Yeeaaah, Let's Not Mess With Him
Summary: The League Of Villains and All For One learn of the riot happening at UA and decide not to bother Erasrhead too much. They don't need that horde going after their asses, after all.
Possible alternate title: Eraserhead is SO COOL!
The near uprising that had taken place at UA remained as secret as the other times someone was stupid enough to try and fire the students' favorite ever teacher. Nezu had to make sure the public never learned that a single man could raise an army of future Heroes, Hero managers and designers for Hero support items simply if someone bumped into him on the street and didn't immediately apologize. (That one man who had had the misfortune to do so in front of one of Aizawa's old students needed therapy by the time the girl was done chewing him out. The man was so scared that he became so overly, sickeningly polite that he put Midoriya and All Might put together to shame. He also made sure to never bump into anyone on the street. Nezu had had a fun time explaining that one away.) Otherwise, Aizawa might actually get fired or get his Hero and/or teaching license revoked and the mystery mammal rather liked Musutafu and didn't want to see it wiped off of the face of the Earth.
However, even Nezu had forgotten that just because they had terrified the school board into keeping quiet about the power Eraserhead had inadvertently garnered for fear of Nezu indeed releasing feral, angry students on them and gleefully watching them get taken apart as though it was a zombie apocalypse movie - popcorn, covered in cheese, and all - only so much worse and traumatizing because those were kids and Heroes playing the brain-hungry zombies, that didn't mean UA's secrets were safe from reaching the outside. Or their enemies in particular.
There was, indeed, a mole inside of UA and no one knew who it was. Mostly because it was a sleeper agent among the second year management students, a random quiet, unremarkable boy with an insomnia quirk - meaning he very rarely could or needed to sleep - who wasn't even aware how he was being used in the rare few instances where he could take a nap. All For One had been careful in selecting his spy. The boy passed every security check because he wasn't always active and had no idea what his 'alter ego' was up to when he did become active. The boy's job as a spy was very simple. Because he was so unremarkable and a sleepless management student, he could walk around the school at the randomest hours of the day without being suspected of anything other than trying to tire himself out enough to get some goddamn sleep. The boy went about his day as any other student would until he was in the proximity of two or more teachers talking to each other.
That's when he started attentively listening and noting details in his mind. If he walked past a student from Class 1-A, he would also become active and attentively watch them or listen to their conversations. Back before the dorm systems, he'd even be made to hack their social media accounts or would be directed to 'practice his computer skills' in one of UA's computer rooms, where he would gather data from beyond their protective anti-virus walls.
That student had been part of the whole riot that had gathered in front of Principal Nezu's office, on the day the UA students had risen up in defense of their favorite teacher. And since he'd gotten within range of both 1-A and practically all of the teachers, he'd become active and he had started filming the little coup d'etat, a video that would soon enough find its way to its usual recipients.
That is to say, the League of Villains and All For One himself.
00000
The League got the video first, through Giran, who was still a loyal ally to their cause, believing All For One won't stay in prison forever and thus staying with his protege will probably be a great business boon for him. Since All For One was behind bars, it was up to Giran to maintain contact with the spy within UA's walls so, technically, he was the first one to get the video, though he hadn't bothered to watch it.
The first of the League to get their hands on the video was Kurogiri, who immediately took it to his ward.
He found Shigaraki and Dabi in one of their usual glaring matches. Those two could not stand each other if their lives depended on it and, some day, it just might. Kurogiri was personally of the opinion that the tension always present between them wasn't exactly the one caused by pure hatred, but he knew both young men would not take it well if he suggested they might be ... interested in ... other things regarding each other if it's not outright murder or maiming. He didn't say anything about it mostly because they were being ... 'civil' towards each other. That is, they only insulted each other every fifth sentence instead of every sentence and that was a considerable improvement. Especially as their temporary hideouts didn't suffer as many decay or fire induced ... accidents.
"Shigaraki Tomura," he called out and the gray-white haired individual finally aggressively dismissed Dabi - who smirked in victory at having won yet another staring match - to regard the former bartender. "The mole has sent a video that seems to be of importance."
"Really?" Asked Shigaraki Tomuro with some surprise. "We haven't exactly gotten anything substantial ever since Sensei was arrested and even before that, video footage was rare."
"What is it?" Toga Himiko, who had been polishing one of her knives, asked as she walked over to the two males as Shigaraki carefully took the disposable phone from Kurogiri. They'll have to destroy it later, but Giran can always easily get another one. It's why it was disposable.
"How should I know?" Grumbled Tomura. "I still haven't seen it yet."
"Do you think it's really important?" Spinner asks as he joins them. "I mean, didn't you say that that one time you guys got two teachers having a, uh," the lizard man floundered for a bit. "A very private conversation."
The Decay Quirk user grimaced. "It better not be another banana-hair and leather-and-lace flirting match. I wanted to hurl."
"You're just jealous no one wants to flirt with you," counters Dabi and Kurogiri would sigh if only he needed to breathe.
Thankfully, Mr Compress sighs for him. "Children, children! We need to focus here. We may have just received some very important information that could help us in our future exploits!"
Dabi and Tomura sent each other one last glare before they all focused on the little device held carefully in their leader's hands.
The video started playing and the first thing that was clear - among a sea of things that really, really weren't - was that it was happening in the halls of UA. And that there were a lot of students present. From all courses, if their shoulder lapels were any indication.
"Izuku!" Toga squealed about twenty seconds into the video when, indeed, the green-haired, freckled boy came into view. "He's so cute!"
"... Is that ...'' Dabi trailed off disbelievingly. "Is that Eraserhead he's toting around?!" The pyromaniac of their group sounded rightfully confused and incredulous. Kurogiri felt some stirrings of ... curiosity overtake him. He moved to stand with the rest of the League so he can see the screen as well. On it, the above mentioned student was indeed carrying Eraserhead, along with what looked like two girls clinging to the Pro Hero, like some sort of offering. Or a sacred object.
And there was a mob around them, many of them waving around pitchforks and torches, like some cliche medieval protest or something. Many kids were crying but everyone was shouting one thing or the other. Then 'banana-hair' opened his mouth and released a deafening shout directed towards the closed, locked door they had all gathered in front of, both students and teachers. Excluding Eraserhead, who had obviously been brought there against his will - or simply not on his own legs and/or terms - and the infamous mammal Principle, who was no doubt watching the chaos while guzzling tea in his office and cackling like a maniac. Everyone was yelling different things although the Gen Ed kids seemed to be booing in unison and Bakugo Katsuki seemed too busy yelling his signature "DIE!" to be saying anything else.
Then Midoriya Izuku started a chant.
And every single student present, along with the teachers, followed.
"Aizawa-sensei! Aizawa-sensei! Aizawa-sensei!"
The video continued on for another five minutes, when the students finally managed to take down the doors separating them from what appeared to be some smartly-dressed businessmen and all but descended on them like avenging angels. It was terrifying. And this was coming from a bunch of murdering villains!
The only reason outright murder didn't actually happen was because Eraserhead finally seemed to decide to step in. He had the situation under control in two seconds flat. Literally. All he had to do was flash his quirk at them and things immediately stopped. The floating kids fell to the ground. The fire and torch/pitchfork production stopped. The explosions ended. Present Mic lost his voice. The 1-A kids froze immediately and the lack of noise from them brought everyone else's attention to Eraserhead and then they all froze when they saw his hair up. The red blaze of his eyes was definitely intimidating.
The white mouse-dog-bear Principle eventually came and redirected the hysterical board members to somewhere else. The video ended shortly afterwards.
A moment of silence descended on the group, all still dumbly staring at the screen.
Then-
"What the fuck?" Dabi asked and they all had to agree that that was a perfectly legitimate reaction. "What did we just watch?"
Shigaraki just took that as an invitation to play the video again, but with the volume ramped up to the max. The shock of noise was jarring but they got used to it, even if the explosions were annoying. Dabi made funny cooing noises when Endeavor's son started lighting torches and Toga squealed every time she caught a glimpse of Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako or Asui Tsuyu. Spinner also kept an eye on the green haired boy, interested in the boy acknowledged by Stain. Sako warily eyed the six-armed kid while Twice just cheered every time something exploded. Kurogiri just watched what Eraserhead - Aizawa, as his name appeared to be - was doing and found some sort of fond amusement in the tired exasperation constantly present on the man's face throughout the video except that last part where he stopped future Heroes from becoming murderers.
"They tried to fire him?" Sako finally figured it out, sounding no less incredulous than Dabi's 'WTF?' from earlier.
Spinner turned disbelieving eyes on the magician. "And this is the reaction they have? No way."
Kurogiri hummed. "Well, he always was rather good with kids." He mumbled it to himself, not even sure why he said it or even knew such a thing, but it felt true. Too bad the others didn't hear him. Maybe they'd think twice before trying to kill Eraserhead again. Looking at you, Tomura, Dabi.
Speaking of Tomura, his reaction was both obvious and expected.
"So cool, Eraserhead. So cool!"
Dabi just rolled his eyes at the 'obsessive fanboying' from their leader.
Kurogiri ignored the bickering match that started up over whether or not Stain would approve of Eraserhead and how 'Stain is not good enough to judge him' (by Shigaraki Tomura), instead taking the phone away from his charge and focusing on Sensei's location.
Unlike these youngsters, Sensei would understand the danger and importance of this amount of support from future Heroes that were accepted, taught, trained and would eventually graduate from a strict school like UA.
To have a veritable army like that at your beck and call ...
00000
All For One's days since he was arrested and imprisoned in Tartarus were boring, plain and monotonous. The most excitement he gets these days was purposefully twitching enough to make the machine guns turn to him. He even continued doing it far enough that he got shot three times. His many healing Quirks struggled to keep him alive through the Quirk suppressants so at least he had something to do other than just staring at the four white walls he was trapped in.
Then a portal started opening and All For One immediately started shutting down everything around his cell, including the audio and video security systems and making his security guards double over in pain as a high pitched frequency hit them through their headsets. No one even reacted to this shit anymore, All For One did it that often. They all think it was a consequence of his Quirk and he never corrected them. This is how Kurogiri could come in to update him on Tomura's and the League's progress, even if it was rare. It made his days just a little less boring.
But it was a temporary reprieve and just left him more bored after it was over.
That didn't mean he wasn't looking forward to it, if only just to stop being literally bored out of his mind in here.
"Kurogiri," he greeted when the Warp Gate user manifested fully within his cell. "What news do you bring me this time?" He really needed something else to focus on besides scaring his guards or these four white walls. He was desperate for some news about the outside world. "How is young Tomura?"
"Shigaraki Tomura and the League of Villains are still in hiding but doing well. Giran has remained loyal and the authorities have no clue where our current temporary hideout is." Well, that was good. At least his successor was still free and learning. "The Doctor has not been in contact, but that is to be expected. That, however, is not why I came to you today, Sensei."
All For One wished he had eyebrows still so he can arch one in intrigue. Kurogiri, as experienced as he was with conversing with his master, full facial features or not, took his silence as the prompt to continue that it was.
A burner phone was put in front of All For One's face. A useless endeavor given he has no eyes, but one of his many acquired Quirks lets him see without the need for eyes. Kurogiri knew this but the reflex to show something to someone at eye level was ingrained in everyone. "This is what our sleeper agent sent us from UA." And then a video started playing. And All For One felt his not-eyes slowly widen as he witnessed the chaos unfolding from the little screen in front of him. "This is what has happened at UA earlier today, when the school board decided to fire Eraserhead, also known as 'Aizawa-sensei'."
It was like watching a scene from a crack horror movie, only both far more hilarious and far, far more terrifying. And dangerous. Kurogiri must have recognized this, too, because he'd brought this footage to All For One. A person who can inspire this kind of reaction ...
Not even All Might would have gotten a reaction like this. Not on this scale. The students would no doubt complain, some may even try to protest, write a petition. All For One has seen things like that being done for high ranking Heroes, even Mr Number One himself. (The big lug had lost control of his direction during a fight with some small time villain a couple of years back and had accidentally decimated a whole building when he crashed into it. It had belonged to some flashy, overly rich, greedy, shady businessman (who later got caught for fraud and about a dozen other smaller crimes - and he'd wanted to not only sue All Might but to also get his license revoked. There were people on the streets waving banners and blowing whistles and a petition was signed by over twelve thousand people before the hour was up, but never has anyone been ready to literally throw hands for All Might. Probably because they expected him to be perfectly capable of defending himself.)
This was different.
This wasn't just shallow hero-worship.
This wasn't the awe born of the bedazzle and flashy moves and cringe catchphrases.
No, this was genuine respect. The type that one rarely ever sees among humanity because of their own preoccupation with their own egos.
This is loyalty born of loyalty returned.
This is devotion that could only come as a reciprocation for sacrifices and deeds done in one's best interest.
All For One would even dare go as far as to say that there might be some of that disgusting love involved.
These students, the brightest and most promising in the country if not the whole world, be it Hero, Management, Support course or General Education ... They were ready to take on an institution like UA for this one man. For Eraserhead, they were ready to fight and jeopardize their lives and future careers. And All For One doubted they were the only ones who'd have this reaction if these news of possibly firing Eraserhead ever reached the man's former students or other colleges. The current teachers at UA - Yagi included - were just as ready to risk it all for the man, which meant he must have at least a dozen other Pro Heroes who'd do the same and who knows how many former students or, goodness forbid, vigilantes would also step up.
What was worse, Eraserhead didn't seem all that fazed to be carted around like some sacred object by All MIght's little successor and was only exasperated by it all, like he'd seen it all before and had given up trying to control these people. He'd known this would happen.
He was aware of the power he had in his hands. A veritable army of super-powered brats driven by indignation, determination and mind-boggling memes.
By the time the video ended, all All For One could do was share his new decision with Kurogiri.
"Tell Shigaraki Tomura and his League of Villains not to mess with Eraserhead."
He didn't need that army turning to him, thank you very much.
He'd never get his plans to succeed.
OWARI