Chapter 27- Intermission

The plate of sushi in front of me was incredible, and it was only my manners and sense of dignity that stopped me from devouring the whole thing in a few seconds. The private cafeteria that had been set up in the stadium was filled with the first-year UA students that had taken part in the Sports Festival so far, and the chatter of over a hundred students filled the room with ease. Tokoyami and Shoji were talking about strategy beside me, and Tsu had wandered off a while ago to go talk with Uraraka.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of students in the UA sports uniform walking towards me, and I turned to see exactly who it was. It was Sero and Kaminari, and their appearance instantly put me on edge, given that they were the two students I had used Brainwashing on to end their chances of advancing to the final round of the festival. I was willing to defend my actions if needed, but the last thing I wanted was an argument with the pair.

"Oh, hey." I muttered to both of them as they stopped in front of me "I'm sorry for how that last round ended, I didn't want to get either of you eliminated."

"Don't worry about it!" Kaminari grinned and clapped me on the shoulder with his usual friendliness "I just wanted to say how cool your Quirk was, I've never seen anything like that before!"

Well that wasn't the reaction I had expected, and my confusion must have shown, as Sero stepped in with his own remark.

"No worries Shinso, we all have to beat other people to advance, it's just the way it is." Sero grinned his usual wide smile "We just wanted to let you know that there were no hard feelings."

"Thanks." I nodded, speaking as earnestly as I could manage "I'm glad to hear that."

"It was such a weird experience!" Kaminari spoke up again, enthusiasm radiating from his expression "I just said something and the next thing I know, I'm standing outside of the arena without even knowing how I got there!"

"That's strange…" Sero spoke up, hand resting on his chin "For me it was more like looking through my own eyes at another person controlling me."

"I'm not sure why that happens." I shrugged, having noticed the memory difference with the brainwashed before "People seem to remember stuff at random."

"Weird…" Kaminari also looked deep in thought, and I was a little flattered that the pair were considering my Quirk so intently "It's a really powerful Quirk though, no wonder you do so well in training."

"Speak for yourself." I grinned back to Kaminari, finally letting myself relax once I was sure we weren't going to argue "I went for you because you're one of the only people in 1A that I know I can't beat, at least not without Brainwashing you."

"Really?" Kaminari seemed a little surprised by my remark "But you've got that cloth and all of the crazy martial arts stuff you do."

"That doesn't mean much if you're fighting somebody who can electrocute an entire area." I shrugged, going through my reasoning to Kaminari "Especially in a small arena without any of my gear."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Kaminari grinned again, his enthusiasm rubbing onto me like static electricity "I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

"What about me?" Sero chipped in "I mean, I think we'd have a pretty good fight and there are certainly stronger students than me."

"I didn't want to get dive-bombed by Bakugo again." I grimaced at the thought of being attacked by the ball of explosive anger again "You were the reason he could keep doing that."

"Speaking of Bakugo…" Sero replied, looking over to a table where Bakugo was presumably sat "He's not taking coming in second very well, and we were wondering if we could sit here to avoid being blown up?"

"Go ahead." I gesture with an open hand to the seats opposite me, which the pair took "I was wondering if I could get some more opinions on a plan I've been working on anyway."

The three of us broke into easy conversation, and the brief lull in the tension let me relax and just forget about the fights for a moment.

I always felt revitalised after eating Lunch Rush's food, the man was a miracle worker, and it was only the knowledge of how difficult it was to fight on a full stomach that stopped me from totally over indulging. Tokoyami had said that he was going to meditate outside somewhere, and Tsu and Shoji were going to check out the side games that were currently underway in the stadium. Neither prospect had really appealed to me, so I was planning on heading to Class 1A's seats in the stadium and catching some sleep before the next round began.

Unfortunately, whoever had designed this stadium was clearly either a total lunatic or a fan of abstract art, as the endless twisting hallways were basically impossible to navigate, and I found myself walking through the same corridors several times over in my search for the observation boxes. I was fairly sure that I had already walked down the same corridor I found myself in twice before, but I was fairly convinced that I knew what path would take me to the boxes this time.

But before I could find that route, a figure stepped out in front of me, and it took me a few seconds to realise that they must have wanted to talk to me, instead of just being somebody passing by. It was Ojiro, and the expression on his face was unusual to say the least, the mixture of uncertainty and inner conflict didn't really fit his usually stoic persona.

"Shinso." He said, sounding more downcast than usual "I've been looking for you, I have something that I need to say."

"What?" I replied, trying to avoid showing my own confusion.

"I'm not here to dance around the issue or make vague allusions." Ojiro's gaze hardened, and he seemed to convince himself of whatever he was going to do "So I'm just going to speak plainly."

I didn't reply, instead I just nodded to prompt Ojiro to continue, still wondering what exactly he was going to say.

"I saw how you used your Quirk on Kaminari and Sero." Ojiro continued, briefly looking over his shoulder "What you did took away their chance to win this festival."

"It's a competition, people are going to lose at some point." I shot back; it was obvious that this wasn't why Ojiro was here for "What's this really about Ojiro?"

"It's not just about this conversation, it's…" Ojiro seemed to search for the right words for whatever he wanted to say, and I was left waiting for him to speak up again "It's about how you act altogether, it's not the way a Hero should act."

"What do you mean?" I had a dim idea of where this conversation was headed, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions before Ojiro had made his point.

"A Hero is meant to be somebody who inspires everybody else." Ojiro looked me dead on, seemingly set on his words "They're meant to fight with honour and defeat their enemies, and help everyone they can."

"You're just describing All Might." I cut in, being reminded of dozens of lectures to myself and my class throughout Middle School "And what do you mean by 'honour' anyway?"

"I don't want to insult your abilities, you're clearly skilled and capable." Ojiro continued "But you're not acting the way a Hero should, all of this sneaking around and underhanded tactics, it's not the way a UA student should act."

"Says who? Not everybody can be All Might." I replied, trying to supress a familiar twinge of anger in my mind "And what do you mean by underhanded?"

"I mean the way you fight, all of this trickery and dirty fighting." Ojiro's face tightened slightly in irritation "A Hero should fight Villains with their own strength, winning a fair fight and making people feel safe."

"So you want me to limit myself? To throw away the advantages against Villains to chase some ideal of fairness?" Ojiro went to speak again, but I kept talking, trying to make my point "What happens when people die because you hold back in the interest of fairness? Where's the honour in that?"

"I didn't mean…" Ojiro trailed off, seemingly searching for how to reply to my questions

"It's the duty of a Hero to keep people safe, you're right about that. But if we limit ourselves, then people die." I continued, drawing on everything I had been taught "Some Heroes have the ability to fight Villains head on and win, but I don't have that luxury. I'm willing to take every advantage I can get, and I'll gladly fight dirty if it means that criminals are stopped from hurting people."

"You have skill and strength; I just don't understand why you have to keep everything secret from the rest of us." Ojiro trailed off again, I raised an eyebrow in silent interrogation, prompting him to continue "I mean, most of the class doesn't even know what your Quirk really does."

"People not knowing how my Quirk works is an advantage that I intend to keep." I replied, drawing on all of the lessons I had been taught "If I explain my every strength and weakness, then I'm ruining my own chances of doing well in training."

"This is what I mean." Ojiro rolled his eyes, it seemed that what I had said had confirmed his original point in his mind "It makes you seem untrustworthy to the rest of our class."

"I stopped caring about what people think about me a while ago." I shrugged, thinking back to my encounter with Koto back when I was training with Aizawa "We're not getting anywhere here, so if you're just going to keep trying to insult me, I've got better things to do."

I moved to walk away, not caring to carry on such a futile conversation for any longer. I didn't really have anywhere important to go, but the idea of catching some sleep before the combat matches sounded fairly appealing for the moment.

"You can leave if you want." Ojiro spoke up again, catching my attention and causing me to turn back to face him "But that isn't going to solve anything in the end."

"You're really not letting this go, are you?" I asked, to which Ojiro just shook his head "Fine, have it your way."

"What do you mean?" Ojiro was the one that looked confused this time, and I was relieved to see that I had managed to catch him off guard.

"We're scheduled to fight in about thirty minutes, so I'll give you a challenge." I wondered if I was being foolish, but I felt the need to prove my point "I'll beat you, without using my Quirk. If you think your way is superior, then come and prove it."

"Don't be stupid." Ojiro shot back, levelling me another serious look "You're certainly skilled, but don't think you can win by fighting Quirkless."

"I'm willing to try." I grinned, feeling the anticipation of a coming fight running through my blood "So, are you going to stand by your words? Or are you all talk?"

"Fine." Ojiro grimaced somewhat, and it occurred to me that he probably hadn't planned on this conversation going so far "I'll see you in the arena then."

"Ojiro." I spoke up again before he turned away, catching my opponents attention "Lots of people have told me I wasn't fit to be a Hero before, and I've done everything in my power to prove them wrong."

With that last word, I left, wondering exactly what I had just gotten myself into. I wondered if Ojiro knew what I meant when I said I was fighting him on his own terms. I was speaking the truth when I said I would fight without my Quirk, though this was partially a pragmatic choice given that I couldn't really use Brainwashing while under the scrutiny of tens of thousands of people. But just because I wasn't using Brainwashing, that didn't mean that I would be trading punches with Ojiro until one of us fell over; I still had all my techniques for close combat, and even without my equipment I knew that I had a decent chance of coming out on top.

It would be foolish to underestimate Ojiro though, I'd seen him in action and he was clearly adept in numerous martial arts. His Tail Quirk wasn't flashy or overly powerful, but he combined the appendage with his fighting technique with an impressive level of proficiency. Close combat was preferred ground for both of us, but I feared that Ojiro would be more at home in the conditions of the fight ahead of us.

The more I reflected on the coming battle, I realised how many of my usual advantages had been stripped away, leaving me with very little to work in my favour. I couldn't use Brainwashing, I had no equipment and I didn't even have any terrain to use for ambushes or evasion, in short I had very little to level to my advantage to tilt the fight in my favour. So I was forced into a pitched battle, which was something that I had been trained to avoid except for in the most dire circumstances.

I was left alone with my thoughts for a few minutes, and it took me a while to realise that I was wandering around without any real direction or plan to wear I was heading. I had totally lost my way again, and I didn't relish the prospect of having to navigate through these damned corridors again. But as I turned around I saw another figure standing right behind me, startling me with its sudden appearance without even making a sound. There weren't a lot of people who could sneak up on me like that, though I wasn't really paying attention at the moment. One person came to mind when I thought of who could sneak up on me, and I looked up to confirm my suspicions.

"Mr Aizawa?" I addressed my teacher as soon as I realised that it was him, though I could only identify him by his Hero Costume due to the bandages wrapped over his entire face.

"Listen up kid." Aizawa spoke quietly, so much that I had to strain to hear him "I haven't got a lot of time, so I can only go over this once."

I raised an eyebrow to prompt Aizawa to continue, as I didn't really know how to reply to this sudden prompt. After my conversation with Ojiro and the way that Aizawa had been acting recently, I wasn't too keen on having a conversation with him right now, as it seemed fairly likely he would just brush me off again. Then again, he had come to me this time, so maybe there was something worth listening to here.

"You can't use your Quirk in this final round." Aizawa muttered, quickly looking behind him to see if anybody else was around "If people notice how Brainwashing is triggered, then it could jeopardize everything we've done up to this point."

"I know." I replied, feeling a little insulted that he felt the need to explain this to me "I'll get as far as I can without Brainwashing, I'm not throwing everything away over a sporting event."

Aizawa paused at that, and he seemed to consider me in front of him for the first time, as if he was only making a prepared speech that he had imagined beforehand. I watched his expression for a few moments, wondering what exactly was unfolding, seeing some internal conflict within Aizawa was unusual.

"Of course." Aizawa finally said, seemingly struggling to even speak those two words "I simply wanted to make sure that you understood that."

"You think I don't know how important this is?" I muttered in response, unable to stop a surge of anger that shot through my mind "I'm well aware of why I can't use my Quirk in front of people, I don't like it, but I understand why that's the case."

"I see." Aizawa paused again, and the gap in the conversation was enough for me to reign my emotions in, leaving me embarrassed at having acted so immaturely.

"I'm sorry." I bowed my head slightly, trying to avoid eye contact "I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't apologise." Aizawa murmured, though there wasn't much of his usual scolding in his words "Just remember what I've taught you and don't do anything stupid."

"Right." I answered, wondering if that was my prompt to leave or not. "Isn't Present Mic giving information on Quirks when he does his introductions?"

"Mic knows the score." Aizawa answered "He knows how to not give away any information without it sounding like he's deliberately leaving you out, so any onlookers shouldn't notice the difference."

"I see." I answered, though another question swiftly came to mind "Isn't the purpose of this festival to show our skills and Quirks to all of the Pros watching? I know I've got to keep things under wraps, but I still need to get an internship somehow."

"Don't worry about that." Aizawa shot back, again confusing me with his words "Arrangements have been made for that, so drawing attention isn't something you need to worry about."

"Am I meant to throw the match then?" I asked, simultaneously knowing that that might be the sensible course of action while also fearing that I might have to step down.

"No, just avoid using Brainwashing and you'll be fine." Aizawa replied "All of the arrangements I have in place will work out."

"What do you mean by 'arrangements' anyway?" I questioned, dozens of queries running through my mind "I thought we saved all of this cloak and dagger stuff for the villains?"

Aizawa paused again, seemingly weighing up how to respond in his mind, leaving me wondering if I had overstepped again. Seeing another moment of hesitation from the normally self-assured and calm Aizawa made me wonder what exactly was causing him so much consternation.

"I'll be upfront with you; all of this training hasn't just been to get you into the Hero Course." Aizawa spoke up again, drawing my attention "Though you have certainly done well enough to earn your place in 1A."

I didn't even know what to say to that, so utterly confusing were Aizawa's words. Did he really just say that there was a purpose for all of my training and practise beyond just getting into UA's Hero Course? I knew that Aizawa had planned out how I would train to enter UA, and I had assumed that his planning had ended there with me joining 1A and therefore following the same training program as the rest of the class. What could Aizawa really be planning that went beyond UA's Hero Course?

"There is something I've been considering for a long time, and I admit that I've been unsure on how to proceed." Aizawa muttered again, looking around for any eavesdroppers "But I think I know what to do now."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" I couldn't help but ask, somewhat disliking how confused I sounded, but needing to know what Aizawa was talking about "What was all of my work really for."

"I'm sorry Shinso, but I can't tell you, not here." Aizawa looked around again, his voice lowering to the point that I had to strain to hear him "The things we need to talk about shouldn't be discussed in public, it's not safe."

That was another remark to add onto the pile of confusing things that Aizawa had said to me in the past few minutes. I didn't even know what to say to him, beyond simply asking for clarification or reiterating how confused I was.

"Listen, you just need to focus on the festival for now, we'll have this discussion somewhen else." Aizawa stood straight, suddenly acting like we had just had a perfectly normal conversation "

"Mr. Aizawa." I spoke up again to draw my mentor's attention, wanting to say my piece before our conversation ended "I just want to know what all of this is about."

"I'm sorry that I can't explain everything to you right now, and I know that some of my actions have been strange lately." Aizawa looked me dead in the eye with that sentence, driving home the importance of his words "But I promise that everything will make sense soon."

Aizawa left as quickly as he had appeared, leaving me alone in the corridor with nothing but my thoughts and questions. In a strange way, this conversation seemed like it was a long time coming, and I almost felt relieved that Aizawa had finally talked to me about whatever it was that we had just discussed.

There was a growing sense of something on the horizon that I just couldn't shake, as if there was some event that existed in my future, just out of reach. I wasn't sure how to best explain the sensation that had been coursing through my mind lately, but it felt like a creeping dread in the back of my mind.

Beyond this sensation, there was a series of events that had transpired recently that I couldn't really explain, but they all built towards this sensation of a coming storm. Aizawa's distant attitude after USJ and my discussion with Principal Nezu were the most concrete examples I could give, but they were far from the only things. On one occasion I could have sworn that I had been followed home, even after taking several detours that should have made it impossible to keep track of me through the winding alleyways, though I never saw the follower that I instinctively knew was there.

The sounds of hurried conversation from several voices interrupted my train of thought, though I mentally resolved to pick up that line of mental enquiry at a later date, as I had no intention of letting the subject slip from my mind that easily. I couldn't help but overhear the discussion echoing through the hallways, though the words only became clear as I kept walking through the corridor.

"I can't stand these uniforms."

"I know, but we don't have to deal with them for long."

"Did I mess up the measurements at all? I'm sure I can fix them if you'd like."

"Don't worry about it, I just want to get this over with."

"It shouldn't take too long, ribbit."

Wait. Did that last voice just say 'ribbit'? That particular vocal tic was something I had gotten used to hearing from Tsu ever since we had met, and hearing it was like flipping a switch in my mind. Once I recognised Tsu's voice, all of the other voices came into focus as well: Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Uraraka… In fact, all of the girls from Class 1A were talking aloud, and while it wasn't unusual to see them all together, I wondered exactly what had caused such intense conversation between all of them. And what exactly did they mean when they were talking about uniforms anyway?

I got my answer when the group emerged from another corridor several metres away from me, though part of me wished that I hadn't.

The six girls of Class 1A were all wearing cheerleader uniforms, identical to the ones worn by the American cheerleader troupe that had been brought in by UA for the festival. I blinked several times to ensure that I wasn't just hallucinating, though I wondered what it would say about me if I was hallucinating.

"Shinso!" Jiro noticed me first, looking away from the group "Uh… Hi."

"Hi…" I didn't know what else to say, though I immediately regretted saying anything when the rest of the group noticed my presence.

We stared at each other for several agonisingly long seconds, during which I did everything I could to simultaneously avoid awkward eye contact without making it seem like my eyes were roving anywhere unwanted, which was much easier said than done. I wished for someone to say something to break the silence, though a part of me wondered if whatever was said would only make the situation more awkward.

"I…" I begged my mind to come up with something to say, and my traitorous mind decided brutal honesty was the best path "I'm sorry, I don't have the social skills to deal with this."

I clamped my mouth shut as soon as I finished speaking, thanking every god I could think of that I had managed to keep my voice level when I spoke. I suddenly became very aware of my expressions and body language, and I did everything I could to avoid letting on how surprised I was.

"We're meant to wear these for a show before the fights." Yaoyorozu spoke up, sounding simultaneously embarrassed and confused "Mr. Aizawa arranged it."

Now that was surprising, and it instantly sent off dozens of alarm bells in my head. Every part of me felt certain that Aizawa wouldn't do such a thing, and I knew that this whole thing must have been either a trick or some kind of grievous communications error. The other possibility was that Aizawa really had arranged such a thing, and if that was the case I would probably leave UA tomorrow and see if Shiketsu had any openings for late-coming students.

Besides why would Aizawa arrange for his own students to wear those outfits, they were just so revealing and…

Not now Shinso, you have a fight to focus on, think pure thoughts.

"Are you sure that Aizawa said that?" I finally asked, breaking the silence again "Doesn't that seem a little… out of character?"

"Well, he didn't tell us directly…" Uraraka spoke this time "But Mineta and Kaminari told us that…"

"Damn it." Jiro muttered, as the metaphorical penny dropped and the group seemed to realise what had happened.

Well, that seemed to make a lot more sense, it was just the kind of scheme that Mineta would cook up and would be able to pull Kaminari into. I didn't dislike Kaminari, he was always friendly enough, if a little loud and brash for my taste. Mineta was another story, and while I did my best to tune out his voice whenever he spoke, the irritation that he inflicted on the rest of the class rubbed off on me as well. Pop-Off was by no means a bad Quirk, it was simply a shame that it was attached to such a loathsome person who insisted on sharing his opinions within earshot of me.

"We should probably go check with Mr. Aizawa, ribbit." Tsu spoke up, and I inwardly hoped that this wouldn't jeopardise the friendship I had built up with her.

"I'm changing first." Jiro said, and the rest of the group murmured in agreement.

"I can't believe I used my Quirk to make these outfits." Yaoyorozu sounded downcast, and I wished I had anything I could say to make this situation any better.

The group turned and went to walk away, leaving me behind in the latest situation of confusion and uncertainty that seemed to follow me today.

"Thanks Shinso!" Hagakure called out, startling me slightly "I mean I kind of wanted to do the dance but thanks for helping out anyway!"

The motion of Hagakure's clothes seemed to indicate she was waving, so I mustered the most polite wave I could without giving away how embarrassed I was. The rest of the group waved as well, though all of their faces indicated that they were as embarrassed as I was, and I wasn't sure if that made this situation better or worse.

I left the group of girls behind as they went back to the changing rooms, arguing all the way about how they had fallen for the trick, with at least one of them making a series of colourful threats towards Mineta. The larger part of my brain was simply trying to figure out what the hell I had just witnessed, and part of me felt more embarrassed than I'm sure all of them felt. Still, I hoped that I had spared them whatever embarrassment would have come from being dressed as cheerleaders in front of the majority of Japan. But beyond anything else, I simply hoped that I hadn't given away how embarrassed I was by the whole event.

Just how long was this hallway anyway? I'd ended up having three separate conversations in this one corridor, and I still didn't feel any closer to finding where I was meant to be. Just as that thought had crossed my mind, I noticed a sign in the corner of my eye, which was simply an arrow labelled '1A' pointing towards a small door in the side of the hallway. Oh well, I didn't have any better options, and this is probably where I was meant to go.

The doorway led to the observation box I had been searching for, with around thirty seats giving a commanding view of the arena below. They were probably the best seats in the whole stadium, and several large screens mounted around the arena would give a better view of the action as the fights unfolded. The 1A box was empty for now, meaning that Aoyama must have gone to do whatever it was he did to occupy himself, not that I really wanted to know.

For the moment, all I could think about was getting some sleep, and the padded chairs looked inviting enough for exactly that purpose.

Author's Note

Well, this has certainly been a Chapter of many events, many of which are seeding future events and leading into the big divergence of this story, as well as a few comedic and character moments to relieve some tension before we go into the battles.

The rivalry with Ojiro and the clash of ideals between the pair is something that I've been planning out for a while, and here is where it finally rears its ugly head. Adding this rivalry seemed natural to me, given the canon events that happened between Shinso and Ojiro in the Sports Festival. In addition, I didn't want everybody in Class 1A to like Shinso unconditionally straight away, as that's not how real life works and the way Shinso acts as a somewhat mysterious figure means some people will be naturally suspicious of him. If Ojiro's words are accurate, then he isn't the only one who holds this opinion in Class 1A…

Aizawa's appearance is another step towards the Underground Hero plot I've been hinting at, as well as showing some of the motive towards how he has acted towards Shinso. There's clearly some confusion and resentment that Shinso holds towards Aizawa right now, and we'll see how that develops soon enough. I've been trying to use more dialogue and show how Shinso, for all of his confidence on the battlefield, is as prone to uncertainty and confusion as any other person his age.

The cheerleader scene was a gag I had an idea to include a little while ago, though I'm not really sure where I got the idea from. Still, I hope it was funny enough to show Shinso's more awkward side as he's confronted with a fairly unusual event. I know that I write Shinso as being a fairly calm and self-assured protagonist a lot of the time, but he is still a 15-year old teenager, and will act like one when confronted with situations like this.

The battle with Ojiro takes place tomorrow, it's been a while since I've written a big fight scene, and this is simply the first of many for this arc.

I have a Discord server now, and I'd love to see you over there. The link is in my profile page.

Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time.

And to answer some reviews:

XDBOI: Thanks for reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this new Chapter as well, and I'll do my best to keep things entertaining.

Klincher: Good to see you as always Online, and thank you for the review. Lockdown has been so-so, though I've mainly just been at work constantly, hope you're doing alright as well. I'll be careful to toe the line between having Shinso give useful insights without simply recounting canon fights, and hopefully that will be entertaining enough.

Amelia831: Thanks for the review, I'm glad to hear that you're looking forwards to the fight between Shinso and Ojiro, since it's something that I've been planning as a major plot beat for a while. As you've guessed, the fight will be based purely around skill, and the events of this Chapter mean that Shinso won't use Brainwashing. Kaminari is one of the characters I've been wanting to write Shinso interacting with more due to their canon 'friendship'; there's some interaction between the pair with this Chapter, but I'll keep a note of this and will probably pair them up for a training exercise in the future.

Raven Mordrake: I'm a sucker for showing people's observations and thoughts to events, and the way this first fight will unfold will certainly raise some eyebrows amongst the rest of UA. Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as well.