Guys! Guys! I just learned something crazy yesterday. So, everyone should probably know about Tomura's past at this point, right? Especially, if you're an anime watcher. Well, Tomura used to have a dog and I didn't really register what breed it was until yesterday…it was a damn CORGI!

Now, I'm trying to think of a scene for Tomura to meet Zwei! …Unless I could try and do something akin to RWBY Chibi. Idk.

"To make mistakes or be wrong is human. To admit those mistakes shows you have the ability to learn, and are growing wiser."

― Donald L. Hicks, Look into the stillness

Chapter 06: Consequences

"The hero team…WIIINS!"

The student stare silently at the monitor screens. They see Ruby trying to rouse Izuku and Tenya tending to a nauseated Ochako. Bakugo stood like a statue before Ruby and Izuku, unmoving and his shoulders slouching. After a spell, someone finally speaks.

"This is bizarre," said Kirishima.

"Yeah. Like, the villains are left standing, but the heroes are down," Nora observed.

"How does the old saying go? You lose a battle to win a war?" Tokoyami asked.

"All Might?" Pyrrha spoke to the hero.

"Call for the medic bots to bring a first aid kit for Young Rose and Bakugo and take Young Midoriya to Recovery Girl," All Might requested, his eyes glued to the monitors.

"…Yes sir." Pyrrha turns to leave and complete the request.

All Might continue to stare at the screens, primarily focused on Ruby and Izuku.

"…Did I do the right thing? Letting the fight go on?"

Off to the side, Weiss watched the monitors too. Her worry had died down considerably and now her cold gaze looks on as she gives a haughty, "Hmph."

Having to be unable to wake Izuku, Ruby had placed his head gently and carefully on her lap. "Midoriya is out for the count," she thought as she stroked her fingers through his soft curls. Izuku face looked strained, showing how much pain he's in despite being unconscious. His left was severely burned, worse than the mark on Ruby's jaw, and his right had turned a purplish red that covered his entire arm, from the tips of his fingers to below his shoulder. "I don't think a handkerchief will be enough this time…"

She looks at Izuku's broken right arm, and, for a moment, Ruby briefly imagined it to be just a stump, similarly to Yang. It came and went quick, but it was enough to disturb her and heighten her anxiety.

The sound of rattling had Ruby look up to see Bakugo trembling, the metallic parts of his gauntlets clattering with every shudder. Despite her previous enmity – that still lingered – towards him, Ruby wondered what was wrong. She wouldn't get a chance to say anything as All Might arrives with the medic bots. The robots carefully places Izuku on a gurney and rolled him away, no doubt taking him to the infirmary.

All Might places a hand on her shoulder, his massive palm taking up her whole shoulder. "He'll be alright, Young Rose. Young Nikos is waiting for you at the monitoring room so she could take care of those burns."

Ruby sighs. "Okay, Uncle Toshi." She felt All Might's hand tense and realized what she said. "Oh, my God. I am so sorry, All Might! I didn't mean to say that! You were reminding me of my uncle, and it just slipped out!"

All Might let out a bombastic laugh and removed his hand. "It's all right, Young Rose. I have heard of students accidentally calling their teachers mom or dad, but never uncle. That's a new one."

"I…guess it's because my uncle works for you." She moves to leave. "I'll get going now." She stops near Bakugo and sees his expression. He looked honestly shaken and Ruby wondered if she should say something to him. She decides not to as she figured he wouldn't want to listen to her anyways. She leaves, picking up her goggles on her way out.

All Might watched the silent moment before he noticed that Bakugo was on the verge of hyperventilation.

"He could've…he read my moves…he predicted my attacks…if he was being serious…if he had used his Quirk…he…he would've beaten me?" Bakugo realized. As his revelation repeated itself, he remembered all the times he was celebrated for his Quirk, every compliment, every boast, every praise. He remembered the teachers at Aldera Junior High School bragging about the future hero that would have originated from this school. He also remembered Izuku and his ludicrous claims of becoming hero as well despite his Quirklessness…Or so Bakugo thought.

All Might put a hand on Bakugo's shaking shoulder, not unlike he did for Ruby. "You're panicking, Young Bakugo. Take deep breathes and focus on that." Somehow, Bakugo understood his words through his erratic breathing and lightheadedness and starts to control it until they were slow and even. "Let's return to the monitoring room as well and assess your results. Whether it's a win or a loss, you can learn from this experience."

Ruby winched slightly as Pyrrha applied aloe vera to her burn before taping a soft gauze loosely around it. Pyrrha moved on to Bakugo, treating scraps like the cut in his lip. The young man was surprisingly cooperative, silently allowing Pyrrha within his comfort zone.

"Well, despite the results. The MVP of this exercise is Young Ida!" All Might announced. Everyone gawked at the man's declaration.

"Wait, shouldn't it be one of the winners?" asked Ojiro.

"Good question. Can anyone tell me why?" All Might quizzed. Momo raises her hand. "Take the floor, Young Yaoyorozu!"

"Thank you. The reason why Ida is the true winner of the exercise was because he embraced the role he played," Momo explained.

Sero looked unimpressed. "…Really. Ida turning into a hammy villain from 90s cartoons was what made him a winner?"

"Let me explain. Bakugo's judgement was clouded by a personal grudge he had against Midoriya and acted on that instead of the rules of the exercise." Ruby glanced Bakugo, who made no indication that he was listening, lost in his own thoughts. "As All Might pointed out earlier, that blast he initiated was a foolish move and it could have been disastrous. Midoriya was equally foolish. That attack he used have caused a tremendous amount of damage to both his surroundings and to himself, not to mention potential crossfire on his own teammates. As for Uraraka…" Ruby heard a small, quiet squeak from Ochako.

"She let her guard down mid‐battle, and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes." Ochako looked down sullenly. "And now, Rose." Ruby stiffens her body at the mention of her family name. "She was given clear instructions to accompany Uraraka while Midoriya chose to keep Bakugo occupied. Instead, she abandoned Uraraka to go face Bakugo." Ruby loosened her body at the words. "If she had stayed with Uraraka, they would've had a better chance at winning the exercise with as little collateral damage as possible." The explanation had Ruby think back. Momo was right.

Izuku wanted Ruby and Ochako to work together and retrieve the weapon. Izuku knew, he knew that the girls would have a better chance to get the weapon. Ruby could have easily kept up with Tenya's own speed and maybe keep him occupied while Ochako could get the weapon.

But, instead, Ruby left Ochako alone to face Tenya while she went to butt heads with Bakugo.

It was because of Ruby that Izuku had to use his damaging Quirk.

It was Ruby's fault…

The revelation had the girl's silver gaze tilt downward, her hair hung lowly like her shoulders, and her lips pressed together. Jaune watched sympathetically.

Unaware of this, Momo continued. "Ida, on the other hand, had a strategy in place, prepared for the arrival of his opponent, and never lost sight of his mission. He may have lost the battle in the end, but he won in spirit." Tenya couldn't contain the glee and smiled in gracious pride. As much as Ruby wanted to congratulate him, but she didn't have the will to do so as her grip tighten around the straps of her goggles.

"And here I thought Ida was intense," Kirishima muttered. "Guess that's why she got in on recommendation."

All Might was rendered speechless at Momo's explanation. "Ah—Uh." Even was intimidated by her. "She has a good eye." All Might clears his throat. "W-Well, perhaps Young Ida could have loosened up a smidge, but other than that, you were right!" He was about to announce what teams would be next when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turns to Pyrrha, holding her phone. "Yes?"

"There is a call for you," she said, handing him the phone. Did he miss a call? All Might takes the phone.

"Yes? This is All Might speaking." There was a pause and a slight reaction from whomever is speaking to him. After the call ended, he hands Pyrrha back her phone. "Young Rose, Hound Dog wishes to speak with you."

"Hound Dog?" she asked.

All Might nodded. "He's the school counselor. You should be able to find him near the teacher's lounge. Be sure to change back into your uniform before heading there."

Why would a school counselor wanted to speak with her now? "…Yes, sir." She goes to leave. She walks pass Weiss and Momo, the latter returning the white-haired girl's side.

Ruby heard a huff from Weiss. "Looks like Bakugo isn't the only mistake here." Weiss spoke in a low voice, but it was enough for Ruby to hear and stopped.

"Weiss," Momo chided.

"What? It's true."

Not wanting to stay any longer, Ruby hurriedly leaves so no one could see the tears forming in her eyes.

All Might, oblivious of her distress, continued with class. "Now, let's get on with the rest of class young ladies and gentlemen!"

[Team B (Heroes) vs Team I (Villains)]

The buzzer alarms, indicating the start of the exercise and Jaune, Shoji, and Todoroki enter the building. Shoji uses his Quirk to listen out for the 'villains' while Jaune stands guard, his hand ready at the hilt of his sword.

"Well?" Todoroki asked Shoji.

"One's in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor. The other is on the same level, but on the move. Both are barefoot," Shoji informed.

"It's possible that the one with the invisibility Quirk might plan to catch us off guard," Jaune said.

"Hm," Todoroki hummed as he thought carefully. "For the safety of the both of you, go outside."

"Hm?"

"…Let's go, Arc," Shoji said, heading out.

"Uh, okay?" Jaune said as he followed. They head back to the entrance way as Todoroki unleashed his ice throughout the building. Jaune and Shoji made it out as the facility gets covered in ice. "Whoa…" Jaune breathed out with a white huff.

The cold from the attack had even reached monitoring room was everyone was shivering from the cold. Even All Might. Quivering, All Might saw that Todoroki has secured the weapon with little effort.

"He-He sssecured the w-weapon with mi-mi-minimum damage. Th-The he-ro t-t-t-team wins…"

"Holy…th-that guy ended the exerc-c-cise in practically no time…" Kaminari shivered, holding his jacket close for extra warmth.

Bakugo stares at the display of power with shock as he recalls Ruby's words.

You still think that you're a cut above everyone else?

[Team H (Heroes) vs Team J (Villains)]

Sero and Kirishima used their time to be setting up the jungle gym of tape made from Sero's elbows.

"So…what's the plan exactly?" asked Kirishima.

"I think that Asui girl has a frog Quirk or something because she hops around and has a long tongue. She's got a frog theme going on too, so," Sero said. "As for the bird dude, he's got himself covered from the neck down, so I don't know. He might have an element of surprise deal."

"What about the ninja guy?"

"Ren? I saw him during the entrance exam. I don't think he has a combative Quirk and he relied more on his speed and agility."

Kirishima taps his fist on his palm. "Oh, I think get it now. With all this tape, it would be hard maneuver around and get to the weapon."

Sero flashes a grin. "Yep! Plus, it's very sticky, so they would have a hard time getting it off. But first, they have to get pass the main strong hold. Us!"

"Hell yeah!" Kirishima exclaimed as he hardened his arms.

Tokoyami, Tsuyu, and Ren enter the building not long after the buzzer goes off. Now within the dark corridor, Tokoyami stops and summons the arms of Dark Shadow as Tsuyu halts on the wall she is climbing, and Ren continued forward.

"Ribbit? What are you doing?" Tsuyu asked.

"If I use Dark Shadow in dark areas like this, we could blast through the floors to get the villain stronghold faster," Tokoyami said.

Tsuyu hops down from her perch. "What a minute, Tokoyami. We don't know where the weapon is being held. It would be reckless to just blast around."

"Hmmm. Very well." Tokoyami dispels Dark Shadow. He angles his beak upwards towards the ceiling. "If only we could pinpoint their location like the one with the multiple arms."

"That would be nice," Tsuyu commented. She sees Ren standing still at the end of the corridor. "Ribbit?" She, along with Tokoyami, walked up to him.

Ren seems to be concentrating with his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and points at the opposite right corner. "I can sense two presences over in that location. It does seem that they are sticking together in the same area."

"The rooms of each floor is structurally the same," Tokoyami said. "If the map given to us is correct, wouldn't there be a room in that direction?"

"I believe so."

"Can you tell which floor they're on?" asked Tsuyu.

Ren closes his eyes again, now focusing to where the room may be. He searches around for the presences he felt – or rather, the emotions.

Excitement, nervousness, doubt, joy, eagerness…

"…They're either on the third or fourth floor," Ren said.

"Looks like we can still use your strategy from earlier," said Tsuyu to Tokoyami.

Tokoyami nods and summons Dark Shadow again.

Sero and Kirishima heard a loud commotion somewhere in the building.

"What was that?!" Kirishima exclaimed. Not long after the first one, a second and third uproar resounded, each sounding closer the next. "Should one of us go check?"

For the first time, Sero felt a bead of sweat in the nape of his neck. "…I don't think it's a good idea. We still don't know what they're planning." They wait around for anything else to happen and for a moment, there was nothing.

That is, until Kirishima notices dust falling and looks up to cracks expanding on the ceiling.

"Uh, Sero? Above us!" Kirishima shouted frantically.

"Huh?" Sero looks up just as the ceiling caved in and Tokoyami and Ren falls through.

"From the ceiling?!" Kirishima and Sero exclaimed. Upon landing, Tokoyami and Ren sprang into action. Tokoyami targeted Kirishima, using the arms of Dark Shadow to attack. Kirishima uses his harden arms to shield himself.

Sero dodges Ren's palm strikes and shoots tape at him. Ren grabs the tape and circles around Sero and wraps him in his own tape. After a struggle, Ren now sits on top of Sero.

"…Damn it…" Sero cursed.

"Sero!" Kirishima exclaimed. The lanker 'villain' then realized something.

"Wait, where's Asui?!" he questioned. Kirishima and Sero looked around for the missing 'hero.' Kirishima looks up to see Tsuyu crawling on the ceiling.

"She can climb on ceilings?!" He gasps when he noticed where's she's going. "She's going for the weapon!" Kirishima pivoted on his heels to run for the weapon.

"Wait, Kirishima! The tape!" Sero warned.

"WHA!" Kirishima shouted. After a round of ripped tape, Kirishima suddenly finds himself entangled. Sero plants his face in the ground with a groan.

Tsuyu had watched the rather funny ordeal from her spot upside on the ceiling. Feeling amused she smiled. "Ribbit!" She let's go of the ceiling and lands on the weapon.

"The boys made themselves as decoys so Young Asui could get close to the weapon undetected. Looks like the heroes won this round yet again!"

"So, they captured both the weapon and the villains," Kaminari said. "I'd call that a double whammy!"

"Oh, totally!" Hagakure agreed.

"Well, duh! It was because Ren is sooo smart!" Nora bragged.

This was yet another blow at Bakugo's ego.

You still think you're some amazing hotshot? Guess what, pal, you're not!

[Team G (Heroes) vs Team C (Villains)]

Kaminari and Jiro were up next as the heroes, facing Momo, Mineta, and Nora. Jiro sticks her jack inside the nearby wall to listen for any vibrations. That required a moment of silence, a moment that Kaminari was too fidgety to endure.

"Ya know, with our hero costumes, we could make a rockstar duo," he said.

"Shush," Jiro shushed. "I'm trying to concentrate." Kaminari clamps his mouth shut. "…Too much static noise. We need to get to a higher floor."

"Yokay!" Kaminari said, despite another failed attempt to hit on a girl.

Momo scans around the room. "We won't know what our opponents are capable of just yet. So, I think we need to fortify our defenses." She opens up her dictionary to look for a description to make steel slabs. As she did, Nora wanders around with her hammer resting on her shoulders.

"So, Yayoi—"

"Momo Yaoyorozu," Momo corrected without averting from her search.

"Hmmm…Yeah, that's too long. I'm gonna call ya Yaoyo."

"Um…okay?"

"So, anyways. You can create anything?" Nora asked.

"Not really. I can create anything nonorganic as long as I understood the composition of the it," Momo said, explaining how her Quirk works.

"Sooo, can you make something electricity proof?"

"If you are referring to an insulation blanket, then yes. Why?"

"Hey, how come I'm not part of the conversation?" Mineta whined.

Now on a different floor, Jiro sticks her jack in another wall. She smiles when she heard the rhythmic vibrations of movement. Jiro looks at Kaminari and points up with a nod. Kaminari nodded back before generating his electricity.

"This should be enough to stun them!"

He aims the electricity upwards, and lights started to flicker from the attack. Once it died down, Kaminari and Jiro hurry to the next floor. They've only made it on the next floor for a few feet before running into Nora, perfectly fine, standing strong with her hammer across her shoulders, and without her jacket.

"Valkyrie?! Shouldn't she be stunned?" Kaminari asked.

"Huh?" Jiro notices the sparks coming off Nora. "Does she have an electric Quirk too?"

Nora giggled. "Thank you again, Kaminari. I'm all charged up!"

[Nora Valkyrie! Her Quirk: High Voltage! She can absorb electricity into her muscles for enhanced speed and strength. Quite a shocking revelation!]

"So…" Nora readies her hammer. "Who's ready to get hammered!" Pink lightning crackles around her.

All Kaminari could respond was an "U-Um…"

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? It looks like the villains have won this round!" All Might declared. "Let that be a lesson to be careful when using your Quirk!"

From the monitors, everyone saw that an insulation blanket was laid under the weapon and both Momo and Mineta are on it too. Momo is seen wearing Nora's jacket zipped up.

"Smart move to use an insulation blanket to protect yourself and the weapon," Tenya said. "Though, I do wonder how they figured out Kaminari's Quirk unless they were in the same block as him during the entrance exam."

"Ooooh. That was how Nora ran so fast in the 50-meter dash yesterday," Mina realized. "She was racing against Kaminari."

"Maybe she absorbed some of his electricity," Tsuyu said.

"Does anyone else notice that the winning teams are the teams of three?" Jaune brought up.

"I guess the power of numbers are working in this case," said Shoji.

And just when Bakugo thought he couldn't feel anymore inferior, he thought wrong.

You're not the best! You were never the best!

Bakugo grits his teeth harder as Ruby's words continue to echo in his head.

All the while, Pyrrha watches.

[Team E (Heroes) vs Team F (Villains)]

It was the final round and Pyrrha leads Team F – Weiss, Satou, and Koda – to the weapon's room.

"And here we are!" Pyrrha sighs sadly. "I'm actually sad that this the last one for the day. All of the exercises have been exciting to watch! …Except for the first one…" She thinks about Bakugo and his potential inner turmoil. He had a sense of pride that could only be cultivated by endless amounts of praise and very little, if at all, criticism. "Maybe I should have said something to Bakugo. Maybe the outcome of the first round would have been different."

"Don't worry about that, Achillea. I'm sure whatever helpful advice you had would just go right over his head," Weiss said. "People like him aren't worth the effort. With that attitude and destructive Quirk of his, he would most certainly become a villain. It's only a matter of time. He fit the role earlier like a glove."

Satou looks over at Koda, who shrugs and shakes his head.

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Satou asked Weiss. "I mean, yeah, Bakugo's very aggressive, but I don't think that automatically makes him a villain." Koda nodded vigorously.

"Hm. I guess the truth does hurt a little," Weiss said with a sigh.

"…Um—" Pyrrha voiced before she gets interrupted by All Might from her own earpiece.

/ Young Nikos, the exercise will begin shortly. /

"…Okay," Pyrrha responded. She gives the team a strained smile. "Good luck, everyone!" She leaves the room.

"With me here, we won't need luck," Weiss said with much confidence. She turns to Satou and Koda. "We still have time plan. Would you mind telling me your Quirks?"

"…My Quirk is Sugar Rush," Satou said. "I gain super strength from eating sugar." He shows a packet of sugar.

"Any drawbacks?"

"Well, the more sugar I eat, the stronger I get, but I would also get stupider."

"I think you mean more stupid." Weiss turns to Koda and asked, "What about you?" Koda looked around nervously, blushed and sweating. He then started making signs and gestures. "We don't have time for charades, Koda. Just—" The buzzer goes off. "Ugh! You two stay here and guard the weapon." Weiss whirls around and headed towards the door.

"But—" Satou started.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I can handle this." She didn't wait a response from her teammates and leaves the room. The boys could hear the echo of her heels fading as distance grew.

Satou crossed his armed. "She sure is bossy."

"You're mad at me"

"Hmmm? Me? No, of course not. Why would I be mad?" Aoyama asked Mina in passive-aggressive tone.

"You have a scrunchy look on your face. Is it because of my acid getting holes in your cape?" Mina asked.

"…Perhaps. But it happened in the past and there's nothing we can do about it. Heureusement, the holes are small," Aoyama said, gesturing a hand to his sparkly purple cape. Three stars were made among the glitter. "So, there's nothing to fret."

Mina did not buy it. She puts her arms behind her head as she followed Aoyama. "Uh-huh." They wonder around the corridor aimlessly, not really knowing where they're going. "Sooo, what's the plan?"

Aoyama blinked owlishly. "Hm? What plan?" Mina stops walking and twists her torso around to face Aoyama.

"You didn't come up with a plan?" Mina asked.

"I thought you did."

Mina facepalm and groaned. "…Okay, let's think what we do know," she said as they wander some more. "I don't know anything with Satou and Koda. Do you?"

"Non. But, I may know something useful about Schnee," Aoyama said.

"Really? Like what?" Mina asked, now interested.

"Her Quirk is a staple of the Schnee family. Heard of them?"

"I think so. Aren't they the ones in the middle of a controversy or something?" Mina picked an ample time to look forward as a sword is now pointed at her face, the tip of the rapier just an inch away from a pink nose.

"What was that about the Schnees?"

Mina gradually raises her hands defensively as Aoyama slowly backpedals.

After a short and anticlimactic battle, Mina and Aoyama are trapped in a black Glyph made by Weiss. "And it looks like the villains are the winners of this round!" All Might announced.

"She was able to capture both without much of a fuse thanks to her Glyphs," Tenya said. "As expected of the youngest granddaughter of Edelweiss and sister of Regina Ice!"

"Edelweiss?" Ochako wondered.

Momo knitted together brows together with a troubled frown. "He was a hero before All Might's time," Momo said.

"Man, that wasn't even at all entertaining," Kaminari complained.

"That isn't the point of these exercises," said Tokoyami.

As she did before, Pyrrha peers over at Bakugo to his reaction. This time, he seemed less tense, but lost in his thoughts.

Now that the last round had finished, Class 1-A are standing back where they first met up for class in Ground Beta.

"And that's a wrap for the day! You all did so well!" All Might congratulated. "Other than Young Midoriya, Young Bakugo, and Young Rose, not a single scratch on any of you! Good job! For the rest of the day, think about what you have learned during class! Now, I'll go check on Young Midoriya and maybe Young Rose on the way! Here I go!" He sprints down the entrance tunnel in high speeds with a mighty "PLUUUS ULTRAAAAA!", leaves and debris picked up from

"Okay, that was really cool!" declared Kirishima.

"Totally! Right, Ren?" Nora asked. Ren nodded.

"It's also nice to have some positive reinforcement after Mr. Aizawa," Tsuyu said. Jaune nodded in agreement.

"He's actually not that bad," Pyrrha said. "If he had expelled any of you, he would just reenroll you if he felt you had learned a lesson."

There was a pause before everyone, except Bakugo, shouted, "WHAAAAAAT?!" Pyrrha was astonished by the outbursts.

"None of you…were told?" she asked carefully.

"Nooooooo…." Ochako cried into her hands. Her finger pads glow a bright pink and she started to float off the ground.

"Quick, catch her!" Kirishima said, grabbing Ochako's boot covered leg.

Sero does the same to the other leg. "I'd rather not have her go infinity like that ball!"

"It wasn't a ruse?" Tenya said in disbelief. "…He really was going to expel one of us?" He then shouted to the heavens, "…And he also has the freedom to enroll us back in?!"

"We were stressed over nothing?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"You've gotta be kidding!" Nora wailed as she fell to her knees.

"I'm sorry…!" Pyrrha apologized.

Toshinori leaned against the walls of the locker room, back in his true form and wheezing as he tries to take in deep breathes. His limit for each day is three hours, but that doesn't mean he can keep his muscle form up for all that time. He still needs to give time to rest. He was really pushing it for this class.

"Damn it…" he cursed to himself. He looks down at his emaciated hands and arms. He saw how the sleeves just hung very loosely around his thin wrists. He clenches his hands tightly, further cursing at his failing body.

"Toshinori." A familiar voice had Toshinori looks up to see Ozpin. "Rough class?"

"Somewhat," Toshinori replied. He recalls the final blow between Izuku and Bakugo. "The deep-rooted history between Young Midoriya and Bakugo is much more complex than I anticipated." After much mental debate, Toshinori said, "Oz."

"Hm?"

"Is it possible for you to gather information about Aldera Junior High?" asked Toshinori.

"Oh? What sort of information?" Ozpin inquired curiously.

"I just want to know what sort of environment the students are exposed to." He may not be a father, but Toshinori is an honorary uncle to three nieces, each he knew since they were babies. He had also made guest appearances in a great number of schools throughout Japan, and sometimes to other countries, too. Somewhere down the line, Toshinori had learned that some kids are influenced by the environment around them, that includes what they are exposed to at school.

"I'll see what I can do," Ozpin said. "In the meantime, you should rest. You've got an hour until you go teach 1-B."

"Right."

"One more thing." The small smile Ozpin liked to show was replaced with a serious frown. "It's about Ruby Rose…"

"Hm?"

There was barely any sound as Ruby sat in the Nurses' Office beside Izuku's unconscious body, the only sound being the tick tock of a clock. Recovery Girl was her desk, checking her wares and organizing, though she would occasionally look over sympathetically. This was the second time that Ruby had kept Izuku companied in the infirmary.

The first time, they walked in with Izuku's finger wrapped in a cloth. As much as it was a nice gesture, Recovery Girl lectured Ruby of how to apply first aid to a broken finger as she treated Izuku. She remembered how Ruby blushed embarrassingly and apologized to Izuku for any discomfort, and Izuku – sweet boy, Recovery Girl knew – was quick to be appreciative of her efforts.

But now…It was a whole different feel. Izuku had come into the infirmary on a gurney, battered and beaten, and Ruby would arrive several minutes later with a bandage on her cheek. Recovery didn't ask questions, though she had an inkling, but she did offer to treat Ruby, but she refused, saying that it was fine.

Ruby stayed in that uncomfortable chair, looking down at her goggles, the left lens cracked from Bakugo's punch, as she remembered a conversation with Hound Dog.

[Earlier: Less an hour ago]

Ruby stood in front of the school counselor's office. She had only been to one while in elementary school, but that was for other reasons. Reasons that had more to do with her personality and what makes her tic rather than anything worrisome. When she got into middle school, she didn't need to go see a guidance counselor anymore because she had a better handle of herself.

"I wonder why Hound Dog wants to see me…and who is Hound Dog?" Ruby tries to remember any hero called Hound Dog, but none came to mind. "Is he dog themed or something?" If he did, that would explain it. Ruby loves all kinds of animals, and while her favorite are wolves and she loves Zwei to the bottom of her heart, she likes cats most of all.

There's only one way to find out: knock on the door. And Ruby does so, wrapping her knuckle against the wood.

She heard a growled, "Come in." Well, he certainly sounds like an animal of sorts. Ruby enters the room and sees Hound Dog. He was large, almost like All Might, with a mane of hair going down his back, clawed fingers, a long muzzle, plus an actual muzzle! "Ms. Rose. Thank you for coming. Please, take a seat."

"…This school is weird." Ruby closes the door on her way in and takes a seat on a soft papasan.

Hound Dog took a glance at Ruby's bandaged face. "Hectic first day in hero class?"

If by hectic he means emotions running high and out of control, then yes. "Y-Yeah. Um, am I in trouble?"

"Do you have a reason to be?"

"…"

"…Your father spoke with me this morning about an incident between you and your sister," Hound Dog informed. Despite sounding gruff, his tone was mindful and even.

Ruby unconsciously puts her hand on her left shoulder. "Is Yang okay?"

"Due to having a similar episode, your sister was sent home some time, taken home by Branwen."

Ruby went bug-eyed. "Sent…home? But I saw her at lunch. She was fine! She…didn't get expelled, did she?"

"No. Nor is she suspended. But she'll have be on leave for a while and may take online classes for the time being," Hound Dog said.

"Oh…Um, may I ask why I am here?" asked Ruby. If all Hound Dog was going to do was relay a message, then why have her come to his office?

"I wanted to see how you were doing," replied Hound Dog.

"…Um…I don't…know?"

"Did something happen during your exercise?"

Ruby thinks about her fight with Bakugo. Her anger and frustration, her rage at…everything. Sure, she was mad at Bakugo, but his attitude brought up some upsetting memories of Cardin and, astonishingly, his fighting style…Looking back now, Ruby hadn't noticed it at the time but, Bakugo's fighting style very much reminded her of Yang…

"Uh…I don't…I…"

Hound Dog closes his eyes. "I won't force the answers out of ya," he said. He opens his eyes again. "I'd rather you tell me when you are ready. If there is anything you wish to talk about, I'm all ears. You'd be amazed with how much help just talking would do."

"I'll keep that in mind. Um…Is it okay if I could go check in on a friend in the nurse's office?"

"As long as Recovery Girl is okay with it. I can give you pass."

"Thank you."

After receiving the pass, Ruby leaves the office and starts heading towards her next destination, the infirmary. Maybe she'll stop by the teachers' lounge, to see if Toshinori is there…Since Qrow is no doubt attending to Yang, perhaps…

"Oh, good afternoon, Ms. Rose," Ozpin greeted.

"Vice Principal Ozpin," Ruby identified. She hadn't spoke to the man since that night after Roman's attack.

"Are you heading back to class?" the man asked.

"I am, but I wanna check on someone in the nurse's office." Ruby shows him the pass. "Mr. Hound Dog gave me a pass."

"I see. Mind if I accompany you?"

"Aren't you busy?"

"Perhaps, but you know: All work and no play make Oz a dull boy." He chuckled at his own joke and Ruby somehow mustered a smile. They walk down the hall. Ruby thinks about what Momo said and is then reminded of Weiss' comment.

"Looks like Bakugo isn't the only mistake here."

"Um, Vice Principal Ozpin?"

"Please, call me Ozpin," the man insisted. "It's much easier than that mouthful."

"Okay… Ozpin, was it…a mistake?"

"Is what a mistake?"

"…Me. Was me being here, at UA, a mistake?"

Ozpin stops walking to look at Ruby. Ruby stops as well.

"…That remains to be seen," Ozpin said.

What? "What do you mean?"

"Remember what I said to you last year? I said that you have what it takes."

"Even if I made a mistake?"

"Ruby, everyone makes mistakes. Including me," Ozpin said. He then looks off somewhere, his eyes appeared distant. "As a matter of fact, I've made many more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But, having you here – anyone here – was not one of them."

"But—"

"If you feel that you've made a mistake, own up to it. Make amends. Take responsibility and learn from the mistake. Being a hero is a daunting task, Ms. Rose. You will be burdened with one after another. I advise you to think carefully of how you wish to go about it."

After that, Ruby headed to the infirmary. After declining Recovery Girl's offer to heal her, Ruby asked if she could stay awhile. Recovery Girl allowed her to. Ruby gazed down at the fractured lens, even as droplets fell and seep into the cracks.

Ruby looks at Izuku with tear filled eyes and muttered, "I'm sorry…"

I don't think I've ever spoke with a school counselor in either elementary, middle, or high school. Well, there was this one time in middle school, but it was about my own older sister. So, I'm not sure how they operate.

I may have been a teensy bit biased for the Team H (Heroes) vs Team J (Villains) round because it has four of my top 5 favs of Class 1-A and one of my favorite RWBY characters. That might be why it's longer than the other rounds in his chapter! Lol!

But, for real, I wasn't really thinking about them being my favs at the moment. I guess they just work well with each other.

"Hey, how come I'm not part of the conversation?" Mineta whined. To be honest, I forgot you were there.

As for the other rounds, I didn't want to linger too long, but atleast I was able to shoehorn in the results.

I can't wait to get into the future dynamic between Nora and Kaminari! ^^

So, Weiss…When I was initially planning to have her be prejudice against Heteromorphic types, I ran into a snag of sorts, and it mostly involves Blake and Adam. Blake and Adam would still have their animal parts (with Blake also getting a tail), they would be considered what I call Beta Emitters, meaning that their Quirks got nothing to do with their animal parts. Also, they don't look all that out there, like say Tokoyami or Koda.

So, I've decided that Weiss' prejudice is more towards a person's attitude and/or their Quirk (usually a combination of the two) and would label them as a future villain with Bakugo being one of them. And she may also be prejudice against underground heroes as well because of their line of work.