"WHAT?!"
You might be, justifiably, curious as to what could get us to react in such a way as a united class… even though this was only the afternoon after the Parent Day incident.
"Firstly, too loud," Aizawa grumbled. "And secondly, there is going to be an exhibition hero team event going on next week. One that has been changed up a little, given recent events."
"Why are we only hearing about this now?" Kaminari questioned.
Kirishima nodded. "The man has a point; shouldn't we have had time to prepare?" He added.
The class started to mutter and chatter a bit… only to go silent as soon as Aizawa's hair started to rise. You can't fault our survival instincts. "Usually, you would be told around the same time as Parents Day, but the principal wanted things to be changed up in light of the USJ incident and the Internships," Aizawa noted.
"But why is it a thing?" Tsyu rightfully asked.
"They tend to be part of training both for our hero course, and the hero course of other schools," Aizawa explained with the air of a man who would much rather have passed this all on to 1-B. "This year, it's a group of four from Isamu Academy High School who'll be coming to visit, and participate in a team-based battle against two teams of four from all of you… and two from 1-B. Usually, we'd have just one class take them on."
Some of us looked at each other, with me looking at Sato… and then noticing others looking at me. Alright, this is becoming a stale gag here.
"And no, Nebulos was not the cause of the change," Aizawa said sharply, interrupting what was surely a train of thought in many. "With the USJ incident and some of your abnormal experience with your internships-" At that I swear he was giving the group who had fought Stain, Bakugou, and I looks. "-Nedzu-sensei felt that it might work better if you are confronted with 'friendly rivalry' rather than facing off against each other."
"Whichever way it's put, it's still a battle," Momo said.
"A Team Deathmatch, to go with video game terms." I extrapolated… only to see Mineta giving me an odd look. "What?"
At that, he shrugged. "You just don't seem like the type to play video games is all," Mineta said.
… wait, so Mineta is a gamer? That… explains a fair bit actually.
"Regardless," Aizawa said, his tone making it clear not to interrupt him again this time. "Teams will be generated on the day with two people from 1-A's finalists and 1-B's class in general – this will give you a disadvantage compared to the Isamu Academy students, in exchange for having more teams in play."
"Wait, then why tell us now?" Mina questioned.
"Simple," Aizawa remarked. "It allows you all to train with that in mind, and for those of you who aren't taking place to train to keep pace with them, given that we have the exams in two weeks." And at that, he heads for the door. "Discuss among yourselves. Class dismissed."
As he shut the door behind him, there was an immediate burst of noise… as I realized something to my horror.
… Bakugou could get put on the same team as Izuku. We're doomed.
"We're doomed." Neito insisted.
I raised a brow at that. "I'd have thought you'd be more annoyed about the Parent's Day thing or did Vlad-sensei not do the same danger test Aizawa did?" I questioned.
"Of COURSE, they did it to you too, and while I could be angry about that, I'm more worried that fate is going to deal me a worse hand next week," Neito responded, waving his arms about in an overdramatic fashion.
Mei perked up at that. "There's another event happening next week?" She asked.
"Likely to involve special student gear, yes," I noted, rubbing the forehead of my suit. "A team deathmatch, with four teams being cross-class… and one team being from Isamu Academy. And what has you so dramatic Neito?"
"Fate is going to make me be on that bellowing explosion of an anti-hero in the making Bakug-"
I could feel a spike of anger rise through me sharply, and at that, I delivered a chop to the back of his neck. "Dude, I thought we'd talked you through that way of thinking." I admonished.
At this, both Neito and Mei stopped and gave me deadpan looks.
"… alright, fair cop," I admitted, slumping slightly. Right, if Neito has issues going into his old mindset… well, my worry about monstering people up did hang around for a bit too long. "Even so, why are you so worried about being on his team?"
"Because Neito decided it would be an excellent idea to antagonize Bakugou during the Sports Festival repeatedly, to the point that it's 90% of the reason why he didn't qualify in the Cavalry Battle." Mei summed up, tinkering idly with something or other.
"… and the 10%?" Neito questioned.
"Not using my/her babies." Mei and I said in unison, as I just let out a sigh. Mei was predictable, but not entirely wrong.
"Of course," Neito remarked. "And of course, we won't be on the same team, Andros."
I hummed… before nodding. "Yeah, sounds like Nedzu would set it up so that people who could work too well together wouldn't get picked up," I said.
At that, we just continued to walk for a little, no real conversation coming to mind.
"You guys wanna go see a movie this weekend?" Neito asked.
I smiled a little at that. "It's been ages since it's just been the three of us doing something," I remarked.
"I could take time off my projects," Mei added.
Ah. This is… nice.
It was fascinating really. Unexpected. Mysterious.
There were few things in this world that Saiko Intelli could truly call that anymore. Even her classwork at the Academy was dull, more so when she had a bit of tea beforehand – afternoon classes tended to be an utter bore as a result. She still did the work – she wouldn't stoop to the level where she called intelligent work beneath her – but it was all child's play to her.
The same could be said about navigating the social side of things. Seiai Academy had her as their brightest member, which was a double-edged sword. Many of the girls looked up to her, but she found it hard to empathize with them. She did try. She wanted to be a hero after all, but sometimes she worried her bouts of increased intelligence were affecting her empathy… or perhaps it was something else.
The project. Her little after-school study. Nebula Gas. Oh yes, there were many Quirks that were studied for science in their own ways, but the Nebula Gas was by far the most interesting one to ever come her way. Despite the gas seeming to be the Quirk of an ordinary boy, Nebulos Andros, she had her doubts.
Every little study she had done into its structure and makeup suggested the gas wasn't natural to this world. From what information she could gather – frustratingly little beyond some pieces from I-Island – and compared to her tests on it, there was much less Quirk Factor than there should be in the make-up of it.
And that didn't even get into its transmutive properties, the way it acted when stored in objects, or the way that it had been harnessed into a controlled transformation from its user. This was uncharted territory, and Saiko could feel she was on the verge of something… more.
She took a sip of tea, closing her eyes to slowly appreciate the taste on her tongue, the boost of intelligence, and the brief moment of intellectual bliss. Gold Tips Imperial, one of the finest blends on the market. That foppish fool Gentle Criminal might be a foolish fop… but she subscribed to his channel nonetheless. One who appreciates tea should have SOME recognition.
Still, she had something else to focus on at the moment. It was a Tuesday afternoon, she had finished any homework she had, so perhaps…
She picked up her phone, dialing a familiar number. Another benefit of her work. "Hello? Mei! Good to hear from you. How are you doing?"
That benefit being getting to speak to one of the few people close to her own intellectual level – before tea. Hatsume Mei, while eccentric, could be a refreshing change of pace and often didn't need to be told about certain concepts.
Of course, Saiko didn't tell her everything that happened. Aside from them not being that good friends yet… well, she had little doubt with his class's showing at the festival, Andros would likely be applying for a hero license. And while it was a slim chance, she'd rather not give away all her tricks.
Even if she had to admit he had a decent taste in classic shows. Sure, they express it differently – he's far more blatant.
Nebulos Andros was a hard person to get a read on.
Actually, if you asked most people, they'd say otherwise. It's something Monoma Neito found to be curious about his best friend. A contradiction in hiding so much, being obscured by a contamination suit half the time, and yet he was very… expressive. Admittedly, Neito considered it was likely because of Andros' need FOR said suit.
But at the same time, despite that over-expressiveness, the fact was that there were times that it was impossible to understand what he was thinking about. Not in the sense that he was a damned foreign otaku who still could mangle the Japanese language if he was distracted. Not in the sense that he emoted too much due to the faceless nature of his suit and his transformations… but in the sense that while Neito could almost always know what Andros was thinking before U.A… he couldn't so much now. He couldn't help but feel he was growing more distant from him. So, they'd sorted something else out.
It was Wednesday, just after school, and the two met at one of the dirt yards, the same one where everyone had challenged Andros in the lead-up to the Sports Festival. Andros had already stashed his contamination suit to the side, the brown-haired boy looking at Neito.
That was something else the two shared. They might have had Quirks but didn't need them to look so out of place in Japan, even with all the mutations going around. Andros was growing taller by the day, which with the brown hair and the green eyes made him stand out from others… but then there was Neito himself. Blond hair, blue eyes, a sharp wit, and a love for European comics which even Neito would admit could border on obsession sometimes. Not that Andros was much better.
"So, what's the idea here? Sparring?" Andros questioned.
"Not the usual type." Neito insisted, in his own PE gear for this – better than getting his uniform dirty. "We haven't had a proper one-on-one sparring match in a while. No suits, no gear, no Quirks."
Andros smiling back eagerly at that caused Neito to chuckle a bit. Really it was a simple idea that many heroes with more support Quirks never considered… and one that Andros had noted more than a couple of times. Mostly to Neito himself.
Both of them entered fighting stances, staring each other down. It didn't come as a shock. Neito by his very nature tried to be analytical, to consider how to use his copied Quirks in the heat of the moment, how best to pin and trap someone, and so on. Meanwhile, Andros had been increasingly careful even in their training and was only more so now that he could tank a frankly ludicrous amount of damage in one go.
Still, it wouldn't do to stand still forever, and Neito made the first move. While he could still be surprised by his friend, the way the gas Quirked teen fought was obvious. He tended to focus less on technique and more on speed and strength, mostly brawling with a handful of techniques from other people or even entertainment thrown in.
Neito started to throw a jab, noting that Andros immediately took into a ducking position. Andros rose, his fist following for a vicious uppercut that wouldn't look out of place from his girlfriend.
It was just a shame for him that Neito assumed that's how he'd react, and his jab had been a feint, as he stepped back, watching as Andros rose striking nothing but air, leaving him over-balanced and with no guard ready. Leaving him open for a couple of punches, a left-right jab combo, before Neito lashed out with a palm strike, trying to knock Andros over more than anything. He could take advantage while Andros struggled to recover.
But then he saw something that worried him as Andros fell over. A grin on his face as he reached up with his arms, splaying them out against the ground… and started to spin, lashing out with his legs wildly!
"Breaking breaking!" Andros called out excitedly in English.
Neito swore he could hear someone calling out and pushing Andros on, but he was too focused on trying to block the wild kicks, eventually forcing himself back as Andros spun himself up onto his feet.
"Ok, time out, where did you learn to BREAKDANCE?" Neito insisted. "I've seen you try to dance; you have two left feet at the best of times!"
"Firstly, rude, I can dance if I have the right routine for it." Andros sniffed with a mock pout. "And second… Mina taught me."
"Mina, huuuh?~" Neito taunted.
Andros rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Oh, neither of us have been the slightest bit subtle about it, and you know I still have issues sticking to family names." He shot back.
"Fair. You just make this too easy though." Neito stated, before getting into a battle-ready stance once again.
Andros drew up into his own, and they ran at each other.
Of course, not everyone's training is the same, and some take time out of their schedules to balance it with study. Take, for example, Mina Ashido who-
… hang on. Pink area, usually a deeper pink that's closer to magenta, some purples, all accentuated with black… but no sign of Mina? Weird, the script here calls for Mina. Her computer is on to a video call with the others, but she isn't at her desk, the video camera is active...
She's not on the bed, the mattress is present and there's no disturbance in the sheets. Perhaps behind her curtains? But why would she be hiding there? And she's certainly not under her table. How bizarre
Mina then dropped down from the furthest and to the left corner of the room, grinning as she flashed a double V sign at the camera. "See what I mean! If you guys didn't see me do it, you wouldn't have noticed me!" She insisted to the camera.
For some reason, she felt a lot prouder than just showing off to her friends. She brushed it aside though as she leaped back into her seat, causing it to skid across the floor briefly. "So, what are we moving on with?" She asked.
"Maths!" Mei exclaimed. Mina bit back a groan at that. "But with a twist!"
Sato cleared his throat at that. "Well, cooking is mostly about maths anyway so… I thought I could ask the questions, using cooking problems!" He insisted with a slight blush.
"Wait, you cook?" Hagakure asked.
"Sometimes I need exact measurements of sugar!" Sato replied with an embarrassed grin. "I know it's not the 'manliest' thing…"
"Dude, knowing how to cook's amazing!" Kaminari exclaimed.
Andros nodded openly. "A man who can't cook isn't a man – that's something I stick by." He claimed.
"Good, then you can home cook next time we have a date." Mina taunted.
She couldn't help but giggle as Andros started to sputter and twitch a bit, embarrassed.
Humans were odd creatures normally. Over-reliance on physical and audible cues, with those shown to be exceptional in some way being celebrated over those who lacked it. At times Nezu almost longed for the comforts of being just a 'simple' animal. Almost. After all, that same nature of humans had driven them to ask for more, to make more, to make things such as the ever so lovely cheese.
And some humans stood out as being odder than most. Midoriya Izuku and his over-analyzing mind made him distinctly different from Toshinori despite their similarly heroic desires. Todoroki Shoto being almost as cold as the ice that makes up half of his Quirk, requiring the heat of others to thaw him from it.
And then there was the young man sitting in front of him right now, having insisted on the meeting. Nebulos Andros seemed to only do this when there was something important coming up, and yet despite his attempts… it was clear the boy was nervous. And he knew the best way to deal with that.
"Tea?" Nezu questioned. "English Breakfast – I figured you would be more at home with that than green tea."
"Oh, thank you, sir." Andros stammered out.
Nezu smiled and nodded at that, having already prepared just as the student had entered. "You'll need to forgive me, I don't usually keep milk in here, so you'll need to have it black," Nezu commented.
"T-that's fine Nedzu-sensei," Andros answered.
Hmm. Interesting. His ear flicked slightly as he heard that. Ever so slight, but the way Nebulos had pronounced his name… "Tell me Nebulos, how would you spell my name? In English, please."
Andros had already taken off the helm of his suit at this point, the young boy blinking in surprise before cupping his chin with one hand. "Uh… N-E-D-Z-U. Why?"
"Because while that is an accurate way of doing so, it is not the most accurate… that, and you pronounce the D, slightly." The principal responded, grabbing both his own cup of tea and the one for the young man, bringing them over, and putting them on the table. "N-E-Z-U. But besides that, what did you need to talk to me about?"
Andros, much to his credit and the look of sheer horror that had dawned on his face from being corrected like that, seemed to snap back to reality. "Right. It's about an event that's coming up… one I wanted to leave until we could meet without the chance of All Might-sensei being in here." Andros noted, voice clear of any mirth.
Nezu let out a sigh, as he mentally started composing a script for a camping trip gone wrong. "I take it you mean the camping trip that comes up after the exams?" Nezu questioned. "And… why couldn't you have mentioned this before?"
At that Andros' expression took on an odd change, as he suddenly looked like he'd been forced to swallow something utterly foul, taking a shaky breath in. "… because it needs to happen. It's vital that we let it happen." He grumbled. "Because otherwise… He will slip through our fingers."
Nezu could hear the importance being placed on that 'he'. He could hear a bit more, such as the fact that young Nebulos was on the verge of panic from all this. He needed comfort right now. "… the way you said it, and with the League… All for One?"
Andros let out a sigh at that… before nodding, and taking a sip of his tea. "If it doesn't happen soon, All Might will run out of One for All to use. Even from what I remember and noted down, it took him pushing past what he actually had left to do so. If All for One slips away now…" Andros let out a shaky sigh at that, gripping at his chest. "But… it means I need to put my classmates… my friends in danger. Again. Just like the USJ. Like with Stain."
Nezu could see the boy's eyes start to glimmer, tears starting to build.
"What good am I if I have to keep letting my friends be in danger?" Andros choked out, tears rolling down his face. But before he can say anymore, Nezu moves to him, placing a hand on Andros' own.
"… sometimes the problem with information is knowing how to use it. Sometimes some issues are unavoidable, no matter how hard you try." Nezu commented. "You wanting what's best for the world and what's best for your friends at the same time is admirable Andros… but you're letting it tear yourself apart. You don't need to keep that to yourself though. As a certain friend of mine would say… I am here."
The little smile that crossed the boy's face made it all worth it.
Screw this panel into that section, making sure the panel was non-metallic. Redundancies needed to make sure that an electrical charge can't so easily blow the systems-
It was not an exaggeration to say that at least part of Mei's mind was always thinking, and even less to claim it was thinking of nothing but inventions. She took time to think of other things, but she supposed there was a reason that Andros-nii had come to her for help on not just his projects, but the support pieces for others. If it hadn't thrown her and Koda a whole host of different challenges she might not have taken him up on it.
-use of rubber could reduce conductivity, consider a pointer system… no, too reliant on electrical signals, for an AI could be too distracting-
Right now, she was focusing on her latest sweet baby – after all, it wasn't just the Hero students who had exams coming up. She was only working on the blueprints on this lovely Saturday, but each support student would have to give an example of a support that could help society. She was taking inspiration from Andros-nii himself with a rescue robot frame, one designed not to specifically help HEROES, but the police in subduing lesser villains, or to at least help evacuate civilians.
-scrap stun guns. Too likely that electricity villains could hijack. Chemical suppressant? Unlikely, can't use Nebula Gas or Papa's expertise. Perhaps Fullbottle system with some other gas? Must test-
And frankly, she was thankful to Andros-nii for inspiring her. What with his impossible Quirk, his way of bringing things from fantasy into reality, it was an inventor's dream. Oh yes, while her adopted brother (no matter if he hadn't quite realized its importance yet) usually flip-flopped back and forth on his Quirk being an Emitter or Transformation Quirk – he had even cited one from Shiketsu Academy that was transformed others – Mei wasn't sure what to make of the oddball Quirk. She didn't build things for Andros based on his type of Quirk, but his Quirk, period.
-consider those who don't need to breathe, physical disabler, needs to be lightweight, but lightweight could undermine the entire reason for it-
Quirk science was a whole different field to her own, but what little she had dabbled into was FASCINATING. It was part of why she was glad to be going to I-Island after the exams. An inventor's paradise, and from the look on Andros' face before, something more was there. Good or bad, she had no idea, but that was part of the excitement!
-riot foam? Would need to synthesize formula – not expert, not allowed help. Consider other sweet babies, build upon their successes.
After all, so far, she had only been on the sidelines of all the action aside from the festival. Let Neito be 'sane' about it, she wanted to see what that sort of excitement was first hand!
U.A. The most prestigious hero school in Japan, and one of the top worldwide – if not THE top. A class that hosted a cadre of potentials who were supposed to be the best of the best…
"If you're not going to take this fight seriously, you can go and die for all I care!"
He let out a snort as he paused the playback, running a hand through his white hair. "Absolute delinquent. Aggressive, irritating, and a former bully… why U.A. thinks he should've been given a chance is beyond me." Romero Fujimi said to himself, room only illuminated by the glow of his computer.
It was a bit of extra-curricular study for the training exercise/exhibition tomorrow. He had little doubt that a good number of the students would be picked from those who competed in the Sports Festival, so he was making sure to keep an eye on things. The Quarter Finals especially had caught his interest.
The clash between a boy going around like a miniature All Might and the son of Endeavor, a living miniature of the Number 1 and 2 clashing. The rapid change of circumstances of Ingenium's brother clashing with the lizard girl. The unconventional mix of acid and darkness. All those had been good research.
But he couldn't help but scowl every time he saw the last match. Bakugou Katsuki. A former bully had no place being a hero in Fujimi's eyes, no matter how much he strived to be better. If you're going to make an impact, you need to make it immediately. There's no room for hesitation in hero work, and undue arrogance wasn't needed either.
Oh, he knew his mindset wasn't popular. He always believed in hitting as hard as possible and fast. If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. No second-guessing, not even in what you said. He'd been told off a couple of times for going too far in training, and more so for insulting people because he refused to rephrase. But he stuck to it. A hero sticks to their values, that's how All Might became such a mighty pillar in their society.
He didn't just watch it to renew his distaste for Bakugou however. There was another that he'd have to thank when he faced him. One whose Quirk… wasn't so far off from his own.
"Nebulos Andros… dammit, I didn't plan on having to get friendly with the competition."
Next time: The entire Training of the Dead.