(A/N: A wild update appears! :D You can thank Remyblunder on AO3 for this update who pointed out the one year anniversary of this fic first being posted is today. On AO3 that is which was in March. I didn't start crossposting on here until June, but y'all get to enjoy the update too! :D Regular Tuesday update is still a go. )
...
When morning came, it brought the start to an overcast day as green eyes shot open at the sound of his alarm. Izuku was sorely tempted to hit the snooze button and sleep just a little longer but didn't, knowing he had an important meeting to get to today. However, as a means to allow himself to wake up a bit more while enjoying the comfort and warmth of his bed, the greenette picked up his fully charged phone to flip through the news.
While groggy, the Hero fanboy opened up his favorite news app as it always had the latest Hero news. A source he had used countlessly over the years to help with his analysis. He scrolled past a few articles until he stumbled upon one that caught his interest. A story on Ingenium…and Stain.
'PRO HERO INGENIUM LATEST VICTIM OF HERO KILLER STAIN'
The title of the article stated what Izuku already knew having been told by the Villain himself. He did not need to read an article when he knew more about the situation than the media did. About how he had been after another target though didn't say who and that Ingenium was more a victim of circumstance than anything else. That he had not wanted to fight the Hero as he was not marked as fake. That he regretted hurting the other and in fact had been the one to notify the authorities of his actions.
Scrolling past the story and choosing another, Izuku was reading about the latest fight Kamui Woods had been in when he received a ping from the news site. A notification of a just released article on the Hero Killer as the greenette had set up his account to be notified of any updates on the Villain.
So, he was a bit obsessed. Sue him.
Clicking the link, it brought him not to a written article but an audio report. Not wanting to disturb his mother, Izuku reached over to open his bedside table drawer and took out a pair of earbuds. He plugged them into his phone and placed the buds in his ears before pushing play.
"Yesterday, Pro Hero Ingenium was found injured in an alley in Hosu city. At first it was unclear as to who had attacked this valiant Hero. That is until Pro Hero Native returned to his agency to report the incident and revealed that it was the Hero Killer himself. Ingenium had intervened when Stain attempted to attack Native which allowing the other Hero to escape."
The greenette quirked a brow in interest at that piece of information. So, it was Native that Chizome-san went after? I wonder why. He also wondered why the Hero had waited to report the incident in person at his agency. Couldn't he have just called?
"Authorities had been alerted almost immediately following the incident. Leading to the injured Hero being found quickly and is expected to make a full recovery. The immediate response playing a large part in his current welfare. However, beyond Native's report, no other witnesses have come forward.
Who was this mystery civilian that called for Ingenium's aid? We have an update for our listeners in regards to that. The following recording was taken upon the activation of the Hero Commission sanctioned emergency app. The following contents may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised."
There was a brief pause before whatever the update was played.
" 'Of those who deserve to be cleansed in this city, you were not one of them, Ingenium.' "
Izuku's eyes widened. That's Chizome-san's voice. Hearing him speak as Stain sent a shiver down his spine as he listened to a pained groan paired with a dripping sound that he could only guess was blood.
" 'Fame…money. Those who claim the title of Hero yet only seek attention and compensation have no right to the name. Only those who seek to help and defend justice, who put everything on the line for what is right, have the privilege of the sacred title. Like All Might. You are no All Might, Ingenium. But you are tolerable as a Hero…' "
There was a pause as if the Hero Killer was contemplating something.
" '…however, you interrupted me. My judgement. Protected that fake, one that has left you here to my mercy.' "
Way to call Native out like that, Chizome-san.
" 'Perhaps…you are not so untarnished as you seem. Why else would you save one who doesn't deserve it?' "
Because he's a Hero, you murder obsessed idiot.
There was a loud clatter and then a crunch as if the phone had been dropped and then stepped on. Which probably was the case as the audio came out more broken and staticky as you could hear sirens blaring and growing closer in the background.
" 'Per-aps we w-ll leave yo-r fate up to ch-nce.' "
The sound of metal scraping against wood came through. Most likely the Villain sheathing his katana.
" 'If your H-ro heart is true, th-y will save y-u. If not, th-n my judgem-nt will have c-me to pass.'
You heard it here first, listeners. Hero Killer Stain himself contacted authorities leading to emergency services reaching the downed Hero in time. But why? Could the Hero Killer be more conscientious than we thought? Could there be an actual reason he targets those he attacks? What are Stain's true intentions? More on that later as we consider this new angle to this Villain."
As the audio report finished, Izuku removed his ear buds and laid there staring up at the ceiling. So, I'm not the only one who knows now. He was surprised that they were even able to report such a thing on the news. Figuring they would want to keep it secret as evidence or something. Either way, the audio of the recording made when Stain used the emergency app had been made public.
What will they think of you now, Chizome-san?
Whatever the public opinion would be, it wasn't something Izuku could control. Much like how he couldn't control their opinion of him or the Quirkless population in general. Nope. All he could do was keep pushing forward no matter the adversity he faced. As he has always done.
With a huff, the greenette got out of bed with phone in hand and left his room to head to the kitchen for some breakfast. As he walked through the hallway, he caught a whiff of his mother's excellent cooking. His nose was met with the scent of grilled fish and upon entering the kitchen he saw the table set with bowls of rice and a side of natto too. At another spot of the table that was clear of food, there were cuttings of newspaper clippings which means his mom had gone out early to get them. From multiple papers by the looks of it. The sight caused him to chuckle as it stood as evidence of his mother's incessant need to document everything.
"Oh, good morning, sweetie," Inko greeted as she took notice of her son. "Did you sleep well?"
"Morning, mom," Izuku said, walking over and wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "I slept alright."
Which was true. Despite having met with a Villain and being told by said Villain he was responsible for attacking a Hero, Izuku had slept rather well. Though, the physical and emotional exhaustion of the day had certainly helped too.
"Why don't you go sit down while I finish getting breakfast?" the mother offered as she let go of her son.
"Sure," the son replied with a warm smile.
The teen sat at the table as his mom finished cooking the fish. He eyed the multitude of news clippings that were split into two piles. Taking a closer look, Izuku saw one pile consisted of article titles stating positive reactions. While the other pile…let's just say the responses were more of a negative nature that he refused to even give the tiniest bit of attention.
"Let me show you my favorite," Inko said as she approached the table with the grilled fish.
The mother placed the last dishes down and took her seat. She reached into the pile of more approving clippings and picked one up in particular before handing it to her son. Izuku took the paper from her to see it was an article declaring his accomplishment as history making for being the first Quirkless winner of the UA Sports Festival. The story also featured two pictures of him. One of when he had given a peace sign to the camera during the Obstacle Course and the other of him standing on the winner's stage in first place.
"That is a good one," Izuku stated as he handed it back with a smile.
Inko placed the clipping back and after they gave their thanks the two greenettes ate their breakfast. Once they finished and cleaned up their dishes, the teen excused himself to get dressed for the day. As they would be meeting with the principal, he opted for his uniform complete with his horribly tied red tie. Giving up on it as usual, Izuku made sure he had everything he needed in his messenger bag such as his phone and wallet before leaving his room.
His mom was already waiting for him by the door with shoes on, purse slung on her shoulder, and a box in hand. Izuku eyed the object that was about the size of a shoebox curiously but Inko offered no explanation. She simply gave him a warm motherly smile and then headed for the door. The teen was quick to follow, shoving his feet into his signature red shoes as they left the Midoriya apartment.
Knowing that Hitoshi would be coming back with them after the meeting, they opted for taking the family car instead of taking the train. The drive wasn't long and they parked in the visitor lot. Hitoshi was already there, also in uniform, with his overnight bag in hand. He came over to the Midoriyas and they stored his bag in the back before heading for the school gate.
As they approached, they saw Aizawa leaning against the gate clearly waiting to escort them on campus. The Erasure Hero eyed the box in Inko's hands curiously but asked no questions of it. Merely muttering a greeting of 'good morning' before turning to lead them to the principal's office. He was still wrapped in bandages which the mother started to fret over as they walked but he brushed off her concerns and assured her he was fine. The group of four entered the main building where they stopped briefly to change their shoes with Inko borrowing a pair of guest slippers. As they continued on their way, Izuku smiled as he watched his mother looking around in wonder much as he had his first time walking these halls.
Like mother, like son.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the tall intimidating door of Nezu's office. Before anyone could move to open it, the door opened on its own at their approach. Aizawa and Izuku were unfazed but Inko and Hitoshi stared at the door in shock.
"Come in," chirped the chimera within, beckoning them to enter from his desk.
Always one to make an impression, Izuku thought with a fond giggle, leading the group inside followed by his mother and friend with Aizawa taking up the rear.
As they entered the room, they saw that not only was the principal there but also Yamada and Maijima as well. Most likely acting as representatives as they were Hitoshi's and Izuku's homeroom teachers respectively. The two students and mother sat down in the seats gestured to them by a welcoming paw while Aizawa walked around the desk to join the other teachers.
"Thank you so much for coming, Midoriya-san," Nezu said with a pleasant air. "I am Principal Nezu, the administrator of this fine establishment. It's nice to meet you."
The mother gave a small bow and replied in kind, "Nice to meet you too, Nezu-san."
"Nice to meet you as well, Shinsou-kun," the principal said directed at the purple-haired teen.
Hitoshi jumped slightly at being suddenly addressed by the Quirked animal. "N-nice to meet you too, sir."
Izuku giggled at his stutter, earning an elbow to the ribs from his flustered friend.
"And of course, it's nice to see you again, Midoriya-kun," Nezu said, finishing his greetings on his personal student.
"You too, Nezu-sensei," Izuku replied with a smile.
"Now then," the chimera declared placing his paws together. "We have much to discuss today. First off, introductions! Midoriya-san, I believe you are already acquainted with Aizawa-san, correct?"
The mother nodded with a bright smile for the man who had helped her son so much.
"Excellent," Nezu said, clapping his paws together. "Now, as for these other gentlemen behind me, I will let them introduce themselves."
Yamada, ever the energetic one, spoke first.
"Hey-o, name's Yamada Hizashi or, as you probably know me as, Present Mic," the blonde Hero announced with his usual flair complete with a wink and finger guns. The mother giggled fondly while Aizawa rolled his eyes at his antics. "I'm the homeroom teacher for General Studies Class 1-C and I also teach English, or for the little Green Bean here, Japanese Sign Language. Nice to meet ya!"
"Green Bean?!" Izuku squeeked, freckled cheeks flushing red while his friend let out a cackle beside him. The greenette paid him back with a returned elbow to the ribs.
"Nice to meet you as well, Yamada-san," Inko said, giggling again at her son's reaction. "Thank you for taking care of them as well as going out of your way to teach my son JSL. He was so excited to learn it and has been practicing at home. He even taught me a few things."
The mother did a few simple gestures as well as her favorite phrase her son taught her, 'I love you'. The Voice Hero let out an adoring 'aw' which made Izuku blush. Then it was the Support teacher's turn.
"Hello, I'm Maijima Higari or Power Loader as you might know," the redhead greeted with a bow of his head. "I'm Midoriya's homeroom teacher of Class 1-H and I am in charge of the Support studio here. It's nice to meet you."
"And you, Maijima-san," Inko responded with a nod of her own. "Thank you as well for caring for my son."
The Excavation Hero nodded his head once more in appreciation.
"Now then, with the introductions over, let us get down to business," Nezu stated before turning his attention to the two students. "Midoriya-kun, Shinsou-kun, congratulations on your respective placements in the Sports Festival. You two certainly made an impression."
"Thank you, Nezu-sensei," Izuku answered with a bright smile.
"Yeah, thanks, sir," Hitoshi said, rubbing the back of his head bashfully.
"As I know you are already aware," the principal said. "At UA, we have a policy that states a student in another course may be offered the chance to transfer if they place high enough in the Sports Festival. And since you two have claimed the top two spots, I'd say that is certainly high enough."
The two Midoriyas, Hitoshi, Yamada, and Maijima chuckled at the chimera's quip while Aizawa hid a smirk in his scarf.
"As such, I would like to offer you two the opportunity to transfer to the Hero Course if that is your desire," Nezu put forth with open paws.
"YES!" Izuku blurted out in excitement, only to flush as the others snickered at his immediate response.
"That's a 'yes' for me as well, sir," Hitoshi answered, still snickering. He had to block an attacking elbow from his friend.
"Excellent!" the principal chirped clapping his paws together again. He then started to shuffle some papers around as he continued. "We'll go through all the paperwork and transferring procedures. Then we can catch you up on the training you've missed. So, we should expect to put the transfer through starting the next school year. Plenty of time for you to…"
"No."
...
The room froze at that single word. Hitoshi, confused, turned to his friend to see the serious determined look on the greenette's face.
What?
The brainwasher had been so nervous for this meeting. Worried that maybe it was all a lie. That there wasn't actually a way to transfer or they had changed the policy over the years since Aizawa had done it. But without hesitation, the principal had offered them the transfer.
Move to the Hero Course at the start of next year? Not ideal but it sounds reasonable. We'll be in the Hero Course eventually.
It was more than Hitoshi could ask for. But apparently not for his friend.
...
Izuku could feel Hitoshi's shocked attention turn to him while he kept eye contact with the principal. Back straight, fists clench on his knees, and face schooled into one filled with conviction. Unwilling to back down.
"No?" Nezu parroted back. "No to what?"
"No to waiting until the start of next school year," Izuku answered.
"And why is that, Midoriya-kun?" the chimera asked, his beady black eyes and even tone portraying nothing of his thoughts.
"Nezu-sensei, how long have Hitoshi-kun and I been students at UA?" the Support student asked in turn.
The principal sat in thought for a moment before answering, "Approximately a month."
"And how long have the Hero Course students been in UA?" Izuku prodded further.
"Also approximately a month," Nezu answered.
"And you want us," the greenette said, gesturing to Hitoshi and himself. "To wait until the start of the next school year to join them."
"That is the usual procedure, yes," the chimera confirmed with a nod.
Izuku took a quick steadying breath before speaking again.
"How does it make sense to have us wait," he said, steadfast green eyes peering to black. "And make up a full year of knowledge, rather than do it now and make up only a month's worth?"
There was a moment of silence as the mammal considered his words.
"Midoriya-kun," Nezu said, his neutral expression still portraying nothing. "You do realize the amount of training the Hero Course is put through, correct?"
"I do," Izuku replied, remaining steady and refusing to look away. "Which is why it doesn't make sense for us to wait and miss more of the training. I could understand if we placed lower in the rankings. But Hitoshi-kun and I placed in the top two. Despite all the extra training the other students had."
The principal considered the boy in front of him.
"You did not take the Hero Practical, correct, Midoriya-kun?" the chimera stated abruptly.
"Correct," the teen responded.
"Why is that?" Nezu asked.
"Because I'm Quirkless, sir," Izuku answered bluntly.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense. All eyes were on Izuku, waiting for him to continue. Nezu stared at his personal student for a moment before he nodded his head to urge him on.
"'In the Hero Practical Exam'," Izuku cited from the UA rules from memory. "'Support Items are allowed under permission of the UA faculty as long as the Support Item directly aides in the proper use of an applicant's Quirk. Any Support Item that does not directly affect a Quirk is barred from the exam.'"
"I am quite aware of the school rules, Midoriya-kun," Nezu said, his tone even. "What is your point?"
"'Does not directly affect a Quirk'," the teen stressed. "Meaning that because I don't have a Quirk, any Support Items I could have used would not have been permitted as they would not manipulate a Quirk. Thereby, preventing me from having the tools I could have used in place of a Quirk to take the test. To not have access to the tools that could have allowed me to succeed. Essentially, the rules of the Hero Practical do not take Quirkless applicants into account."
His mother placed a comforting hand on his back. She could sense his stress but did not want to interrupt. The comforting gesture soothed his nerves somewhat.
"May I be frank with you, sir?" Izuku asked, keeping his face a blank as possible.
"By all means," the principal said, granting permission with a gesture of his paw.
The boy took a deep breath to steal himself and said bluntly, "Your Hero Practical Exam sucks."
Izuku swore he heard a snort come from Aizawa at his bluntness while Nezu merely blinked in shock at the boy.
"Oh?" the mammal asked with a tilt of his head. "How so?"
"It caters more to those with physical type Quirks," Izuku explained. "Making those with non-physical Quirks fail just because they can't beat up a robot."
Izuku could feel his friend stiffen beside him.
"On top of that, the policies of UA forbid the use of Support Items that don't help direct a Quirk. There are tons of Quirks that are perfect for Hero work but have no effect on robots. Like Midnight and Eraserhead. And then there's…people like me."
The principal merely nodded, letting Izuku know he was listening and wanted him to continue.
"I understand why there is a limit on Support Items," the greenette said. "In the past, applicants have taken advantage and skewed the results of the test. But people like me. People without Quirks. We can't use Support Items because we have no Quirk to channel according to your rules. Yet this same rule bars us from having the tools we need to show our skills like everyone else."
Izuku paused to see if the principal had any comment, but again the chimera simply nodded at him to keep talking.
"Quirks are just tools," Izuku said, clenching his fists tighter for a short moment. "Like Support Items, they give the user an edge in a fight. No Quirk is perfect for every battle, all having some way to be countered. Heroes have used Support Items to aid in their work since Heroes came to exist in our society. Serving as more tools to a Hero's arsenal."
The greenette glanced at Aizawa who gave an approving nod. The teen returned it and then turned back to the principal.
"The only difference between them and those like me is that most people are born with a tool already. I would just have to deal without that one more tool in my belt but I have plenty more to choose from."
My edge.
"The Quirk does not make the Hero," Izuku declared with a determined look. "The goals and drive do. The actions. I know I have what it takes to be a Hero, sir. My lack of a Quirk should not dictate my suitability to be one. Nor should not having a 'strong' physical Quirk."
He glanced at Hitoshi next to him who gave him an appreciative smile.
"After all, people doubted you too, Nezu-sensei," the Quirkless teen said as he looked back at the Quirked mammal. "Yet here you are, proving them wrong. Hitoshi-kun and I want to do the same."
A pregnant silence grew between them. Izuku stared at the principal who quietly stared back. But the greenette could see there were calculations running non-stop behind those beady black eyes. He couldn't look away though. This needed to be challenged.
"You're right," the principal said, breaking the silence.
"Eh?"
"As a matter of fact, Aizawa-san has been saying the same thing for years," the chimera glanced up with a smirk at the Underground Hero who rolled his eyes. "Since he himself took the exam, might I add."
"The kid's right," the tired man commented. "The Hero Practical is irrational and seriously lacking in differentiation when it comes to assessing applicants."
The chimera let out a chuckle before turning back to the students.
"Midoriya-kun," Nezu said, addressing his personal student. "You have raised some fair points. It would be a waste of everyone's time to make you wait to transfer. All because of a policy. One hindering growth similar to the one that barred you the tools you needed for the Hero Practical. Today, along with yesterday's efforts, has shown your potential for Heroics. Both of you. Very well. I see reason enough to warrant a transfer starting school on Tuesday."
Both of the students just stared at the principal in shock.
"R-really?" the greenette breathed in disbelief it had worked while the purple-haired teen let out, "Seriously?"
"Certainly," Nezu chirped. "Besides, if you think about it a certain way, the Sports Festival served as your belated Hero Practical. One that allowed you both to showcase your skills in a way the regular exam would not."
"I-I…I can't believe it," Izuku stuttered out, green eyes tearing up in emotion.
"Oh, my baby," Inko cried, wrapping her son in a hug.
"You're telling me. Like, damn, Izuku," Hitoshi chimed in. His friend looked at him confused. "You just talked our way into the Hero Course a year sooner. You went up against Nezu who is arguably one of the, if not the, smartest Pro Heroes out there and won."
"Well, in a sense," the mammal piped up, grabbing their attention. "Although I would have most likely moved your transfer sooner regardless for the same reasons. However, having figured Midoriya-kun would come here with some form of argument against waiting, I wanted him to voice his opinions as further leverage to persuade the school board. Adding fuel to the fire so to speak."
Hitoshi sat there feeling intimidated by the amount of forward thinking. Izuku, used to his mentor's methods, gave his friend a comforting pat on the shoulder.
"This will not be easy," Nezu said, his tone turning serious. "You will be challenging long established beliefs that Quirks make a Hero. With Shinsou-kun it shouldn't be too much of a shock as you said there are other Pro Heroes with non-physical Quirks. However, with you, Midoriya-kun, the media will have a field day. Are you prepared to face that? We would back you, of course."
Green eyes stared at the principal in emotional surprise.
"You…you would do that?" Izuku whispered in shock.
"Of course, we would," the chimera affirmed. "Here at UA, we want to give our students every opportunity and aid needed to help them succeed. We also protect and defend our students when needed as well. That includes any media backlash."
"O-okay," the Quirkless boy uttered, feeling overwhelmed realizing yet again how different UA was from his past school. "Th-thank you. For everything. Teachers in my past…they didn't help me much. But you…and all the other teachers…you have. So, thank you."
Being the polite boy that he was, Izuku bowed in his seat in gratitude. Beside him, Hitoshi followed suit in thanks as well. The principal gazed at the students in approval, feeling in his furry gut that he had decided correctly. The mother smiled teary eyed at her son who would finally be able to pursue his dream. One she would back him up on no matter what. The three Heroes had mixed reactions.
Aizawa was neutral as ever but hid a smile knowing that the problem children were now officially his problem children, having laid claim to them weeks ago. Yamada wore a wobbly smile at the scene, having grown attached to the two students over the weeks of training, homerooms, and language classes. While Maijima had a solemn but supportive smile. He was proud of his stu…ex-student being able to fight his way to a transfer to the course he had always wanted to join. But he would also miss having the kid in his homeroom and not just because of his capabilities of wrangling the overenthusiastic pinkette.
"Well," Maijima spoke, breaking the moment as he turned to Aizawa. "Then I leave Midoriya in your care."
"Same, Shouta," Yamada said, flashing a smile at the tired man. "Treat the little listener well, yeah?"
"Of course," Aizawa replied, eyeing his newly acquired problem children as the bandages shifted with his hidden smirk. "They're still ruff around the edges but I'll whip them into shape."
Both students felt a shiver down their spine because they knew the mummy man meant it. Partially literally too.
"Excellent, we will have you transferred to Class 1-A starting Tuesday," Nezu said, clapping his paws together. "Maijima-san, thank you for your time this morning."
The Support teacher nodded at the dismissal and walked around the principal's desk. Izuku stood to properly to thank his now ex-homeroom teacher.
"Thank you for everything, Maijima-sensei," the greenette said with a bow. "You were the first teacher to ever actually help and support me. No pun intended."
The shorter man chuckled as he raised one of his large hands and ruffled the boy's unruly green curls briefly.
"You make it sound like we'll never see each other again, Midoriya," Maijima said with a smirk as the student looked up at him in surprise. "You'll still need to come to the studio to work on your Quirk Replicating Support Items, right?"
"R-right," Izuku stuttered, a warm smile on his face. "I'll see you there then."
The Support teacher nodded and then left the room as the teen returned to his seat.
...
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Notes extension: post/646018207066570752/chapter-61-transfer