Chapter 10: New Roles
Ochako POV
I woke up smiling as I briefly remembered the dream I've been having all week. Me and Kai were back at the mall where he saved me from that mugger. In the dream, we're always just talking and laughing like we always do, but there's something a bit nicer about it here. I can never remember what he's saying, but I know dream-me is always really happy to hear it.
I've pretty much accepted that I like him over the last few days, though I wouldn't tell him or anyone of course. I'm sure he doesn't like me like that. Right? Then again, he's never liked anyone like that as far as I know, and getting him to talk about anything related to his feelings is like pulling teeth! It took him two years and an incident just for him to tell me about his quirk, for goodness sake. He still never talks about his mom, even when he goes to see her, or how he feels about Aizawa having a baby, or if he likes what I'm wearing. Any time I try to ask him about stuff like that, it's usually a one or two-word response, followed by a topic change. I'm usually left wondering about anything else.
Speaking of wondering, what did Kai mean when he texted last night? I know I told him I knew what he meant, but I actually have no clue what he's talking about in this context. He was acting pretty weird yesterday, and not just because of that headache. We barely even talked on the trip home. It's like after he got up from that last pain, his mood did a 180. He said he was fine after, and he didn't seem like his head was still hurting, so it probably wasn't that. I was shaking him pretty hard before, maybe I hurt his shoulder? No, he was transformed, those scales can deflect bullets so a little push from me wouldn't hurt him. It might be about Bakugo. I haven't talked to Kai much about that, but I know they were friends a long time ago; he might just be upset that his old friend turned out like he did. I get the feeling their relationship is gonna get a lot more complicated before he gets any clarity about that, though, so that's probably not it. Maybe he was just awkward because I was on him? He's never had a problem with that before, unless something's changed with him.
Wait a minute, if that's it, then maybe he's been thinking about me like that too! I thought before mentally calming myself down and starting into my morning routine. Don't get your hopes up, Ochacko. Kai is a pretty mysterious guy, he could've just been tired or something from the training exercise. Bakugo did spend most of the trial blowing him up, and he did have to see Recovery Girl after.
But he sure did look amazing when he was fighting, with all the punching and dodging and flying! Oh, and the look on Bakugo's face when he broke back through the other wall and grabbed him like a toddler was priceless! While it's true the sleeper hold and holding Iida's foot in place weren't exactly as climactic as when he totaled that massive robot in the entrance exams, seeing him do that so cleanly was like watching an actual pro! It's just what I would expect from him, but then he goes on about how I did?Hearing him talk about it like I was so smart for basically lucking into the victory by floating Tokoyami brought my blush up to an eleven. I sure hope he didn't see!
I spent the rest of my morning rushing around getting ready while arguing in my own head about how hopeless I am with him, while also still trying to figure about what problem he might've gotten "clarity" on. At one point he texted me to see if I was up and everything, and we established that he'd be meeting me about 30 minutes early. With me being stuck in my own head for most of the time, the morning went pretty quickly until I was standing outside watching him fly into view. As always, he flew right into the landing lights holding his fists out like a hero out of some old books from the pre-quirk era.
"Morning Kai!" I yelled as I waved at him.
"Morning Ocha!" He said back.
"Well, you seem to be in a better mood today than you were last night." I said as he landed. "So what'd you wanna talk about?"
"Eh, you mind if we go to school first? It's pretty personal and the flight there might get awkward if we talk now." He said sheepishly.
"Oh, yeah, that's fine I guess." I said. Not sure where this is going, but ok.
Without much more discussion, he got into his usual kneeling position, I grabbed onto his back and off we went. We stayed silent for the first few minutes as our ears got used to the wind, but once they were, I decided to break the ice.
"So, feeling like giving me any hints about what we're talking about?" I half-yelled over the wind.
"Well, I can say it's pretty serious, and it's something that I've been thinking about for a few years, actually." He replied. Wait, a few years? He couldn't be ...
"Sounds pretty serious." I said.
"It is. I had a hard time thinking about it and when I finally figured it out, well, I'm just glad that Dad was there to give me advice." He said. He had to ask his dad for advice?! Oh my gosh, does he actually like me? Alright, keep it cool, Ochako! You don't know that for sure, so let's not freak out.
"And what'd he say?" I asked.
"Well, it was actually about you. I didn't know how I felt about something, but Dad reassured me that you've always been there for me. Hold on, I'm gonna go faster so we can get there quicker!" He replied as he sped up, making the wind even louder. Ok, definitely freaking out now! Kai actually likes me? Still, keep it together!
"You've been there for me too, Kai!" I yelled as I tried to get my voice over the wind.
"Yeah, but not like you've been for me! That's part of why I wanted to talk to you, so..." He said, but I couldn't hear the last part.
"What?" I tried to say. The winds were really bad today.
"I said, ..." He replied, but I still couldn't hear him.
"I can't hear you over the wind!" I yelled back.
"Hold on, I'll tell you ..." He said. I couldn't hear the rest, but I assumed it was something like "I'll tell you the rest at school" or something like that.
The rest of the flight felt like the world had slowed to a crawl as I jumped from one conclusion to the next. Oh my gosh, is he actually about to tell me he likes me? What am I even going to say? Do I tell him I like him too? Ask him out? Kiss him? Propose? Ok, maybe not that last one, but still! Maybe I just let him take the lead, Kai's pretty sure about most things, and if he's really been thinking about this for a while, then he's definitely got a plan. If he does say it, then just say it back and maybe ask if he wants to go somewhere on a date. I could feel my cheeks flare up once again at that idea. A date with Kai? It sounds like a dream! Where would we even go? We already hang out all the time.
Ok, Ochako, you're thinking too much into this. You're still not even sure that he's gonna say he likes you, even if the situation is looking that way. He could just be asking you about what to do with our new friends, or maybe tell you about what the deal is with him and Bakugo. Things seem pretty tense between those two, and not just because of the slime villain attack. Maybe Bakugo said something to him about it? But why would talking about that make things awkward on the way here? No, this feels way more personal.
Maybe something happened with his mom? He's always been pretty quiet about her, maybe that's what he's finally gotten some clarity on. Maybe he and his dad want to bring her home or something? No, he's way too collected for a subject that sensitive to be coming up. Even the thought of his mom can't bring him to his knees, and yesterday wasn't a panic attack, it looked like he was actually in pain.
I tried and tried for the next few minutes to figure out any other solution to why he'd call me up here today, but either my heart or my brain kept bringing me back to one thought. He's gonna ask me out!
Eventually we made it to the school gate, where Kai flew us straight through and up to the roof of the main school building where our class is. Without saying much else, he landed us on a nice quiet spot and transformed back down before I even let go. As I got off of him and he started putting his shirt back on, I decided to finally break the ice.
"So, what'd you wanna talk to me about so bad that you dragged me up to the school roof?" I asked. Strangely, he wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Well, it's like I said. I finally gained some clarity on something that I should've realized forever ago." He said.
"It sounds really serious." I said again.
"It is, and it's pretty personal. That's why I flew us up to one of the few spots where there are no cameras watching or listening. I actually thought about not saying anything, because this could mess up our friendship really badly. But Dad and I agreed this morning that the only way we can move forward is if you know." He said sheepishly.
"You don't say. I-I've actually had something I've wanted to talk to you about, too. I think it might be the same thing as you, though, so I'll let you go first." I said quietly. At this point I was blushing like crazy as I tried to prepare myself for what was coming.
"Really, well that makes things a lot easier. I really should've realized this sooner, but I guess us being such good friends blinded me to a few things. And even when I put all the pieces together, I still spent all night thinking of how I want to say this, but if we're talking about the same thing then I guess I can just say it." He said as he put a hand on the back of his head. That's it Kai, say it!
"T-totally! Go right ahead." I said as I tried to keep my nerves down.
"A-alright, well, here it goes." He said with just as much nervous energy.
"Ocha, I..."
Here it comes!
"I, uh ..."
Here it is!
"I know about the medals." He said finally.
"Oh, Kai! I … Wait. What?!" I yelled as I realized what he actually said.
Flashback: Last Night.
Izuku POV
I opened my eyes to find myself in the throne room I was imagining just moments ago, though for once I was alone in it.
"It actually worked, sweet." I said in mild surprise. Most things in my life aren't as easy as thinking about them and going.
"Ah, well isn't this a surprise." I heard the familiar voice of Wrath say as he poofed into existence on his scarlet throne. "You finally decided to show up without being summoned. Pray tell, mighty Sin Bearer, for what reason have you graced me with your presence today?" He asked through a heavy layer of sarcasm.
"Haha, very funny. I actually had a few questions and didn't feel like transforming up to the danger levels to talk to you through a wall of rage, so I figured I'd try coming here on my own. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised how easy it was to get here." I said, causing him to chuckle slightly before answering.
"Yes, I suppose that would make communicating rather difficult. But yes, as one of the sins, you can get to this place any time you wish, even in your waking hours. Now, what did you want to ask." He asked.
I ran him through what happened in the last 24 hours and what my plans were for Kacchan and Ocha.
"I've seen how they're both struggling with their individual sins and I want to help them before they destroy themselves." I said solemnly.
"I see. Ever the hero, aren't you? Well, by all rights they both sound like fine candidates to me, but I'm afraid convincing me isn't the only thing you have to do to swear them in." He replied.
"I had a feeling you'd say something like that. So how do I actually do it, then?" I asked.
"Well, for starters, you've got to convince the sins in question to accept your selections." Wrath said. That figures, I knew it wouldn't be as simple as a job offer. I thought to myself. It made sense, though. If it was solely up to the sin bearer to choose their compatriots, then I could theoretically make a team of people that didn't relate to their sins at all.
"Not even theoretically. We ran into that problem pretty early on, sin bearers just choosing their friends even if they had no real connection to the sins they were given. But enough of that, if you're sure about your selections, then I'll go ahead and summon Pride and Greed to hear your pitch." He said.
"I'm sure. Go ahead and summon them." I said. Wrath just nodded before closing his eyes. Within seconds, the thrones on his left and right were occupied.
Just as before, the figures of Pride and Greed were glowing brightly as always with their purple and yellow auras. I've still yet to see either without their helmets, but from what Wrath has said in the past, that'll change once they have their hosts.
"Ah, so the sin bearer has finally decided to present us with potential hosts. How generous of him." Pride said as he settled into his throne.
"Now now, Pride, try to sound less spiteful. Neither of us are known for our patience, but surely this wait couldn't have been that excruciating for you." Wrath replied.
"Heh, says you. You've been grooming your host for the last decade, while I've been stuck surveying the pride of foolish mortals who wouldn't know the first thing about power." He said before turning back to me. "Tell me, boy, have you done as I commanded and found a powerful host?" He asked. You call that passing remark you made with the others a command?
"I assure you, I can and will throw more authority into my orders should you need any more convincing, boy!" Pride said with his eyes glowing brightly behind his helmet.
"Ignore the venom, Izuku. Even Pride knows not to harm another sin's host. Now, go ahead and tell him about your selection." Wrath said while glaring at his fellow sin.
"Right, his name is Katsuki Bakugo. His quirk is called Explosion, and it lets him create, well, explosions from the sweat on his hands. It's a really strong power for a hero, which is exactly why he has a problem with his pride." I said to the towering purple knight.
"Yes, quite. It seems that ever since he developed his quirk, he's been praised and worshipped by friends and teachers alike. He's certainly not the first to develop arrogance from this, but he's definitely one of the worst cases I've seen. Given time, he could become the next Endeavour with his current mentality." Pride replied.
"Wait a minute, how did you …?" I started before being interrupted.
"I am the sin of pride, boy. My knowledge and my power know no bounds!" He said. Sensing that I wasn't going to get a clearer answer from him, I turned back to Wrath, who just chuckled lightly at my expression.
"What he means by that is since he is the embodiment of Pride itself, he's connected to all who share his sin. We all do, actually. It's how we choose our hosts when it comes time to select a new sin bearer. We can all see into the hearts of the people with our dominant sins and get a general idea of who we're working with. Amongst other things, we can learn their name, quirk, and a few details about their sin." He replied as calmly as ever.
"Oh, that makes more sense." I said before turning back to the purple knight. "So, if you already know about him, then does that mean you'll accept him as your host?" I asked.
"Hmm, his quirk does appear powerful, and he does seem competent enough to use it. This is the same Katsuki Bakugo that you were friends with as a child, yes?" He asked, to which I nodded. "Then no thanks. If this indeed is the same Bakugo that you knew as a child, then that means you had to save him from one measly villain. Anyone who is truly strong wouldn't require assistance with something so minor. Now, I suggest you run along and find someone of actual power before offering them a place as my host." He said smugly. So he's just gonna write Kacchan off for being caught off guard by the slime villain? I thought to myself.
"I already have. Kacchan is strong, and not just because of his quirk. Even as a child, I can remember seeing how driven he was to become the number one hero someday. While the other kids were playing during recess and laying around, he insisted that we train so we'd be ready when the time came. He may have developed an ego once I was gone, but I can still see that same determination in his eyes even now. And I won't let you brush him aside just because he was taken by surprise before his real training even started!" I borderline yelled. Sue me, I wasn't about to let him talk down on my old best friend for something that even other pros couldn't handle.
I locked eyes with the helmeted figure as well as I could, with no one saying anything for what felt like forever. This tension was broken after a little while by something unexpected.
"Hahaha. It seems the little sin bearer has some backbone after all! You may not be the strongest host, Izuku Yagi, but I can respect someone that'll stand up for their beliefs. Very well, I'll agree to at least meet your little friend. Should I approve of him, he'll become the host to the mighty sin of Pride." The sin said, still laughing a little. I was taken by surprise at this comment, and going by Wrath's facial expression I wasn't the only one. None of us said a word as Pride disappeared in a flash of purple light.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that." Said the yellow knight to my right. "Usually Pride stays in one of two moods: Asshole or Bigger Asshole. Respectful isn't one that happens every century."
"You're telling me. Getting him in a good mood is rarer than finding a five-leaf clover in Antarctica. That very well might've been the most impressive thing I've seen you do, Sin Bearer. Still, best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the old saying goes. Now, you've convinced one sin, now you've just got one more to go." Wrath said with his usual smile.
"Right." I said as I turned to face Greed. Before I could even say anything, he held his hand up to silence me.
"Save me the details, you're going to pitch that Uraraka girl, right?" He said in a surprisingly friendly voice.
"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" I asked, genuinely confused. I don't remember actively thinking of her name.
"I am the sin of greed. My knowledge and power know no bounds!" He said while doing what I thought was a pretty good impression of Pride's voice. "Haha, no but seriously. I've had my eye on her for awhile now. I've been waiting for the past seven years for you to figure her sin out. Little Miss 'I want to make money so my family can have an easy life' fits the heroic sinners theme we've got going on this generation to a tee." He said. Was he always a hands talker? I thought to myself. Off topic, so he's had his eye on Ocha for a while then? Wait, that probably means …
"Oh, you were the one making my Sin Sight go crazy yesterday, weren't you?" I asked him.
"Pssh, what? Me, mess with Wrath's host and his abilities? I'd never!" He said while holding up his hand over where his mouth should be under his helmet. Wrath and I just looked at him in response until he finally spoke up again. "Ok, fine. Geez, you two can be so intense sometimes. I might've pushed your sin sight just a little from in here while you were talking to her yesterday. But in my defense, you've had the perfect candidate for me sitting right in front of you forever without even knowing it. I just wanted to get you to see that!" He said.
"You know we're supposed to stay away from each other's hosts, Greed. I'll let it slide just this once since it seems like no harm was done, but please refrain from doing anything like that again." Wrath said.
"Fine. You're no fun when you're running things, you know that?" He said with a slight huff.
"Wait a second, I know that voice. Greed, you know I hate it when you bring out George. You promised I wouldn't have to deal with him for at least another 50 years!" Wrath said, sounding a little irritated in the process.
"What, who, me? Bring out George? I don't know who or what you're talking about. Aaaaaaanyway, as for that Uraraka girl, I'm more than willing to have her as my host, just bring her here so we can get introductions out of the way. Kthanksseeyoubye!" He said with a final wave before disappearing just like Pride did before.
"Ugh, this is going to be annoying. Out of all the personas, he had to pick George." Wrath said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, which looked kind of weird with his usual smile.
"What do you mean by that? And who's George?" I asked my patron sin.
"Oh, nothing. I'll tell you later since we're running out of time. When do you plan on offering the Bakugo and Uraraka the sins?" He asked.
"Later today, if I can. I've already asked Kacchan to meet me after school, and I doubt Ocha will have a problem with joining us." I replied.
"Great! Now, the process itself is pretty simple, all you have to do is have them hold the gems and touch your own. You'll all be mentally transported here where Pride, Greed, and I will be waiting. From there it's all up to us. Any questions?" Wrath asked me.
"Just one: if they decide that they don't want to become hosts, what will we do about them knowing about you guys?" I asked.
"Oh, good catch. But you don't worry about that, from the minute they touch the gems, their memories will be subject to change. Should they decline the roles, all recollection of what happened will be erased." He replied.
"Well that's convenient. Though I guess if you've been cycling through for the last few millennia then you've probably come across nearly every problem imaginable." I said.
"You have no idea. Now, back to the land of the living you go." He said with a wave of his hand. Before I could say anything the world faded back to white.
Flashback Over
Izuku POV
"I know about the medals." I said quietly. I had intended to ease into that a bit more, but since Ocha already knew what I was going to say, I figured I would just rip the proverbial bandage off.
"Oh Kai! I … wait, what?!" She replied. Ok, going by that face, maybe we weren't on the same page after all. So much for that.
"I know about the medals, Ocha. I know what happened all those years." I said, still keeping my voice down. I briefly wondered what she thought I was talking about before banishing that train of thought. I had more important things to think about right now if I wanted to salvage this.
"W-w-w-what do you m-m-mean?" She asked, her voice shaking. Ok, that denial was expected, but it still hurts. Best to get this part over with quickly.
"You know what I mean, Ocha." I said as I met her eyes. I tried my best to convey a message that told her I was serious, though not stern enough to make her think I was mad.
"When did …? How did …? Are you …?" She tried asking. Her voice cut out before she could finish any of those questions, so I was just left staring into her now-watering eyes.
"I found out yesterday. As for how, I can't really tell you right now, but I will tell you later, though I'm positive that it's accurate or I never would've believed it. But as for that last part, I honestly don't know how I feel about all this." I said, my own voice faltering slightly. Keep it together, Izuku. Right now your friend needs you and you can't do that if you're an emotional mess. "I already talked to Dad about it, and we both agree that we should at least hear your side before making any final judgements." I said. I held my shaking hand out of view so she wouldn't see just how close I was to breaking.
"W-w-w-well, I … Oh Kai, I'm so sorry!" She said before collapsing to her knees and finally letting her tears loose. Without a thought, I dropped down beside her and put my arm around her.
"Hey, it's alright. I'm not mad, and you don't have to tell me right now if you don't want to." I said to the crying girl. After a moment, she replied in an even shakier voice than before.
"N-n-no, I do. I s-should've told t-t-truth years ago." She said before seemingly gathering herself. For my part, I just kept my arm around her and tried to comfort her through this. After a few minutes, she began her tale from the beginning.
Apparently even as a child Ocha knew about her family's financial troubles. The construction company that her mother and father owned barely managed to get them by, even to the point that she decided to go work with her aunt at the age of six just to bring some extra money in. She did make a little bit of money working for her aunt, but Ocha felt like she wasn't helping her parents much even when she gave them what she could. It was around the time that she started working that she met someone from an organization of small-time criminals under a guy called King.
He had watched her and her aunt go into some of the nicest houses with some of the best security around and had the bright idea to get her to steal some things from them with the promise that he would split the profits with her. Reluctantly, she agreed. After all, these people were all rich and never lifted a finger while her hard-working mother and father barely got by. Not to mention, a lot of the people that could actually afford housekeepers tended to look down on her and her aunt.
It started off small, maybe a watch here, a necklace there. Nothing they didn't have a hundred of anyway. She'd pocket them, keep them for a little while until she could get them back to her contact from the organization, and he'd pawn it then give her a cut. She made a little money, which she gave to her mom and dad indirectly so they wouldn't ask where it came from. She did emphasize in her story that she felt terrible doing it, even after rationalizing, but this went on until our house.
Eventually, her parents figured out something was up with the extra money they kept finding, and they talked to Ocha about it. She reluctantly told them about the thefts and how she just wanted to help them, and it led to their first big argument. She wasn't going to stop stealing for them, so they came to the hard decision to send her to live with her Aunt and Uncle. They figured if she couldn't get the money to them then she wouldn't have a reason to steal.
"I met you and your dad, and you showed me all those medals he had, most of them being real gold, and I couldn't help it. I knew gold would sell for a lot, s-so I took them while you were talking to Aunt Hana. I felt awful stealing from All Might, especially since you two had been so nice to us, b-but by that point it was second nature. I know that's no excuse, but I don't have a better reason. I should've told you years ago, but I was afraid you would hate me. But now that you know, let me say two things. One, I swear that after the medals I never stole from you two again. And two, I am so so sorry, Kai! I hope you can forgive me, both for stealing from you and for lying about it!" She wailed into my shoulder. I responded by wrapping my arms around her and putting my head on her shoulder.
"I already have, Ocha." I said quietly.
"W-w-what?" She asked as she pulled away to look at me.
"I forgave you last night, and so did Dad. We both knew you wouldn't have done anything like that without a good reason. I just needed to hear it from you to see what really happened." I said with a light smile. "Besides, I can't go holding a grudge against my best friend for something she did as a kid, right?"
"How can you forgive me so easily after I betrayed you?! I stole from you two after you trusted me so blindly!" She asked.
"Simple. You've been good to us for all these years aside from that. And you said it yourself, Dad has a hundred of those things, it's not like he missed them. He keeps all the really special ones in his office anyway." I joked lightly. "I do have to ask you something, though, and I want you to be honest with me." I said, bringing the mood back down.
"S-sure, what is it?" She asked.
"You said that you never stole from us again. What about the other houses you and your aunt clean?" I said. I hated asking her this but I had to confirm my suspicions before I could offer her my help.
"W-w-well, I said I would be honest. As far as my parents and Aunt know, I stopped when I moved. I've slowed down a lot and I use a lot of restraint now, but even still I occasionally see something valuable that someone's just letting rust, and my brain starts screaming at me to take it. Sometimes, I can't help myself, so I grab it if I think I can get away with it. I know, you must be thinking I'm some sort of villain right now, but I promise I only take something if the people are just leaving it to rot in some case or in a closet somewhere. I know that doesn't make it right, but I really just can't help it. It's like my body moves before my brain can actively tell it no." She said, looking down to avoid meeting my eyes. It sounds like some kind of kleptomania, even if it is just a compulsion. She definitely needs my help, and I know exactly what I can do.
"I don't think you're a villain, I just think you should've told me or someone else before now. We could've at least helped you carry this burden." I said before sighing. "But, that's all behind us. From now on, let's just agree to not keep secrets anymore, alright?" I said, still keeping my voice down.
"How can you be so forgiving when I've kept this whole part of my life from you?" She asked me, now looking back up at me.
"I told you, you're my best friend and I don't want to lose you, no matter what you've done in the past." I said with a warm smile, before turning the mood down once more. "Besides, you're not the only one that's been keeping secrets." I said darkly. Last chance to back this down, I thought, before tightening my resolve. No, Ocha needs my help, and this is the best way to do it!
"What do you mean by that?" She asked in what was sounding more like a pout than a sob at this point.
"Remember when I promised that I'd tell you everything about my quirk after Dad was injured?" I asked.
"Yeah? What about it?" She said. I took a deep breath.
"I lied. I didn't tell you the whole story. If we're gonna be completely honest, then you deserve the truth. I'm meeting Bakugo after school up here to talk about something similar. If you want to join, I'll happily tell you everything." I said.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. I kept a secret for long enough, I couldn't fault you for not telling me yours." She said.
"No, but I want to tell you. I've wanted to for a while, I just couldn't. But now I can be completely honest with you. Besides, this could actually help me to help you with your problem, if you just let me." I said softly. No backing out now.
"O-okay. Are you sure you're really not mad at me, though?" She asked with a look that said she might cry again.
"Ocha, I could never stay mad at you. Now, let's get going, we don't want to be late or Unczawa will be mad, and we both know he and Iida won't take 'a friendly heart-to-heart' as a valid excuse for tardiness." I said. This succeeded in getting a laugh out of her, though I could tell that things were still gonna be tense between us for now.
We eventually made it to homeroom with only a minute or two remaining before the bell. During that time, we sat down and talked to Iida, who in traditional Iida style immediately scolded us for not being earlier. The talking was kept pretty light, and Ocha never said anything directly to me, which I respected and didn't point out. She's probably just trying to process what just happened up there, I'm sure with time she'll be back to normal. Especially if she agrees with my offer later today.
As soon as the bell rang, Unczawa stood up from his usual spot behind his podium to quiet us down.
"Alright class, settle down. Before we get to your announcements and I release you to go to your classes, there's something you need to do. You need to choose representatives to lead this class for the year." He said in the same steady tone as always. This prompted several questions from several people, to which he replied by raising his hand and activating his quirk at us. "The job is pretty self-explanatory, they'll be in charge of keeping you in line while I'm not here, as well as a few other things. I don't care how you decide on it, just make sure you have a class rep and a vice rep by the end of the period. If you need me, don't." He said before sinking back down into his yellow cocoon.
Naturally, chaos erupted as over half the class began declaring their own candidacy for the job or just declaring that they'd do it without room for argument (I wonder who would've done that.) Eventually, Iida stood up and gave his own input.
"Enough! This pointless arguing is getting us nowhere. I suggest we all calm down and do this logically. I propose that we hold a formal election for the class representative and allow them to pick their vice, that way we can ensure we have leaders that can work cohesively." He said.
"But Iida, we've only known each other for three days. We haven't had time to get to know each other well enough to pick a leader. Won't everyone just vote for themselves?" Asui chimed in.
"You are correct, we haven't known each other very long, but that's precisely why we should do it this way. If someone has shown themselves to be a competent leader in this amount of time, then they will have earned the role. Does this seem fair to everyone?" He concluded.
Well, when you put it like that, it makes sense, I thought to myself. Apparently, I wasn't the only one, because after a moment there was a murmured agreement from the rest of the class. Taking the initiative, he stood up from his desk and made his way to the front of the room to write everyone's names on the board before explaining how things would go. It would be fairly simple, everyone would just take out a sheet of paper and write the name of their choice. Once the name was written, they would bring the paper up and when everyone turned in their vote, Iida would tally them accordingly, with Shoji double-checking to keep him honest (not that anyone thought Iida was capable of lying without short-circuiting.) Once the votes were counted, the person with the most would be the class rep and pick a vice representative following that.
Within a few moments, I was looking down at a piece of paper wondering whose name I should put down. Hmm, I definitely don't want to put myself down. There are way better candidates than me. Maybe Ocha? She's usually pretty level-headed at the best of times, though she does hate crowds and public speaking gives her a lot of anxiety. Best not her, then. I doubt she even wants it anyway.
Kacchan is out of the question; even if I do help him with his ego, his temper will more than likely still be an issue. Kirishima was pretty good in the battle trials, though I wouldn't exactly call him a leader. Mineta, just no. Yaoyorozu seems pretty smart, and she handled herself pretty well in the trials, she'd probably be a good pick.
Ah, who am I kidding, the choice is obvious. Iida managed to organize an election within 5 minutes, and he's a clear and concise speaker who's shown he can make good rush decisions, even if I did beat him yesterday. He even managed to stand up to Kacchan and make him plan that little trap. He's probably the best choice given what I've seen so far.
With my mind made up, I wrote his name down and quietly made my way up to turn my vote in. Evidently, I was the last one to do so, since the moment I sat down, he and Shoji set to work tallying votes. After a few moments, the counting was finished and he stepped up to the podium to read the results.
"Alright, the votes have all been tallied, and with four votes it seems our class representative will be Izuku Yagi." He said as he motioned towards me. Wait, what?! I had four people vote for me?
"You idiots actually voted the damn lizard over me!" Said, well, you know who. Most people just rolled their eyes and brushed his comments off. Meanwhile, I was struggling to process this new information before I felt a gentle prod on my arm.
"Go on, class rep." I heard Ocha say as she gave me a weak smile. I knew right then she was at least one of the people that voted for me. Regardless of my shock, I did get up and join Iida up front before he went back to his own desk, leaving me standing in front of the class that had apparently elected me to lead them.
"Well, uh, I can't say that I expected this. Personally, I think there were much better options than me, but I'll try my best to live up to your expectations." I said bashfully.
"I don't know why you're so surprised, Yagi. You showed clear leadership skills yesterday in your battle trials. Not to mention your amazing performance during the entrance exams. You're more than fit to lead us." Iida said from his desk.
"Yeah, man. You're totally good enough to be our class rep. You crushed it in your fight against Bakugo, and that took both brains and guts. Definitely manly enough for the job." Kirishima added.
"Seriously, you placed third in Mr. Aizawa's quirk test while using the bare minimum of your quirk for most of it. How did you not expect to get any votes?" Kaminari chimed in.
"Oh, well, I guess I didn't think of it like that." I said, fighting the rising heat on my face. Note to self: I'm still bad at taking compliments.
"Alright, so Yagi is your class rep. Big surprise. Choose your vice rep so we can be done with this." I heard from our teacher on the ground.
"Oh yeah. Since I voted for him myself, I only think it's right to offer the position to Iida. " I said before facing the blue-haired teen. "Would you like to be the vice representative?" I asked him.
"I'd be honored, Yagi." He replied in the same stern voice as always.
"Congrats, Yagi and Iida. You get to be the two I yell at the most this year. I'll fill you in on your duties later. Now, everybody get to class." Our teacher said, still not moving from his spot on the floor.
"Well 1-A, you heard the cocoon. Let's head to English." I said with a grin.
Without any more prompting, we all grabbed our bags and made our way to our next class with Present Mic.
The next few hours breezed by, with our core classes being pretty tame compared to Dad's. I tried talking to Ocha a little bit between classes, but she was obviously still pretty shaken from this morning, so she didn't talk back much. I kind of wish that I would've waited until after school to talk to her about that, but given what else we're going to talk about I figured she'd need some recovery time. Given how distant she's been today, I'd say that was a good call. I just hope she accepts my offer later, otherwise things will get even more awkward. I just want to help her.
Eventually we made our way to the cafeteria, with Iida still going on about our duties and responsibilities as the class representatives. Apparently he took my lack of confidence earlier as an excuse to lecture me about the ins and outs of leadership, because he's been trying to do just that all day. Truthfully, I haven't been listening to him much as I've spent a large amount of time thinking about how the meeting after school will go.
"Furthermore, it is imperative that we hold ourselves to a standard above our classmates, lest they see us as slackers. Should we fail to do this … Yagi! Are you even paying attention?" He said, grabbing my attention back.
"Yes, no, probably. Sorry, I've just got a lot on my mind today. I promise, I am taking this whole class rep thing seriously, just maybe not quite as seriously as you. I get that you're trying to make sure we both do our best, but you should learn to loosen up a little bit." I said.
"Yagi's got a point, man. You keep being that stiff all the time and you'll get stuck like that when you need to be loose." Kirishima chimed in from behind us.
"I'll have you both know that I am incredibly flexible. I spent years training my body so I can perform any number of kicks!" Iida retorted.
"Not what we meant. You've gotta learn to chill every once in a while. You can even think of it as training if you have to. When you're rescuing someone, it's important that they're not scared of you or they might struggle and make things worse." I said.
"Hmm, you may be right. Very well, from now on I shall work to become the most chill person ever! Observe as I relax my posture!" He exclaimed before leaning forward about half an inch. Yep, definitely the chillest person ever. It's a start anyway.
The conversation moved along as it normally would. Ocha still wasn't talking very much, but that was pretty understandable. We all went through the line to get our food, which looked like another UA masterpiece from Lunch Rush, before sitting down at our usual table. Kirishima joined us, surprisingly.
"Ah, Kirishima. You've decided to join us today?" Iida asked him.
"Yeah, Bakubro said he wasn't feeling it today. Something about a meeting, I think. You don't mind if I sit with you guys, do you?" He asked.
"Not at all." I replied for us before motioning to the seat across from me.
"Thanks class rep." He said before sitting down.
"Yeah, that title is gonna take some time to get used to." I said sheepishly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure the title will feel more natural with time. Now, we mustn't delay eating any longer, we have exactly twenty five minutes before -" Iida was cut off by a sudden alarm blaring to life over the cafeteria doors.
"LEVEL 3 SECURITY BREACH, ALL STUDENTS RETURN TO YOUR HOMEROOMS IMMEDIATELY."
From there, chaos ensued. The whole student body was in the cafeteria, and immediately formed a herd of bodies flooding towards the exit. While we were getting pushed around by the panicking mob, an upperclassman bumped past us. Before he could get too far, I grabbed his arm to get his attention.
"Hey, we're first years, what exactly does that alarm mean?!" I had to shout to be heard over all the noise.
"A Level 3 alarm means that somebody got past the UA Barrier! It must be villains trying to attack the school! I've been here for three years and this has never happened before!" He shouted back, before melting back into the crowd.
"Alright, guys, let's stick together! This crowd is getting rough!" I yelled back to my classmates.
"Agreed, we'd better make our way to the front before somebody gets injured!" Iida replied.
With that, our group began pushing our way forward, being bumped and jostled by fellow students along the way. We made it to the hallway connecting the cafeteria to the rest of the main building, which was even more chaotic with the space being tighter.
In the midst of the crowd, I was pushed away from our group and against a window, which thankfully prompted me to look outside. Over by the gate, I saw a huge crowd of what should've been the villains that were attacking the school. Wait a minute, those aren't villains, those are reporters! I realized as I saw that they weren't holding guns or knives, but instead cameras and microphones.
"Everybody, calm dow-!" I tried to say as I was pushed back by the crowd.
"Wait, you have nothing to fear, it's just -!" I tried again, with the same ending.
"Would you all just-?!" I tried once more. Unbelievable, they're all panicking over a bunch of reporters and they don't even know it. Maybe I should try - I thought before hearing a short scream pierce the air. That sounded like Ocha! Alright, this has gone on long enough! I thought as I did something that I'm probably gonna regret later.
I used my adrenal control to transform up to about 50 percent, just enough to avoid tearing my uniform to shreds. Once I got transformed up enough, I went through with my hastily made plan.
"Quuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeettttttttt!" I yelled in my deep, draconic voice as I released a huge bout of flames that went just barely up to the thankfully inflammable ceiling. As soon as everyone saw and heard this, they stopped in their tracks to look my way.
"Thank you! Now, that I have your attention, I'll invite you all to look outside! The only people out there are reporters, not villains hellbent on killing us all. And even if they were villains, what good would panicking do? We are students of UA High School, now start acting like it!" I shouted as I transformed back down as quickly as I could. Suddenly I had all eyes on me, and not all of them looked friendly. Several people were looking at me apprehensively, but fortunately an upperclassman towards the front of the crowd managed to get the attention on him.
"Alright, you heard the first-year, it's just the press! Now c'mon, let's all go back to our home rooms while the teachers get everything settled. Third-years, let's try to keep everything running smoothly." I heard him say over the noise.
After a moment of confusion, the crowd began moving once again, but this time it was much slower and more organized. In the now-calmed mob, I was able to make it back to my friends almost instantly.
"Nice going class rep." Kirishima said as he clapped a hand on my shoulder.
"Indeed, I was just about to ask Uraraka to use her quirk on me so I could float up and try something similar, but it seems you beat me to it. Well done." Iida said.
"Seriously, Kai, that was amazing. You looked like a real hero the way you got them all to listen to you!" Ocha said, having regained some of her usual spunk. Well, I guess being in a rampaging mob will do that to you.
"I just did what we've all seen plenty of times before. But are you alright, Ocha? I thought I heard a scream that sounded like you." I asked.
"What? Oh yeah, I just had someone step on my foot and it caught me by surprise. Wait, did you transform and do that just because you heard me?" She asked.
"Well, it wasn't the only reason, I was already thinking about it anyway, but hearing you in trouble helped me get over fear of judgement for a second. I still had a bunch of people looking at me weird, but it wasn't as bad as I thought." I said. I really didn't like the looks that some of them were giving me, though.
"Man, this again? You've gotta stop worrying about what other people think. I think everyone should be judged by their actions, not their appearances. That's what I go by, anyway." Kirishima said.
"I wish more people were like that. Last time I used my powers like that in school, I got stuck with the name 'Kaiju' for four years and left with a single friend." I said glumly.
"That's totally uncool of your classmates. But that makes what you just did even manlier!" Kirishima said, with tears evidently building up in his eyes. He really is passionate about this whole 'manliness' thing, isn't he? "You don't have to worry about that kind of judgement from me, and if anyone else in class gives you crap about it, I'll be sure to set them right!" He said.
"Thanks, Kirishima. I appreciate it. But onto more current topics, let's focus on getting back to class." I said to our whole group. "We're almost at the front of the hallway, so let's try to stay together. This crowd is a lot calmer now, but it would still be easy to slip away." I said. Huh, leadership thinking, that's new. Maybe a side effect of the whole class rep thing?
At my suggestion, the class huddled up more before we made it to the intersection. Fortunately our classroom seemed the opposite direction from where most of the other people were going, so the herd thinned out considerably. Just as we were about to head down the wing to the heroics department, I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder. Out of reflex, I released a small amount of adrenaline, just enough to bring me up to 3%, before I turned around to see the upperclassman from a few minutes ago.
"Hey first-year! Nice going with the crowd control back there. I was trying to do the same, but my quirk isn't really good for getting attention, unless you count the side effects anyway, haha!" He said before holding a hand out. "The name's Mirio Togata."
"Izuku Yagi, nice to meet you." I replied politely as I took his hand. "I can't say I did much there, you were the one who got everyone organized, I just got their attention." I said, before turning back to my classmates. "You guys can go on ahead without me. I'll meet you back in homeroom." I said to my classmates. As they left, Togata and I moved to the side of the hallway.
"Don't sell yourself short, Yagi. You helped out a lot there. Plus if the burn mark on the ceiling is anything to go by, then I'd say you've already made your mark on the school after just three days." He said with another laugh. Burn Mark? "Nice quirk, by the way." He said, making me realize that my skin had turned into a light green and my fingernails had sharpened slightly.
"T-thanks." I said sheepishly as I turned it off.
"Seriously, your quirk looks so cool! Transformation type quirks can be so strong, what is yours exactly?" A girl with light blue hair said from behind him.
"Oh, I, it's uh..." I floundered.
"Hado, what have we told you about asking about someone's quirk before introducing yourself?" Togata said, apparently familiar with the girl.
"Oh, right!" She said before extending her hand. "Nejire Hado, third year from class 3-A! Sorry if I caught you off guard." She said excitedly.
"It's no problem, I'm just not used to being on the receiving end of this." I said sheepishly as I took her hand. "Anyway, my quirk is called Draconic Enhancement. It pretty much just lets me boost my speed and strength gradually by transforming into a dragon-like form. Oh, and it lets me breathe fire and fly if I transform enough." I said.
"Wow! A transforming quirk that has levels? That's so cool! And it sounds a lot like Ryukyu's quirk, but not even she can breathe fire!" She said before going into her own mutter storm about my quirk. So this is what it feels like. Huh, it's actually kind of flattering. Also, come to think of it, I think Auntzawa mentioned someone named Hado, could this be her? She would've kept going, but another guy with dark blue hair with pointy ears behind her put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hado, you need air, remember?" He said in a quiet voice. I looked over at him, expecting him to introduce himself, but instead he just said something under his breath and turned to face the wall.
"Don't mind Amajiki, he's not a people person. Well anyway, we'd probably get to class. I know the alarm was just for the reporters, but you still shouldn't keep your teacher waiting. Thanks again for the assist, Yagi. You're definitely gonna be one to watch later!" Togata said with a thumbs up before he and the other two rejoined the crowd. Realizing that he was right and I shouldn't keep Unczawa waiting, I also made my way back into the crowd.
Thankfully the crowd was still a lot calmer than before, so making it back to class was fairly easy. Almost everyone beat me there, not that I was surprised. Togata and his friends kept me held up for a few minutes. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't let that happen again during a level 3 alarm, even if it is a false one. With that in mind, I tried to make my way back to my desk as quietly as possible. Keyword: tried.
"Yagi. Care to explain why your group showed up so much faster than you?" Mr. Aizawa said with his infamous glare directed at me.
"Yes sir. I was stopped by an upperclassman, well actually three upperclassmen. They wanted to thank me for helping out with the crowd." I said.
"Yeah, I heard about what you did. Just one question: did these upperclassmen have names?" He asked, eyes still trained on me.
"Yeah, Togata, Hado, and Amajiki, I think. Why?" I asked. Surprisingly, his heavy gaze left me as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Heh, should've known you'd get their attention somehow. Alright, your tardiness is excused, now get to your desk and start a headcount. Let me know if I have to hunt any of your classmates down." He said. Wait, what's so special about Togata and the others? I'll have to ask him later.
"Yes sir." I said, not wanting to make him change his mind about excusing me.
"Oh and Yagi." He called as I was heading back. "From what I heard, you did a good job with crowd control. It's a useful skill to have as a pro, so keep it up." He said. Excusing me and a compliment? Is he going through some kind of crisis?
"Who are you and what have you done with Mr. Aizawa?" I asked, only half-joking.
"Just get to your desk before I decide to hunt you instead." He said. There he is.
Not wanting to antagonize him anymore, I did as he said and started that headcount. There were only a handful still missing, with one or two trickling in within the next few minutes. Just as I was about to tell Unczawa that Hagakure and Mineta were still missing, they walked in. Well, Hagakure did anyway, Mineta was hanging onto a ball that I can only assume was stuck to the girl's leg while looking back and forth between the rest of the room and, ugh, up Hagakure's skirt. That little perv is gonna get smacked sooner or later.
"We made it! Now will someone get this purple creep off of me?!" The tired-sounding girl said.
"Mineta, that's the second time someone has had to carry you in three days. If it happens one more time you're being switched to general education, do I make myself clear?" Unczawa said, his glare now fixed on the horny dwarf. All he could do was nod very quickly. "Oh, and make sure you keep your eyes forward." He said, his eyes now glowing red, effectively unsticking the ball from its place on Hagakure's leg and dumping Mineta on the floor. The purple pervert just kept nodding as he scrambled back to his desk.
"Class Rep, are all of your classmates accounted for?" Our teacher asked me.
"Yes Mr. Aizawa. All twenty seats are filled." I replied.
"Good, now since your lunch was cut early, let's get on with class." The tired man said.
…
The rest of class went off a lot smoother than before. Since Dad's daily time as All Might was so limited, for the school year he'll be alternating days with us and class 1-B, with every other day being taught by our respective homeroom teachers.
For today, most of what we did was a more in-depth analysis of the footage from yesterday's battle trials, along with a ton of notes from both Aizawa and from the rest of the class. For my trial, he mostly told Kacchan and I to be less reckless and destructive in the future, earning a silent nod from me and a growl from the only one in class who would actually growl at a teacher. Most of his other comments and critiques were pretty straightforward, like how Iida should've stayed moving or Todoroki should've included his teammate.
Nearly everyone seemed to take the comments in stride, though I can't say for certain. Admittedly, as soon as Unczawa was explaining where I went wrong I sorta zoned out so I could think about my upcoming meeting with Ocha and Kacchan.
It'll definitely be awkward no matter which way I approach this. If I try to explain too much before letting them meet the sins, they'll think I'm crazy and stop listening. Well, Kacchan anyway; Ocha would probably stick around, though I doubt she'd be very receptive. As much as I don't want to shock them more than necessary, It'll probably be better to keep the explanation to a minimum before handing them the gems, that way they'll at least have some proof in front of them.
I spent the rest of class finishing my gameplan for the meeting, while tuning into the lesson every so often, just enough to make my notes somewhat sensible. I'd have to go over them later so I could absorb at least some of what he told my classmates. But, as of now there were about five minutes left before the bell and Unczawa had already gone back to his cocoon after giving us the rest of the period to reflect on what he said and look over our notes for the day.
One way or another, my relationship is going to change with the both of them. I just want to help them escape from their own demons, but I need to convince them to let me help them. I doubt Ocha will be too difficult, but I imagine Kacchan might cause some trouble. Hopefully Pride agrees to take him on as his host. Greed already said he'd take on Ocha, so it'll mostly be convincing her to do it, which shouldn't be too bad. Going by our conversation earlier, she knows she has a problem and she doesn't like it, so it shouldn't take much to get her to agree. Really all I'll have to say is -
That last train of thought was cut off by the bell signalling the end of our school day, and the beginning of something much bigger. I, along with the rest of the class, packed up my notes and got ready to leave. On my way out the door, I heard a certain cocoon call out to me.
"Class Rep. Mind staying over for a minute?" Unczawa said as he rose to his feet.
"Uhm, sure." I said before turning to Ocha. "Go on ahead, I'll meet you up there in a minute." I said. She just gave a slight nod and left, with Kacchan going the same way. After a moment, once everyone else had left, Unczawa spoke up again.
"I saw how distracted you two were, I'm guessing something happened?" He asked.
"Yeah, you could say that. It's kinda personal, but her and Bakugo are both struggling with their own demons right now, and I want to help them." I said determinately.
"I see. I take it you're going to offer them two of the sins, then?" He asked.
"Yes. I told you about that recent development with the sins. In theory, they should be able to reign in that part of themselves a lot better if they become hosts." I said.
"Well, it seems that you've put a lot of thought into this, but in the future please let me know if you're going to give ancient powers to any of my other students. I'd prefer to know if any of them are going to be sprouting up new powers ahead of time." He said plainly.
"Will do. I would've told you before, but this was kind of last minute." I replied sheepishly.
"Figures. You're just like your father. Once you decide you're going to save someone, there isn't anything that'll change your mind. It's not a bad trait to have, especially with your tactical skills and quick thinking. I take it you've thought this through a little more than when you gave me the same offer five years ago?"
"Yes." I said, a little bit defensively. "I'm not exactly nine anymore."
He was referring to the next Friday that I trained with him after finding out about the sins. It wasn't even a month after that but I was convinced that he would make the perfect Sloth, so I kind of blurted out a hasty explanation that him, Dad, and Wrath all admonished me over later. Suffice to say, he declined, stating that he had enough tools at his disposal with invoking ancient powers, and I promised to keep him in the loop about the sins. We did end up telling Auntzawa about the sins as well, mostly for training purposes, but so far those we four are the only ones that know about them.
"Alright, I trust your judgement on this. In the meantime, I'll help you keep an eye on your other classmates and see if they meet your criteria on the other four sins." He said flatly.
"Thank you, Unczawa." I said with a small bow. As I turned towards the door, he said one more thing.
"Oh, and Yagi." He said. "Good luck, kid." He said with a light smirk. With another small bow I was out the door and heading to the stairs. I made my way to the door to the staircase before long and climbed up to the top floor. I paused for a moment in front of the door to the roof where I assume Ocha and Kacchan were waiting for me. Here goes nothing, I thought before opening the door and stepping out to them.
Author's Notes
Hey, it's me, Author Boy McTakesForeverPants. I'm sorry the chapter took so long, I never meant to go three months without posting, I just had a serious case of writer's block at the beginning of this chapter. To be honest, I'm still not entirely satisfied with it, but I figured I've hammered at it enough and it was time to just take the C- and move on with the story. It's also just been a little crazy as of late with life in general, but that's all just more excuses.
Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately, depending on your perspective), my family and I finally got quarantined after 11 months of the pandemic. It's all fine, all the cases here so far have been very mild, but if nothing else it's given me an absurd amount of time to finish up this chapter. That being said, I still have a week left before I can really leave the house, so (fingers crossed) I shouldn't take nearly as long on the next chapter.
As for what's going to be in the next chapter, it's pretty obvious that it'll start with Ocha and Bakugo's meeting with Izuku and the sins. I was tempted to put the meeting in this chapter, but it was already feeling kind of full so I decided not to. Will I regret that decision later? Maybe, but probably not. Here's to hoping anyway. I'll be making it a point to iron out some more details before the USJ, which we should get to by the end of the chapter, but I make no promises.
As always, I love and appreciate your support (and especially your patience with this chapter in particular). I hope you all stay safe and healthy in this crazy world of ours.
Until the next time, Peace.
Walks out of the door like a completely ordinary person who in no way really wanted to make an All Might exit.