As soon as Izuku had taken his seat once more, Nezu spoke again grabbing his as well as everyone else's attention.
"With that matter handled, we have another topic to discuss," the principal announced. "Concerning the matter involving one Bakugou Katsuki. Aizawa-san will remain as he is now your homeroom teacher as well as witnessed the event. Yamada-san, you may stay if you so wish since you were a witness as well. As for you, Shinsou-kun, would you be kind enough to step out for a short while?"
The former Gen Ed student made to stand but was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist. Purple eyes looked down to see it was Izuku who grabbed him.
"A-actually Nezu-sensei," the greenette said, not letting go of his friend. "W-would it be alright i-if Hitoshi-kun stayed? I already t-told him what happened."
More or less, Izuku thought as his mentor's black beady eyes assessed the situation. Of his personal student clinging on to his friend in search of comfort.
"Very well," Nezu conceded with a nod. "You may stay, Shinsou-kun."
"Thank you, sir," Hitoshi replied as he took his seat again though Izuku's hand didn't let go of his wrist.
The atmosphere that had been full of joy at being officially accepted into the Hero Course and would be starting on Tuesday no less had turned sour. Tense. Most of the room knew exactly what had happened to warrant this next topic of discussion while the others knew enough through word of mouth. But everyone knew that this would not be a pleasant conversation.
Inko took her son's bandaged right hand in comfort. Hitoshi moved so that he held his friend's other hand rather than him clenching his wrist. Nezu's gaze was even as ever, feeling protective of his personal student but knowing he needed to remain unbiased as the principal. Yamada's worry was clear on his face. Aizawa had his usual stern face but his brows were furrowed in angry protectiveness. All while Izuku sat there, clutching the hands of two of the most important people in his life while looking like he would rather be anywhere else. Very much not wanting to talk about what had happened but knowing it had to be done.
Bakugou had to be punished.
A small hint of regret flashed on Nezu's face as the principal broke the strained silence, "As we are all aware, there was an incident yesterday between Midoriya-kun and Bakugou-kun. An altercation that, upon viewing the recording made by Midoriya-kun, appeared fueled by recent as well as past experiences."
As the chimera opened a drawer and took out his goggles before placing them on his desk, Inko and Hitoshi looked at Izuku in surprise.
"You recorded it?" Hitoshi asked incredulously. "Why?"
"Well, it seemed the thing t-to do at the time. Besides," Izuku said, first looking at his friend and then turned to his mother. "It's what mom w-would do. Document everything."
Inko looked at her son in awe as her free hand subconsciously reached for the box next to her. That subtle gesture gave him a clue as to what was inside it. The thought that his past was going to be dug up in this meeting left a sour feeling in his stomach. But again, knew it had to be done.
Enough was enough.
"Instead of watching the footage as I'm sure Midoriya-kun would rather not," Nezu said, paws steepled together. "I'd like you to tell us what happened in your own words. I would also like to inform you that this will be recorded for documentation's sake."
"R-right," the younger greenette stuttered, really not wanting to do this but knew he must. "It happened a-after Hitoshi-kun's fight with Bakugou. I was heading f-for the…"
The Quirkless boy recounted what had transpired during that break between fights. Of how after weeks of hiding from the explosive teen, Bakugou had finally confronted Izuku in his usual brash and violent way. How he had burst into the room with claims Hitoshi and Izuku were cheating despite the rules stating clearly that the use of his Support Items and his friend's Quirk were permissible. Him spouting out his beliefs that neither of them should have even had the chance to compete as to him the Sports Festival was a competition of Heroes and only the Hero Course students should have been allowed.
The sudden sharp gaze on Aizawa's face as well as the incredulous look on Yamada's informed the boy that they probably hadn't been there for that part. Making him wonder when exactly the Heroes had come to his aid and how much they had heard. As well as guess that the principal had reviewed the recording by himself and not with the teachers involved. Keeping the playing field even and fair as a respectable mediator should. As well as to probably gage everyone's reactions.
The teen continued to say how he had argued with the blonde pointing out the fact that the festival was for everyone and no course was above another. Refuting the same prejudiced crap Bakugou had spewed out for years about being Quirkless and insisted that it didn't mean he was useless. Only for the explosive boy to claim that the only reason Izuku had made it that far was because of his Support Items. Which was true, but he explained how he had countered with the fact that sure he had used Support Items instead of a Quirk. But that didn't make his efforts mean any less because of that.
A point that Bakugou definitively did not agree with.
Izuku received comforting tightened grips on both hands as he recounted the literal 'explosive' argument that had transpired. How the blonde had destroyed his Support Items one by one in front of him. A concerned gasp escaped his mother when he had revealed that it had started with the electric glove on his right hand. Inko looked down at the hand in her own seeing the wrappings that hid the left-over scars from the electrical burns.
But he didn't stop to comfort his mom. To assure her he was alright with his words. Because he felt that if he stopped now he wouldn't have the strength to start again. It was now or never.
With tears running down his cheeks and squeezing the two hands in his, Izuku spoke of his breaking point. Of when he realized that he didn't know the boy confronting him anymore and most likely hadn't for a long time. The look of recognition from the two Heroes behind the principal let him know this was most likely when they had shown up.
But then why didn't they step in sooner? Or were they waiting to see what would happen? Perhaps they were acting like mom and felt the need to document what transpired so that something could finally be done about it.
With shaky words, he talked about how he finally called Bakugou out on his years of crap. Pointedly skipping over the part about the blonde having told him to kill himself back in junior high. He ignored the pointed glared from Aizawa over the omittance and continued on. To how he demanded to know why his childhood friend had changed so much becoming his bully instead. Receiving the answer that Bakugou had somehow gotten it in his head that Izuku had been looking down on him for years. Even though it was the complete opposite case.
Finally, he spoke about telling the explosive teen that the greenette had seen the potential in Bakugou from the beginning. Had always thought he would be a great Hero. But after yesterday and the culmination of everything he had done to the Quirkless boy over the years, he was starting to have his doubts. That if nothing was done to correct his behavior, Bakugou was on the path to become a Villain.
He had skipped over the comparison to Endeavor receiving another glare from Aizawa. But now wasn't the time to open that can of worms. Izuku hadn't planned to slip anything about the situation as it wasn't his story to tell. Sure, he had prodded Chizome to look into it in a moment of impulsiveness, but he still hadn't given any details. This slip up was the most he had revealed after finding out about Shouto's homelife. Even then it had been vague as both parties had known the conversation referenced that the eavesdropping Heroes had not be privy to.
He finished with the mention of Bakugou turned his attack on Izuku himself having run out of Support Items to explode. It was at that point the Heroes had barged in and stopped the blonde mid assault. Having finished his story, green eyes cast down to the floor as tears continued to fall after recounting the hot mess that had been their confrontation. Hoping he would never have to talk about it in such detail again.
At the conclusion of his tale, silence fell over the room again. The tension from before returned only thicker after hearing the account. The interaction certainly did not put Bakugou in a good light being the aggressor and belittling his peer. Attempting to use his words to put the Quirkless boy down and when those didn't work resorted to violent actions.
Inko unsurprisingly broke out into her own tears and tackled her son in a hug. Izuku hugged her back while keeping hold of Hitoshi's hand. The purple haired teen in turn patted their joined hands in comfort while internally he was angry for his friend. Nezu sat there, furry face blank but internally was reeling that his personal student had to face such mistreatment. Yes, he had seen the footage but hearing it from the boy himself was a different experience. Yamada had tears welling in his eyes and his lips were quivering under his mustache. Aizawa was clearly pissed shaking in anger at how one student had so easily attacked another with no thought of the consequences.
The three Heroes knew there were a few details that the boy had left out. Namely the suicide baiting and the concerning comments about Endeavor. But considering how distraught the three across from them were, they all mutually decided without saying a word that it was best left for a later time. They waited patiently for the two emotional Midoriyas to calm down before speaking. As they did, the mammal hopped off his chair and walked around his desk to stand in front of the boy.
"Midoriya-kun," Nezu called out, gaining the teen's attention as his mother let him go but kept a hand on his back. "I want you to know that here at UA we have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to bullying and discrimination."
The tearful boy sniffled and gave a nod in understanding while stuttering out, "I-I know."
"These actions from Bakugou-kun are not acceptable," the principal stated. "And his views in regards to his peers and who is 'worthy' of being here are quite disturbing. Such things need to be addressed and given the proper consequences. Don't you think?"
"Y-yes," Izuku breathed out, scrunching his shoulders curling in on himself.
"Typically, when a student attacks another outside of an official match or training, it usually means disqualification from any titles or being barred from said training by ways of detention," Nezu said, standing there with his paws behind his back. "In this case, disqualification would have been warranted. However, I was informed by Aizawa-san that you specifically requested for Bakugou-kun to not be disqualified. Why is that, Midoriya-kun?"
Black eyes looked imploringly into green. Asking for him to say why exactly he had requested such a leniency.
"B-because…," Izuku said, taking a steadying breath. "Because I knew he w-wouldn't learn anything from it."
"Hmm…please explain your reasonings on the matter," the chimera prodded with a nod.
Izuku looked to his mother receiving a reassuring nod from her paired with an encouraging smile. He then turned to Hitoshi who gave his own nod with brows furrowed in concerned determination. The teen glanced at the Heroes behind the principal's desk earning to more nods of assurance. Then finally he turned Nezu himself who patiently waited for him to speak. Taking another steadying breath, Izuku began to explain.
"I asked for Bakugou t-to not be disqualified because I know it wouldn't teach h-him anything," he said, the determined fire slowly returning to his eyes. "Bakugou has never h-had to face the consequences for his actions. Never been told th-that his actions towards me nor his thoughts a-about the Quirkless or 'weak' were wrong. Not by the teachers o-or the other students. So, I believe he would have seen it a-as an attack on his person r-rather than as consequence for his actions."
Nezu's neutral face remained calmly contemplative but Izuku could see in his eyes that his logic piqued his interest.
"Before UA, no teacher o-or other person of authority has e-ever told Bakugou 'no'. All he's ever received was e-encouragement and praise. Both for his aspirations to be a Hero a-as well as his treatment of those he determined b-beneath him. I agree that what he d-did to me was wrong but in a way, the blame for his actions i-is not solely on Bakugou."
Nezu, on instinct, raised a subduing paw to silence a predictable incredulous Aizawa as Yamada held him back from snapping at the boy. The tired yet angry man huffed out a breath and forced himself to calm down. The principal figured his expulsion-happy teacher had it in his mind that Midoriya was going to blame himself. But chimera had been working with the boy and slowly building his confidence and self-worthy during their lessons. Praising him for his analysis work and assuring the teen that he belonged in UA same as anyone else when his doubt showed through. He wanted to hear the boy out.
"Would you please explain your reasoning for that?" the principal asked as he lowered his paw.
"I-if you think about it, his actions are not entirely his fault, b-but rather due to past teachers' misguided inaction," the teen said, earning a quirked brow from Aizawa in surprise. "By letting him do wh-whatever he wanted, they taught him a-and encouraged the idea that he was the best. That he was right t-to think of me and everyone else as less than him. Never teaching him that what he w-was doing was wrong. That his actions were not the o-ones of a Hero. Either ignoring o-or sometimes encouraging his treatment towards me. S-some even joined in."
"What do you mean they joined in, Izuku?" Inko interjected, this being the first she had heard of that.
The younger Midoriya avoided his mother's gaze as he said, "Th-the teachers…usually they would just ignore me a-and turn a blind eye. Or downplay anything I s-said when I did build up the courage to ask f-for their help. But sometimes…sometimes the teachers w-would say the same things Bakugou did, further c-concreting the idea in his mind that he was right. Purposefully setting me up t-to be the focus of Bakugou's and other students'…b-bullying."
That last word was a struggle for the Quirkless boy to get out. In all these years, it was the first time for him to admit that was what Bakugou was to any kind of figure of authority. Yes, he had called Bakugou that during their confrontation but the explosive teen was already involved in the situation being the aggressor. But Izuku had never outright told a teacher or even his own mother that Bakugou was a bully.
Before he would downplay it as teasing or messing with him. Like he had with Aizawa before the USJ to explain why he was in disguise. Like how he talked about it with Hitoshi but had always felt compelled to be careful with his words when describing the harsh treatment in a kinder way than his friend would. Or like when he vaguely talked with Yamada about not wanting to be judged for a genetic trait he lacked when he asked the Sports Festival commentator to keep his Quirk status a secret until the end.
But now he's said it. Called Bakugou for what he is. A bully. A misguided bully that was taught by his peers and teachers that he was in the right due to their inaction. But a bully none the less. Though perhaps one that could be taught a new lesson and steer him away from the same path as Endeavor. To become a Hero not for power but to save people as a Hero is supposed to do.
"B-basically, because I was Quirkless," Izuku said, his right hand fiddling with a loose bandage until his mother took it in her own again. "I was thrown u-under the bus so that Bakugou could be the 'perfect' Hero."
...
Shouta was seething internally but was trying not to let it show on his face. Well, not as much anyway as he still sported a scowl that nowhere near showed his true level of anger. He couldn't believe a teacher would encourage such behavior from a student just because one was seen as a 'perfect Hero' while the other was reduced to the label 'Quirkless'.
"Hmm…," Nezu hummed, walking back to his desk and climbing onto his chair. With a few clacks of the keyboard, he brought up two documents on his computer. "According to your last school's records, there are no reports of such actions or mistreatment. As for Bakugou-kun's, it is spotless."
Looking over the mammal's shoulder, Shouta could confirm that was the case. Bakugou's record was all praise and good grades. Perhaps a note of excessive anger but was written off as a side trait of his Quirk. While Midoriya's…it was full of marks.
Reports of tardiness.
Probably due to having to avoid bullies. Or…other reasons.
Being unprepared for class.
Most likely from having things stolen or destroyed. He was quite protective of his belongs when he started here.
Lying about bullying, seeking attention.
More like they didn't want to even bother. Writing him off while neglecting their job.
Being a distraction.
By their own doing! Most likely calling him out during class.
Asocial.
Tends to happen when everyone bullies you or avoids you.
The list went on and on noting his dishonesty and selfishness. All sounding very uncharacteristic of the boy after having gotten to know him. No notes of his academic achievements either. Though, thankfully none of the marks had been bad enough to warrant denying access to UA. The past records of the students were taken into account but only certain red flags barred a student from applying.
Such as bullying.
But due to the negligence to perform their proper duty, the teachers at Aldera junior high rubber stamped Bakugou through all his misguided deeds. All because they believed he would make a 'perfect Hero' with his powerful Quirk. The praise and lack of consequences going to the blonde's head and inflating his ego to what it was today.
"They n-never believed me whenever I would b-bring up anything," Izuku said, eyes cast down. "Not since Bakugou got his Quirk a-and I never got mine."
...
Beside the two teens, Inko sat there looking furious with angry tears welling in her eyes as she said, "I should have known."
"Mom?" the son asked, turning his attention to her.
"Midoriya-san?" Nezu asked as well.
Wiping her eyes with her hand, Inko turned her attention to the principal.
"For years I watched my son come back home with burns and bruises," the mother said, lowering her hand to her lap. "Izuku never outed anyone, but it wasn't hard to figure out who was responsible for the unique burn marks he came home with. Ones that look like they came from an explosion."
Not that I ever told Izuku I knew.
"Y-you knew?" Izuku stuttered out.
"Of course, I knew, sweetie," Inko replied, with a sad smile. "You tried to hide it but a mother always knows when her baby is hurting. That's why I tried limiting your exposure to Katsuki once I noticed your friendship change."
The two Midoriyas shared a mutual comforting tightening grip of their hands.
"Why did you not report it, Midoriya-san?" Nezu asked with an even tone.
"I DID REPORT IT!" the mother suddenly snapped, making everyone, including the Heroes, flinch. "Time and time again I tried. To talk to parents and the teachers. Even the principal! But all they did was either brushed it off as nothing and Just misunderstandings between children. Or gave me false assurances and claiming they would address it but clearly not doing anything according to those records."
Inko gestured to the documents still up on the monitor.
"Apparently not even bothering to record it either," the mother huffed in frustration. "I tried so many times but nothing changed. That's why I allowed Izuku to start taking self-defense when he asked. If they weren't going to protect him then he would need to learn to protect himself. And it worked. Izuku stopped coming home with injuries. However, I suspected that the bullying continued because he would come home sad more often than not. But words and 'lost' belongings are harder to document than physical injuries."
"Document?" the chimera questioned with a curious tone.
The mother let go of her son's hand, picked up the box, and got up to place it on the desk in front of the principal before taking her seat and her son's hand again.
"I documented everything," Inko answered as Nezu opened the box. Finding inside were pictures and hospital receipts amongst other things. "Every burn, cut, and broken bone. Marked by date and what kind of injury it was. How much it cost to treat. Thankfully none of them scarred too badly but that doesn't change the fact that my son still got hurt. That nothing I said seemed to change anything. That his injuries were all chalked up to 'accidents happen'."
The room fell silent as the principal perused through the contents of the box briefly. Taking in the large number of different injuries his personal student had been subjected to. As well as the concerning accusations made by the mother about his past teachers and their negligent behavior when it came to the Quirkless student.
The pictures were pretty damning but also not at the same time. Yes, they captured every moment of hurt, but there was no evidence as to who was responsible for them. Nor were there any videos of the bullying. Yet.
"These are serious allegations, Midoriya-san," Nezu said as he closed the box. "Of a school's staff's negligence of their students and refusal to do anything to fix their transgressions. To be honest, under normal circumstances, these pictures would not be enough to warrant any investigation as there is proof of injury but none of as to whom is responsible."
W-what?, Inko thought as her face fell and tears started to build again. Was all my documenting for nothing?
...
While the mother was growing upset beside him, Izuku took noticed of the certain wording his mentor used.
"What do you mean by 'under normal circumstances'?" the teen asked, eyeing the mammal whose neutral face grew a bit feral in delight.
"It's not every day that I find out my own personal student has suffered such injustice," Nezu purred in glee at having a new enemy to destroy in the way he does best. From the inside.
A shiver shot down Izuku's spine knowing what his mentor meant. During intermittent English class times spent in the principal's office rather than in the 1-H classroom, between their lessons on coding and the greenette encrypting his analysis, they would at times take breaks for tea. During their tea times, Izuku found out why Aizawa had flinched when Nezu had first offered to take him on as a personal student.
Calmly over jasmine tea or whatever flavor he desired that day, the chimera shared stories of some of his most satisfying take downs of various important figures and organizations who thought they were above the law. Of the hidden wheeling and dealing he unearthed with whatever surveillance, audio or video alike, as well as any other documentation he could find to serve as evidence of their misdeeds. All done with malicious glee. Which made Izuku realize something about his mentor.
Nezu was a glutton for dealing out punishment.
Having been subjected to years of experimentation due to being a Quirked animal, the chimera took great joy in punishing humans whenever the opportunity arose. Vicariously reliving fantasies of when he had done so to the scientists that once help him captive. And now it seemed his ire was going to be directed at Aldera junior high.
"Nezu-sensei, no," Izuku pleaded, not thinking his mistreatment was enough to take down an entire school.
"Nezu-sensei, yes," the mammal shot back, a sadistic gleam in his eyes.
"What is going on?" Inko asked confused with Hitoshi looking just as much so on the other side of Izuku.
Aizawa let out a sigh before explaining, "Nezu has now decided to make it a personal mission to look into what took place at your son's previous schools. Meaning that, knowing him, he's bound to dig up enough dirt to add to your documentation to make a more solid case."
"R-really?" the mother stuttered in disbelief. She had never been helped before.
"Of course," Nezu answered with a more reassuring smile though Izuku could still tell he was continuing to scheme from the fire in his beady black eyes. "As I said before when it comes to defending your right to join the Hero Course, we will back you. Not only is Midoriya-kun a student of UA as well as my own personal student, but I see a kindred spirit in your son."
"Eh?" Izuku squeaked.
He watched his mentor hop back down to the ground and make his way over to his student again. Green eyes glistened with confused tears as to why the chimera thought that.
"Midoriya-kun, do you know what my life was like before becoming a Hero?" Nezu asked once he stood in front of him.
"I…you…um…," Izuku mumbled, not wanting to say in case it made the principal uncomfortable.
"It's alright," Nezu assured, placing a paw on the boy's knee to further affirm that it was. "You can say."
"You…," Izuku whispered, eyeing the scar over the mammal's right eye briefly. "…you were experimented on."
"That's right," the chimera said, patting his knee before removing his paw. "I was used as a lab rat. Abused by those who thought that I was less than them. Much as you have been. I understand to some level how you feel and I don't want you to feel that way ever again."
Green eyes looked into black still confused as to how his situation could be remotely the same to the horror Nezu had gone through. Sure, the teen had been looked down upon and pushed down and aside just because he was Quirkless. But Nezu had been tortured having had it so much worse that he had.
"In fact, I'm sure Shinsou-kun also knows what you have, and I had, gone through," Nezu said, suddenly turning his attention to the brainwasher.
Hitoshi jumped at having the focus abruptly turned to him even though the principal made no further comment when it came to his past. Purple eyes took in the reassuring look the mammal gave him, not prodding but showing that he knew to some level, before turning back to the greenette teen. Hitoshi was grateful that even though Nezu appeared to know something, he didn't push for details. They were there for Izuku at the moment after all. And he was fine.
"One should never be judged for what they are," Nezu insisted, placing his paw back on his student's knee. "For how different one is. Because those differences make us unique. Make us who we are. It is something that no one can take away from us. I want to assure both of you that we at UA, especially me, do not tolerate any kind of discrimination. Whether during their time in UA or outside of it. Or, in this case, before."
As customary, the Midoriya tear ducts did their job and made the pair of greenettes weepy with emotion. Even Hitoshi seemed more emotional than usual at the declaration. For being acknowledged by the principal as well as his dedication to help his friend with his bullying problem. Even if only one incident had happened in UA, the mammal sounded determined to give Izuku the justice he deserves.
"Th-thank you, N-nezu-sensei," Izuku managed to choke out.
The principal gave the boy two more pats on the knee before returning to his seat behind his desk.
"Now then, having aired out all this dirty laundry, we still have a decision to make," Nezu said with his paws steepled, bypassing any further discussion of a certain junior high school's fate. "What to do with Bakugou-kun's punishment?"
"How about a super grade antiperspirant for his hands and a big can of whoop-ass?" Hitoshi muttered quietly to Izuku.
The comment made the greenette snort who quickly covered it up with a cough as his friend got an 'accidental' elbow to the ribs. While Inko gave the pair an odd look but figured Hitoshi had said something to break the tension. Clearing his throat, Izuku turned his attention back to his mentor as Hitoshi softly snickered beside him.
"Like I said before, I don't think disqualifying Bakugou would have had any effect on him," Izuku restated, doing his best to keep his voice even. "That he would learn nothing by taking his third-place placement away. Which, to be honest, I don't think he's too happy being anywhere but in first, so that would be punishment in and of itself to him."
This time Hitoshi was the one to disguise a snort as a cough while Aizawa ducked his face into his scarf even though his smirk was already hidden by his wrappings.
"I agree that what he did was wrong though it wasn't entirely unexpected on my part," the greenette continued. "He's never been happy about me applying and then getting into UA. Which is why I hid from him until the Sports Festival wanting to avoid the inevitable as long as possible. But it seems my being able to stay in the lineup during the festival seemed to have aggravated the situation even more. Leading to this."
He lifted his wrapped hand still in his mother's hold briefly in point to his statement.
"I don't want him to be expelled," Izuku insisted, his gaze pointed at Aizawa specifically who rolled his eyes. "Suspension if you must, but if the Hero Course training is as demanding as you say, I think it would be a bad idea for him to miss too much."
The tired man considered the greenette for a moment as he processed his rational. Evidently agreeing it, the Erasure Hero nodded in the affirmative with a sigh. To which Izuku nodded back in thanks before turning back to the principal.
"Back when Quirks were still relatively new and the very first Heroes came to being," the young analyst stated, having done research in any and all things Quirks including the history of them and their connections to Heroes. "By law they were actually viewed as Vigilantes as they had no legal right to use their Quirks in public or against other people. Though back then the laws were still trying to adjust to a world of natural born superpowers."
Nezu's black eyes shined with interest to see where his argument was going. They had not yet gotten around to discussing Quirk history in their tea time talks. Perhaps a subject that would come up in their next one.
"The number of Vigilantes became too high at one point which led to the creation of Hero schools. Places meant to take those Vigilantes in and rehabilitate them into a new societal role. Professional Heroes. Ones taught to abide by the laws set in place and carry out justice when those laws were broken by others."
Which unfortunately and coincidentally led to the rise of Villains as well. But that's a subject for another day.
"From their origin, Hero schools were created to rehabilitate those that sought the Hero path but were led astray. Much like Bakugou has been. But I don't think he's beyond saving because he's still growing. Still learning. I'm not sure what he needs in order to be rehabilitated, but I ask for you to give him a chance to change. Please help him, Nezu-sensei."
He finished his little speech with another bow where he sat, staying down until his mentor spoke. The three Heroes stared at the Quirkless boy in awe though the smart one and the tired one hid it better than the loud one. As the teen remained bowing, Nezu glanced back at Yamada who gave him a small shrug as sign it was up to the principal. He then turned and glanced at Aizawa who gave the smallest of nods in a granting manner. The mammal finally turned back to his personal student pondering his request a second more.
"Very well. Bakugou-kun will not be expelled," Nezu conceded. At his words, Izuku popped his head up in astonishment that he agreed. "However, he will be suspended for two weeks, though due to your point on the rigorous nature of the Hero Course training, we shall make it an in-school suspension. He will be kept isolated from the class during regular lessons as well as lunch under teacher supervision. He will also not be participating in Hero training with the rest of the class but will be allowed to train on his own again under teacher supervision."
Izuku nodded animatedly in agreement to those conditions, his unruly curls bouncing as he did.
"Bakugou will be on probation status for the rest of the school year," the mammal continued. "His behavior will be monitored by the teachers and any slipup will be documented and corrected. He will receive a mark on his record for bullying once I have collected all the evidence of such as I can."
Nezu also planned to mark the suicide baiting as well but did not bring it up as Izuku hadn't either. He left that for another time.
"He will also have additional detentions after school for remedial classes. The teachers as well as other experts will be brought in to teach about human decency, Quirk discrimination, and so on. Bakugou will also be barred from partaking in the upcoming internships."
Green eyes widened at that part as Izuku protested, "Isn't that going a little far? The first internships are important for becoming a Hero. To gain experience."
"Midoriya-kun, you have asked for Bakugou to not be disqualified and to not be expelled," Nezu retorted with a serious look. "The two options that are very much warranted in this situation. But you have good arguments for each and so I find myself in need of implementing a number of smaller punishments to equate to the severity of those two. All of these conditions are necessary."
Izuku hunched his shoulders and looked down at his lap as he said a quiet 'okay'.
"In lieu of the internship, Bakugou will continue his in-school suspension at UA," the chimera said. "He will attend more remedial classes as well as training to keep him on track. He will also be tasked with writing apology letters to you, Midoriya-kun and Shinsou-kun, for his actions against you both."
The greenette nodded but had a skeptical look on his face not being able to imagine that actually happening. While the purple haired teen, looked at the Heroes in surprise.
"Even me?" Hitoshi asked.
"Yes, even you, Shinsou-kun," Nezu replied as he turned his attention to the other teen. "Bakugou is not only in trouble for attacking Midoriy-kun. He also tried to attack you not only once but twice outside of an official match. Once after your fight was called and again in Recovery Girl's office while you were unconscious."
The brainwasher paled at that having not been aware that had happened. Izuku gave his friend a comforting squeeze to his hand as he hadn't known that either. But he understood what it was like to be the focus of Bakugou's ire.
"In addition to all this, he will be required to undergo therapy and anger management for the remainder of his time at UA," the principal added on. "This will be a mandatory condition, along with all the others, in terms of his continued enrollment here at UA. Meaning that if he does not comply or makes no progress or puts no effort whatsoever to change, he will be labeled as a lost cause. Which means I will have no other choice but to either expel him or at the very least remove him from the Hero Course. Do you understand my reasonings for all that, Midoriya-kun?"
Again, the teen nodded but more in acceptance than agreement as he said, "Yes, I do, Nezu-sensei. He'll be stubborn. Bakugou always has been. But he has also always wanted to be a Hero. So, I think that, despite any protests he might make, he'll reluctantly know he has to at least try if he wants to remain at UA. Which is all I could ask for. The rest will be up to him."
"Understood," Nezu responded as he noted down his proposed punishments for Bakugou.
...
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Notes extension: post/646476072710471680/chapter-62-what-to-do-with-a-human-hand-grenade