i'm going to make this weird. on purpose.
「私はこれを奇妙なものにします。わざと。」
"I'm dead! I'm so dead!" Akagawa exclaimed, running down the street at record speed. Using up a lot of adrenaline energy with his Quirk, he was allowed to zoom by crowds and crowds of people as he approached Yuuei Academy. "What the heck is with this traffic!?"
"Ah, hey, you!" a woman at the entrance gate to the school made Akagawa come to a screeching halt in his tracks. She shoved her microphone into his face, a man behind her sporting a giant camera onto Akagawa's confused face. "Are you one of All Might's students!?"
It then clicked to Akagawa.
Akagawa smirked. "Sure am!"
The women's eyes gleaned and the camera zoomed into Akagawa's face. "What's it like having him as a teacher!?"
"Oh, no," Aizawa started, him and Present Mic watching from the entrance steps of the school. Aizawa gave an annoyed facepalm while Present Mic chuckled nervously in hysterics. "This will not end well."
"Should we intervene?" Present Mic questioned.
"Probably."
"All Might? Oh, yeah, he's a teacher alright. Oh, but, y'know, I wouldn't have the press so close to the school. It's just-- with all the dangers around, you might get hurt." Akagawa said while sporting a fake pout.
"What does that mean?" the woman asked.
"Yuuei isn't all fun and games. It's dangerous and deadly! A drill will come out of nowhere and destroy your balls. We call this Friday." Akagawa cheerily said. The woman blinked, not knowing how to respond to that. "Well, bye-bye, now!"
The woman didn't even attempt to stop Akagawa as he strolled right past them and into the school building. Only when Aizawa and Present Mic approached did he begin to get nervous. Aizawa grabbed Akagawa by the ear and pulled him along while Present Mic got caught trying to keep the press lady outside the gate before she triggered the alarm system. As they left, she triggered it and was saved by her cameraman.
Akagawa whistled. "Damn. So close."
"Shut up," Aizawa demanded flatly. "If I wasn't arriving at the same time as you to class, I would consider you late."
"Ah, good thing we're arriving together, then, Sensei!"
"Please, shut up, Akagawa." Aizawa grimaced. They proceeded into Class 1-A side-by-side, earning a confused look from the students. After taking their seats, Aizawa informed them that they would be doing normal high school things today in homeroom. They would be choosing their class representative and vice representative. The class broke out into a frenzy. Nearly everyone wanted the title and authority.
"Man, everybody looks like they wanna be rep," Akagawa said, leaning into his desk so that he could speak into Midoriya's ear, who shivered and turned in his seat with a smile out of habit.
"Yeah! It is a very important role, after all!" Midoriya chuckled.
"Look, even Bakugou is yelling about wanting the role!" Akagawa snickered, pointing toward the ash-blond a desk away and how he was standing on his chair and declaring why he was the perfect one for the job. Aggressively. "Let's be honest, though. Yaoyorozu will win."
"Ah," Yaoyorozu turned toward Akagawa, sitting behind him. "What makes you say that? I say it's anyone, really." she smiled.
"Yao, that is exactly why," Akagawa said flatly. "You're too nice. Not to mention smart. Basically, anyone that got in with recommendations I think will be reps."
"Well, what about you, Akagawa? Don't you want to be class rep?" Midoriya questioned.
"Sure," Akagawa smirked. "I would have the class operate in a survival lifestyle. Want a seat? Take it. Want to be the leader for something? Fight the other candidates! Want no homework? Kill the Sensei!"
"Not only is that extreme, but that isn't the job of a class representative..." Yaoyorozu chuckled nervously.
"You want to create war?" Midoriya laughed in absolute terror. "How...festive!"
"I know, right?"
"Nobody pick Akagawa, please..."
At the end of the day, the class decided that whoever had the most votes would be chosen as class rep, and the second amount will be vice rep. After the class voted, it was decided that Midoriya would be class rep and Yaoyorozu would be vice rep. Which was a shocking turn of events, especially for Midoriya, who didn't even want the position.
"Who voted for him!?" Bakugou demanded.
"Hey, Blasty!" Akagawa gained Bakugou's attention, causing the male to whip around his chair, his shoulder against the frame of the chair. "Why did you want to be class rep?"
"Isn't it obvious!? I'd be in charge, idiot! Who did you vote for, huh? Did you vote for Deku!?"
Akagawa laughed. "Nah, I voted for you!"
Bakugou was taken aback for a second before his angry expression resurfaced onto his face. "You think I'm stupid!? Don't patronize me, Vampire Asshole! I'll kill you! Die!"
"Kacchan!" Midoriya trembled, stuck between the crossfire as he was sitting in his seat. "Akagawa did vote for you...we did it in turns, you should've seen..."
Bakugou huffed as he darted his eyes to the chalkboard. Although Midoriya doesn't typically lie, and there is a single tally mark beside Bakugou's name, he refused to believe that it was Akagawa that put that tally there. He crossed his arms and slouched into his seat, facing the front again.
"I bet he did it to patronize me! I don't care who a loser like him votes for, anyway!"
Midoriya looked back at Akagawa and chuckled with relief that Bakugou didn't decide to physically hurt him. After that was decided and homeroom turned into their regular classes, nothing was particularly interesting.
Soon enough, lunch rolled around, and all classes of Yuuei crammed in the cafeteria. Akagawa grabbed his chocolate bars and began heading toward the outside cafeteria area when his name was called just as he exited the classroom door. Looking back, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and Ashido caught up to Akagawa with smiles plastered onto their faces.
"Akagawa, you should eat lunch with us!" Sero exclaimed.
"Yeah, join us!" Ashido cheered.
"I'll pass," Akagawa replied.
"Come on, man, we'd be happy to have you," Kirishima said to Akagawa's surprise. After all, the last time they held a conversation was when Akagawa embarrassed him in front of Hagakure.
"Sorry, I don't like eating with others," Akagawa stated.
"We can talk Quirks!" Kaminari exclaimed, gaining Akagawa's attention. "I have some words to share with you after our fight yesterday, anyway."
Akagawa hummed. "Fine."
"Great! Let's go!" Ashido chirped, leading the group of boys into the cafeteria. They made their way to the curry lines for Lunch Rush, their wallets, or spare change in their hands as they drooled over Lunch Rush's famous dishes.
"Just tell me where you're sitting," Akagawa told them.
"You're not eating?" Sero questioned.
"Broke." Akagawa shrugged.
"I'll pay for you," Kirishima said. Akagawa frowned.
"Why?"
"Because it isn't mainly to be eating while my friend is unable to!" Kirishima responded passionately.
"I have chocolate--"
"No "buts"! I'll pay for your meal, Akagawa!"
"Don't expect me to pay you back."
"That's fine!"
After getting their meals, they contemplated where to sit. Due to their numbers, they would need a close-to-empty table. After scanning the cafeteria, Kaminari spotted a table with only one person. The guys and Ashido began heading toward that table, without any other options. Of course, nobody would want to sit next to Bakugou Katsuki. He sat alone with a tray of curry in front of him. Who would want to sit next to the hotheaded Bakugou?
Them.
The answer was them.
Bakugou was a bit too deep in thought to process the five trays that landed on the table all around him. It was only when the shadows turned into visible bodies did Bakugou finally realize what was going on, prompting him to look up from his curry threateningly to see smiling faces staring back at him as they sat down simultaneously without so much as a sound.
"The fuck?" Bakugou questioned.
"You looked lonely!" Ashido said.
"Actually, I was enjoying the peace and fuckin' quiet!" Bakugou barked in response.
"Lighten up, Blasty!" Akagawa swung his arm around Bakugou's shoulders, being the person on his left.
"There's no such thing as peace and fuckin' quiet in a cafeteria of this number!"
"I mean peace and quiet of annoying Vampire Asshole voices!" Bakugou shouted. Akagawa winced as Bakugou's skin crackled with overwhelming heat due to his anger and Quirk combined, making Akagawa retract his arm from the spiky boy's shoulders.
"Was the vampire theme intended?" Sero asked Akagawa.
"Ah, it was a childhood interest. My family had this— I mean, I just think they're cool, y'know? Stylish!" Akagawa responded. Although he played it off cool, everyone gave questionable faces at how he had stuttered and interrupted himself toward the end.
"Vampires are super cool!" Ashido said, paying no mind to that. "Not to mention they make really good romance stories!"
"For chicks," Kaminari commented.
"Vampires are fuckin' lame! Take Killstealer as an example!" Bakugou smirked. "The lame outfit, the movies, the books! It's all so stupid! He's such a dumbass for liking that shit!"
"Our outfits aren't so different, remember? Anyway, I know that vampires are kinda romanticized a lot, but have you never heard of the culture!? A man punished by God for killing his brother and girlfriend! And the goth cultures!" Akagawa exclaimed passionately, causing a vein to pop out of Bakugou's forehead as he hated hearing such things.
"Who the fuck cares!?"
"Aw, is Blasty mad cos' I didn't get mad at his lame bullying?"
"Anyway, Akagawa," Kaminari gained Akagawa and Bakugou's attentions, who were going at each other's throats previously. "I was wondering about our fight yesterday. How are you able to turn energy into weapons?"
"Well, energy is in everything, y'know. Inside the body, energy is anything physical, so it boosts all my physical attributes. But there's also energy in objects. I can't turn energy into materials like wood or metal or anything, but I can make it into shapes I picture as long as I've seen if before entirely and three-dimensionally." Akagawa replied.
"That's so cool!" Kirishima exclaimed.
"What about when your shield broke?" Bakugou questioned with an unamused face.
"Hmm?" Akagawa questioned.
"When you turned the corner and Dunce Face was there—"
"Dunce Face!?"
"—your shield broke and it seemed you weren't prepared for that. So, what gives." Bakugou finished, ignoring Kaminari's interruption.
"Ah," Akagawa trailed. "If I had to guess, I would say that it was due to Kaminari's Quirk. With my scythe, I never blocked his electricity, so that's why that didn't break. I did with my shield, however, and since electricity is a form of energy...I guess it just canceled it out."
"Really? So you're venerable against energy?" Sero asked.
"Yeah. Since my energy isn't natural. I have to produce energy from emotions. So I guess other energies could destroy it...like electricity, and...well I don't know what else." Akagawa replied, shoving the curry into his mouth with his chopsticks.
"What does that mean?" Sero asked.
"If you're happy, does the emotion change the energy!? What about anger!?" Ashido sprouted.
"Well--"
Before Akagawa could give an answer, the cafeteria was silenced into a panic as the alarms went off. Someone spoke over the intercom, informing all students to leave and head toward the emergency gathering spot in an orderly fashion. Of course, students instantly began freaking out and running and pushing one another toward the exit.
"What the hell?" Kaminari questioned.
"We should probably get going!" Kirishima exclaimed, earning a nod from Sero as they began to head toward the exit. "Akagawa, Bakugou, come on!"
"Fuck that!" Bakugou barked. "If villains are here, I can take them easily! They're no match for me!"
"It isn't anything to worry about." Akagawa motioned toward the window, where the press was. "Just a security breach. I ain't letting that stop me from eating this curry. I haven't eaten a proper meal this good in forever!"
"It's the fuckin' press?" Bakugou huffed. "And here I was hoping that some idiot wanted a beatdown."
Suddenly, Iida's voice hollered over the others. He stood wobbly on the exit sign. More than likely due to Uraraka's Quirk, and began telling everyone to calm down, and that it was simply the press. Relief overtook panic and people left to their class rendezvous points calmly. Akagawa and the others joined when all others cleared out.
After that, they went back to the classroom. Midoriya gave away the position of class representative to Iida, and everyone was okay with that. Iida seemed a bit too happy about the occupation that he probably should've been. That wrapped up the rest of the day, the remainder classes being uneventful and perfect snooze time for Akagawa, who always seems to be sleeping when bored.
The next day, upon entering homeroom, Akagawa arrived five minutes late but got there just in time for Aizawa to begin his speech of what they would be doing in homeroom that day. Due to how Aizawa actually bothered to speak with the students, today would be an eventful homeroom.
"See you after school, Akagawa." Aizawa glared when he watched Akagawa enter the classroom as slowly and quietly as possible. Akagawa huffed in defeat and spun toward his Sensei.
"But, Sensei—!"
"Enough. You've been late every day thus far. It's nearly been three weeks of me either letting it go, or you writing me essays without change."
"Fine, just not this afternoon." Akagawa sighed and walked to his seat.
"Tomorrow morning then. End of discussion." Akagawa huffs as he slumps into his seat, allowing the class to continue. "Now. Today's training will be a little different. You will have three instructors. Me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."
"Sir! What kind of training is this?" Sero questioned.
"Rescue." Aizawa simply replied. "You will be dealing with natural disasters. Shipwrecks, stuff like that."
Everyone was excited about these developments. With a few days of general studies, the most action being training on wooden dummies, everyone was excited to finally put in some physical work that wasn't just P.E. Akagawa wondered what they would be training in. Shipwrecks would mean actual water and environments. What else would qualify as a natural disaster? Fire? Tornado? How would you make a tornado for training anyway?
"Uhm, I'm not finished." Aizawa gave a point upwards as if to tell everyone to shush. "This will be dangerous. You need to take this seriously. Do not treat this like a field trip, or simple training, unless you want to suffer some injuries. Now go change into your costumes and meet outside. The location is off-campus so we will have a fifteen minute-or-so bus ride."
Some took their teacher's words to heart while others blatantly decided that this would be fun and that he was probably just being overdramatic. One of those people being Akagawa. They went to change in their locker rooms and then met outside. Akagawa was one of the last to arrive, having to buy a few vending machine candy bars as a training snack beforehand. He came outside to see Iida preparing seating charts for the bus.
"Iida, we have a problem!" Uraraka exclaimed, being the first to enter the bus. Iida went in next and frowned.
"Well, there goes my seating chart..."
Everyone went inside to see an interesting bus layout. Only the last half of the bus had normal seats, whole the front half had subway-like seats. Everyone chose where they wanted to sit. Except for the remainder people in the back of the line. Akagawa was last and only had a few seats to choose from.
Next to Hagakure — nah, might accidentally touch her.
Next to Iida — absolutely not.
That left the seat next to Bakugou. Akagawa smirked at thinking of his reaction mentally as he sat down without any self-restraint. Bakugou jumped slightly from being broken out of his thoughts while looking out the window by what felt like a rock landing in the seat beside his, shaking the entire isle of the two seats.
Bakugou's eye twitched when he looked over and saw Akagawa smiling widely at him. "Sit somewhere else," Bakugou demanded.
Akagawa frowned. "This is the last available seat."
Bakugou only gritted his teeth, believing in Akagawa's lie and instead attempted to ignore the male sitting beside him. Akagawa didn't pry at first. He got lost in the conversation with the other students. Bakugou only listened in on them when he heard his name being thrown around, Asui claiming how Bakugou had too bad of a temper to be a successful hero.
"What did you say!?" Bakugou shouted angrily, standing up to the frog girl, only earning a remark from Kaminari about how that proved the point perfectly. Knowing they were right, Bakugou crossed his arms and fell back into his seat.
"You do have a bad temper, Blasty," Akagawa commented, making Bakugou glare over at his seatmate.
"Maybe if you took breathing exercises, you'd handle that better!"
"I know how to breathe, but you won't if you don't shut up, Vampire Bastard!" Bakugou shouted.
"That's exactly what I mean. I do have something that can take the edge off, though." Bakugou scrunched his face as he turned to see whatever the hell Akagawa was offering him. He fully expected to see drugs if he didn't know better.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Bakugou huffed as he saw the stick of Pocky, the container open and allowing chocolate biscuit sticks to be revealed before his eyes.
"I can understand not accepting a candy bar, but you've gotta be lying if you tell me you don't want delicious Pocky!" Akagawa exclaimed, taking one of the biscuits and putting it into his mouth. "It's the best chocolate! Of course, any chocolate is good! Except for strawberry. Strawberry chocolate is a disgrace."
Bakugou whipped his head back around at Akagawa. "You think strawberry chocolate is a disgrace?"
"Is water wet? Does Kami look like Pikachu and that's ironic? Of course!" Akagawa threw his hands up into the air. "Chocolate is supposed to be rich and sweet! Strawberries just make it all fruity and awful tasting!"
"What're you, some kinda dumbass?" Bakugou deadpanned.
"Do you really not want some Pocky?"
"I don't want your fuckin' chocolate."
"Ah, I see. Must be allergic."
"No, I just don't want your fuckin' chocolate!"
"I will turn this bus around." Aizawa's voice boomed over the intercom. "Language, Bakugou."
"Can it," Bakugou mumbled, slouching back into his seat. Akagawa shrugged and began eating all of his Pocky while looking out the window past Bakugou's head, which pissed him off until he too began to drift into his head while absentmindedly staring at the passing landscape. Bakugou damn near fell asleep when he felt a shake on his shoulders, bringing his vision back in front of him and not in whatever fantasy movie was playing in his head.
"We're here, Blasty, wakey-wakey!" Akagawa shouted into his ear while shaking him relentlessly by his shoulders, making Bakugou punch Akagawa in the chest once he regained his senses. "Ouch."
"Shut the fuck up and get off," Bakugou demanded. Akagawa nodded, putting his red glasses down from his hair and back onto his eyes. They exited the bus in a hurry to greet All Might and whatever other faculty member would be joining them. Voices were astonished by the Space Hero, Thirteen, being present.
They were currently standing in front of the USJ - Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Thirteen introduced them inside. The entrance was a giant blue gate. Upon looking at the facility, they were greeted by a wide variety of atmospheres. Each corner of the facility had a different biome. There was the Flood Zone, Landslide Zone, Ruins Zone, Mountain Zone, Conflagration Zone, Downpour Zone, and finally, Central Plaza, which connected all locations.
Thirteen began informing them that there wouldn't be any fighting amongst peers, but rather, teams of two using their Quirks to rescue "civilians" from the different scenarios. After the speech about the importance a Quirk has in environmental situations, Thirteen informed Aizawa that All Might would be unable to attend for reasons unknown.
"Hey, Blasty, team up with me!" Akagawa approached Bakugou, only to be stopped from getting any closer by a warm gloved palm pressing against his forehead by the spiky ash blond.
"Absolutely not."
Just as Aizawa was about to begin putting them into teams, he froze. It took a few confusing seconds before he moved. He spun toward the rear end of the facility in alarm. He pushed his goggles down onto his eyes swiftly.
"Stay together and don't move!" He shouted, making the students watch where he was looking at in concern. "Thirteen, protect the students!"
"What is that thing?" Kirishima asked, pointing where Aizawa was currently scanning. Everyone followed suit and it was then that they noticed it. A portal of purple and black, swirling around, and coming out of that portal, was a red-eyed villain.