I brought my backpack with me to unzip and pull out the clothes handed to me by Taishirō. My robust cousin warned me just because it was a few sizes smaller didn't automatically mean it would fit right on me. It was obvious he wanted to say more, probably convince me to see if there was a way the school could find someone who wasn't totally bias that could work on my hero costume, but after hearing from All Might how many teachers were against my entry to the school and dealing with Aizawa, I wasn't all that enthusiastic in asking around.
I could have just as easily gone to All Might, but he had done so much for my sake that it wouldn't feel right to keep demanding for help every single time. One for All was one issue, but everything else was something I had to take care of myself.
"Excuse me, Sengoku-san," I paused from unbuckling my belt to begin my stripping. Karate boy was looking at my backpack and hero costume with a critical eye. "Is that registered in the school's forms? I noticed you didn't get up to take a costume case from the class."
I hesitated. "Um..."
Giving a quick glance to the rest of the guys too engrossed in changing their uniforms for the costumes the Department of Support given them, I leaned closer to karate boy who also closed the gap between us so he could hear my excuse without garnering the attention of the others in case they got curious.
"It's not because I think they can't do it. I know support departments do their best to make the costumes because of the difficult times they're forced to make do with," I explained to him in a low tone. "It's just... I don't think they'll try because—"
"Because it's you," karate boy concluded, his astonishment clear in his coral red hues. "You're afraid they'll purposely sabotage it."
A weak shrug was all I could give him in reply.
With an air of understanding to my dilemma, karate boy then gave my costume another once over.
"I could ask around in the Support Studio if there's anyone willing to take on a small side project. I heard from a reliable source the students of those classes would be open to creating prototype costumes that originated from the first costume's design as extra credit."
"What?" I stupidly responded, taken aback by karate boy's generosity.
Immediately, I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Nobody was that generous.
"Why would you do that?" I questioned him. What was karate's boy angle here?
"Because it's important for every student aiming to become a hero to be prepared with whatever we have available," karate boy replied without skipping a beat, either oblivious of the interrogation or ignoring it altogether. "And given from what I've heard, you will probably need some protective gear with your costume. This doesn't look to have anything else."
He gestured to the pile of clothes and boots.
"Given what you heard?" I mouthed, perplexed by his wording.
Karate boy pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Well, yes. An associate of my brother from the agency they work together at had been at the scene when Jakku was set ablaze. He saw what happened to you after you saved the girl who was afflicted with the Trigger drug."
He wasn't lying. Heart steady, every word coming out of his mouth was the truth.
"Oh."
"Hey guys, hurry up and change! All Might said we gotta be at Ground Beta!" lightning boy, dressed in what consisted of a simple attire of black pants and jacket with a plain white shirt, was already heading out the door.
"No running down the halls!" karate boy admonished the blond who took off.
"We better hurry." I muttered.
"Right," karate boy agreed. "We'll discuss the issue after class."
"... thanks." I said quietly at his retreating back.
With everyone already dressed and heading out, I was the last one to finish changing into my hero costume. There was a mirror in the locker room and I couldn't help but observe the reflection.
I looked like a little kid trying to imitate the hero Fat Gum. Better yet, I looked like All Might in his twig form dressed in his usually baggy attire. Even with the adjustment made to the costume, it was still a few sizes too big for me.
"Better go now or I'll be really late for class." I muttered to myself.
Still inside the school, I jogged down the hallway in order to catch up with the rest of my classmates. Still wearing the indoor slippers, I hurried towards the nearest exit of the school so I could ditch the shoes and pull on my boots and hurry after everyone.
Black coffee beans and cats bleeped ominously on my radar.
I almost slowed down, hesitant to come across Aizawa, but I didn't want to go around the building just so I could avoid him, that was a waste of time and I really needed to meet with the others at Ground Beta for the hero training stuff. With a shaky inhale of the lungs, I kept my eyes straight forward and power walked towards the nearest staircase, hopefully the ink-haired teacher would pretend I didn't exist and we'd both pass each other like we were in different plains of existence.
Hearing footsteps come around the corner, I braced myself.
"—idnight said she didn't know if she could schedule an interview so soon—"
P͖̖̰͕̤̠̿̑̔̏̐̒͆͛̚͟l̶̙̜͖̗̭͙̥͉̲̍̊̓̏̐͟ė̴̫̱͙̻͎̣̩͈͒͌̃͌͒̓͋̍a͓̩̞̼͎̝̎̋̒̓͗s̢͚͚͚̘̱͇̮̘̱͋̒̎̂̄ę̵̗̝̖̬̲͕̎̑̃́̚̚͡ͅ,̧̧͖͍͓̣͚̠̙͐̔́̍̑̈̓̚̚͝ s͕͇̫͉̯̈͆̾̇͑͠ơ͈͈͔̫̞̪̒̎̇͂͒̏͟͢͠͡m̨̞̪̠͎̖͍̣̉̽̇̓̀́̚͟ȇ̴̩̤͎͍̺͚̠̝̔̐́̇̎̚͜b̸̨̛̬̼̣̰̪̍̿͛͒̿o̳̹̱̭̺̺̜͍̔͌̄̉͠ͅḓ̛̦̯͍͈̥͈͍͈̾̾̔̅̈́͒̇͜ẏ̡̢̻̝͖͇̮̥̀́̆̀͟͢͞͞!̴̡͙̲̳̝̖͛̀̿́̈͡͝
I bolted past the duo turning the corner.
With my heart frantically beating drums in my ears, I was too distracted to catch the sound of rustling fabric until I found myself face-planting on the floor. The heavy breathing came wheezing out from the hard fall, and my boots toppled a few feet from my position when my arms had scrambled to catch myself.
"No running in the hallways, Sengoku."
Pushing myself up from the floor with my elbows, I looked over my shoulder to find my legs trapped by white wraps which were oddly strong and a bit heavy to be ordinary cloth. Following the strands, it led my gaze back to its original source: Aizawa.
"Oi, oi, that was mean Eraserhead!"
Unwillingly, I glanced at the other man.
And went stock still.
You would think when first coming across someone like Present Mic, you would immediately notice a few things about him; the first thing people obviously took note of was his appearance: all heavy metal and black leather decorated by the multiple buckles and straps crossing his costume, and then there was his hairdo done up like a flamboyant cockatoo. The second thing people noticed about Present Mic was his voice because every verbal sound coming out of the blond's mouth was like someone accidentally leaving their car stereo on high volume before they turned off the vehicle, leaving the driver an unpleasant surprise upon the next car trip.
Yet the only thing I could stare at was the unmistakably angry, twisted red mark decorating the skin of his throat, stretched from the underside of his jaw to the collar bone. He wasn't wearing his gear, the stereo-looking instrument he used to control the high and low of his powerful vocal chords. His neck was left bare for the world to see the hideous scar he sported. Jesus Christ, he looked like somebody who's had his throat sliced open—
Aizawa suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking Present Mic from my blatant staring.
"Stop gawking like an idiot and get to class." Aizawa icily commanded.
Noticing that I was no longer trapped by the bindings of the cloth he disguised as his scarf, I awkwardly clambered back to my feet and grabbed my boots. Aizawa's angry glare pierced the back of my neck and I couldn't help but hunch a little to hide it. When they thought I was far away enough, I heard Present Mic's voice again.
"Not cool, Shōta."
Judging by the familiar way Present Mic addressed his dark companion and how menacing Aizawa reacted when he saw me blatantly staring at the other's scars, it was obvious that the two of them were close. In fact, now that I was closer, I could detect traces of Aizawa's scent on the blond, as well as Present Mic's new leather aroma on the scruffy teacher.
The actions of the Gunnarsens was the main reason why the mortality rate in the hero industry was so high in Japan. Outside of the media tarnishing us along with the blind sheep who followed their words like it was the gospel truth, it was the families and friends of the victims that continued the cycle of hatred.
Now I understood why my homeroom teacher hated me so much, I thought despondently.
.
.
.
It didn't take me long to catch up with my classmates thanks to my speed and sensitive nose. Soon enough, I caught a glimpse of their figures in the distance which became shapes the closer I came.
They were heading inside a shadowed entrance in one of the fake city blocks.
Hastening my pace, I was glad I was tall because it meant my long legs could cover great distances in a few short jogs. It wasn't long when I made it through the entrance where there was a bright light waiting for me on the other end of the dark tunnel. Hah, I wanted to laugh, if only people knew the truth of what really happened beyond death. It was complicated and downright confusion.
I mean, how the fuck did a baseball to the face send me into a dimension I've only ever seen from the pages of a manga?
"They say that clothes make the Pro's young ladies and gentlemen, and behold you are the proof!" All Might boomed from ahead. "As of now from this moment forward, you are all heroes in training!"
Skidding to a halt behind the class, I took in every student and their costumes.
Eyeing Bakugō, he was attire was dark with a few orange highlights that matched his combat steel-toed boots. There was a sleek black gauntlet wrapped around each arm reaching all the way until it disappeared into the sleeveless top. His gloves stuck out of the black gauntlets, matching the combat boots with tiny pieces of metal to amplify the power of his punches outside of his explosions. The ash blond also sported a mask which flared up at the back of his head. On his utility belt, I spotted a few tiny grenades.
Next, I found Uraraka in a black and pale pink skin tight catsuit which hugged her curvy figure. Over her head was a pink-shaded eye-shield which covered the upper half of her face. The most noticeable feature was her puffy white knee-high boots. Her costume made me think she was half a marshmallow snack or something. Nearby, the bird guy I raced against yesterday wore a simple black coat with a tattered edge, and it revealed nothing beyond his head and black boots.
The tentacle-armed guy who could be Kakashi's long lost brother wore a simple attire of a blue-gray and dark plum purple. The material stretched over to cover the lower half of his face, making it harder to reveal the purpose of his costume. He looked simple and barren, something that must have been the intention all along in the costume design. The grape-haired midget meanwhile looked like a toddler still waddling around in his diapers. He sported a yellow cape with matching gloves and boots. The girl with the long ears looked like she could be lighting boy's Wonder Twin with her punk rock getup.
There was a double-take when I caught sight of Yaoyozoru's costume... or what little of it there was. You would think with the way she acted, all sophisticated and perfectly polished, the last thing she would be wearing was something that showcased her skin as much as she was allowed to get away with. She looked between the mix of an Olympic gymnast and Baywatch lifeguard babe in her revealing red leotard.
There was the next biggest guy of the class besides the tentacle Kakashi and the quiet blockhead. He wore a simple yellow suit that covered everything except his eyes, mouth, nose, and the back of his head. He had white gloves, boots, and a utility belt strapped around the waist of his costume (I could smell sweets in there). Blockhead wore a red and yellow jumpsuit and matching sneakers, all of it simple with no purpose but to show he was in the hero occupation.
The spiky redhead left his torso exposed with only two bulky-looking shoulder pads strapped to him, dark baggy pants and a dark red tattered cape wrapped around his waist. There was also some sort of black jawguard strapped to his face and head, like a BDSM muzzle of sorts. A lot of these kids were pretty creative with their costumes, I thought.
I almost missed the floating gloves and boots.
'Does that mean she's naked?'
Wow.
The girl with the long green hair was wearing a simple green body suit that also hugged her figure. Sitting atop her head were heavy-looking binoculars, its appearance reminiscent of the Navy SEAL's. Actually, now that I was properly observing her, with the girl's unchanged facial expression and hunched form, not to mention the big hands and feet, her quirk was obviously of the amphibious sort.
The pink alien chick wore something that made me think of the late 80's and early 90's rainbow tie dye shirts, a short, sleeveless jacket that had a fur collar, and a white mask.
The blond guy with the muscular tail looked like he was wearing a typical white karate uniform people in the martial arts school usually wore, but the only difference was the fure collar added to the neckline of his shirt. Next to him was a lanky-looking dude with a tinted helmet and bulky elbows. His costume was skin tight with white boots and orange shoulder pads which looked reminiscent to those Japanese magatama jewels. For some odd reason, his costume reminded me a bit like Spider-Man's.
There was the half-French boy who wore a costume like he was a glittering knight in shining armor, a dazzling cape to match, and an eye-shield I thought might've been stolen off the set of Gurren Lagann. And in front of the twinkling teen was another armored individual, looking bulky with engine exhaust pipes sticking out from beneath his arms. His legs looked even heavily armored, and more exhaust pipes attached to it as well.
It had to be the karate boy.
Todoroki meanwhile was dressed in a white attire with half his body covered in ice.
"You all look so cool~!" All Might grinned. "Shall we get started, you bunch of newbies?"
I picked at my costume, watching how it easily fell with my pants threatening to fall if not for the belt I was wearing to keep it up. The sleeves of my orange jacket so long I hack to push it up a few times to keep it around my arms.
God, I couldn't wait for this class to be over and done with. I was more than willing to take karate boy's offer so I could get Taishirō's old high school costume fitted to match my size.
"What the fuck is that?" Bakugō's condescending tone reached me. "You suppose to be the second coming of Fat Gum, crybaby?"
"Fuck off, Bakagō." I glowered at the ash blond prat.
I didn't need to hear his unnecessary commentary on how silly I looked with my cousin's old costume that even All Might himself was giving me a double-take. It took a lot of effort in keeping the red flush of embarrassment from spreading out of the collar of my neck and up to my cheeks and the tip of my ears. The ill-tempered teen opened his mouth to retaliate, but thanks to All Might, he was interrupted before it could escalate into a verbal tennis match.
"Now that you are all ready, it's time we start our combat training!"
"Excuse me, sir!" the karate boy raised his hand. "Given the location we are in, does this combat training involve us going through a battle simulation similar to the practical exams most of us underwent?"
"Not quite! Let me explain, young Iida." All Might replied. "It's a common thing to see villains attacking during broad daylight, but statistically speaking, it's the indoor fighting that takes place the most. Drug deals, hostage situations, secret weapons manufacturing establishments, trafficking, criminal hideouts, the works. The most devious of villains are the ones who hide in the shadows, taking advantage of the oblivious and unaware."
All Might didn't have to tell me twice. Shady shit happened all the time behind the scenes when the population pretended to be happy and carefree of whatever worries because they believed the heroes would always save the day. Given the somewhat intrigued and surprised looks on several of my classmates faces, they weren't truly sensitive to the dark side of their world as they ought to have been.
"Now, for this exercise, we'll be splitting between two groups that will act as the villains and heroes of this scenario. This'll be a two-on-two battle!"
'Crap,' I hissed internally. 'Who's willing to work with me beside karate boy and Uraraka?'
I really, really wanted to get this class done and over with since there was no way I was going to be the lucky lottery winner who ended up getting paired with a friendly face. There was no doubt in my mind it was going to be someone who was going to be all passive-aggressive, clash with me on what direction of the plan we'd follow through, and ultimately lead us to failure by the end of it because they couldn't get their head out of their ass to help me with whatever scenario we were forced to face together.
"Isn't this a little rushed?" the green-haired girl asked.
"Experience is the best teacher!" All Might beamed.
God, he really sucked at this teaching job. Though, given what happened last night at the beach, I was willing to gloss that sad fact over and try not to give him any more shit about it because in the end, he really was trying. Kind of.
"But you must remember, you'll be against real live people rather than going against robots!"
Almost simultaneously, some of the students started to dart question after question about how this class session would be conducted: what determined a win and loss? How far did we get to go all out on the opponents (Bakugō)? Would anyone be threatened with expulsion? How would people be paired up? And did their cape look stylish—?
I glared at the back of the twinkling blond's head.
"Hold on! Let me finish explaining this, please!" All Might floundered a little. Shouldn't he be used to people asking rapid fire questions as him? That's basically what every excited reporter did whenever they were lucky to catch up with the Pro hero.
Revealing something small that had been hidden away within his large hands, I almost snorted when All Might began to read out loud of whatever was written down on the piece of paper. He was explaining the battle stimulation everyone would be doing. Two villains would be holed up in a building with a nuclear weapon while the heroes would enter to either subdue them or capture the weapon. There was going to be a fifteen minute time limit, so if time ran out then the villains won, or if the villains subdued the heroes, that was also a win for them.
"To determine on who you're partnered with, you'll be drawing lots from this box here!" All Might pulled up a cardboard cube with a hole cut out in the top of the box.
"Seriously?" the redhead stared at item dubiously.
"Heroes from different agencies will sometimes band together in order to reach the same goal they're striving for. It's not an uncommon occurrence." Yaoyorozu spoke like she was reciting the words from a hero text book.
"Oh, cool." the redhead grinned then apologized to All Might.
"Don't sweat it, kid! Now let's draw!"
One-by-one, everyone pulled out a ball with bold letters written on their bouncy surface. Once there wasn't much of a crowd, I made my way towards All Might and hrabbed whatever letter I ended up with. Pulling up the round object, the letter "G" was what I got.
"Alright then," All Might revealed another hidden item from his cape, quickly tapping the surface before pressing one last button which gave a holographic projection from the tablet so everyone could see. "Now find the person who you've been paired with!"
Team A: Asui and Ashido
Team B: Uraraka and Kaminari
Team C: Iida and Aoyama
Team D: Kirishima and Tokoyami
Team E: Ojiro and Jirō
Team F: Sero and Satō
Team G: Yaoyorozu and Sengoku
Team H: Mineta and Hagakure
Team I: Shōji and Kōda
Team J: Todoroki and Bakugō
Great, I huffed, I was stuck with the fucking princess. Feeling an intense tingling at the side of my head, I glanced over to find said princess observing me with a stony expression. Clenching my jaw in irritation, I forced myself to look away from her rather than glare murderously at her direction. Yaoyorozu was just another stupid sheep in the flock who diligently followed her shepard like the good little stupid white sheep she was. Whatever, she can take her judgement and shove it up her ass, it would be on her if we failed just because she refused to work with me—
"Listen," I whipped my head to find Yaoyorozu approaching me. "You obviously don't like the cards you've been dealt with, but let's try to cooperate until class is over. Do you think you can you manage that?"
What a fucking little miss congeniality, I sneered.
"Can you?" I shot back, tone absolutely venomous to show I didn't appreciate her attitude.
Her stoic frame became more hardened. I eyed her, silently daring her to say something else because just like everyone of those bitter and angry people, she wanted to spill all the filth hiding behind her clenched teeth, to let all her thoughts and feelings out when the target of her frustrations was standing right in front of her. However, since we were surrounded by classmates and a watchful teacher, she'd probably wait until we were alone in a more private setting without the fear of being overheard before she could truly lay it out on me.
"Now let's see who you'll be up against!" All Might announced, pulling up two boxes.
Team H: Mineta and Hagakure (Villains) Team B: Uraraka and Kaminari (Heroes)
Team C: Iida and Aoyama (Heroes) vs. Team F: Sero and Satō (Villains)
Team I: Shōji and Kōda (Heroes) vs. Team D: Kirishima and Tokoyami (Villains)
Team A: Asui and Ashido (Heroes) vs. Team E: Ojiro and Jirō (Villains)
"Fuck." I whispered under my breath.
I wanted to say the system was rigged, but I saw All Might pull the bouncy balls from the two boxes before it finally came to my letter and the letter of our chosen opponent of this battle stimulation.
Of all the people I could have been up against since there was so many of us—LITERALLY TWENTY STUDENTS—this was still the result I ended up with. Well, goddamn! Life really liked to spring some nasty surprises on my unsuspecting sorry ass.
Team G: Yaoyorozu and Sengoku (Villains) vs. Team J: Todoroki and Bakugō (Heroes)
I drew a picture of Kuzan in the Fat Gum costume in my deviantart page (Mutt99), you guys can check it out if ya'll want!
Kazan means "Volcano", by the way. Kinda makes me wish I named him for his temper, but that would go against the nature of his character. I don't know if the translation is right, but Kuzan means "Nine Mountains" (according to the One Piece wiki trivia). Just me following the theme of numbers in the carriers of One for All.