Momo did what she could for Aizawa-sensei, but she had been trained in basic first aid. This went far beyond that. She splinted his arms, trying desperately to ignore Sensei's pained groans whenever she moved them, and bandaged his elbow, where the muscle was exposed. Then, she picked the pieces of his goggles out of his face with tweezers, cleaned the wounds, and set about dressing them. Jiro-san stood near her, staff in her grip, staring menacingly at the two Villains who were simply watching. Well, as menacing as she could manage while her hands were shaking like leaves in a tornado. Shigaraki and Kurogiri seemed to find it amusing, but as long as they didn't move against her, Momo would dress up as a clown and act out the entire damned circus. She did not want to draw the ire of people who commanded that monster.
Speaking of which, Momo idly observed, said beast was currently putting Midoriya-kun through the wringer. She wondered if it was dangerous to be this detached, but reasoned that if it allowed her to help Sensei, then it couldn't be all bad, could it? Maybe that was just the shock talking, though.
Whatever it was, though, it dampened the horror and fear that surged through her veins when Shigaraki Tomura moved. It didn't matter that he wasn't rushing her, the speed he dashed towards the struggling Midoriya-kun with was terror-inducing. He was so fast that, to her untrained eye, it was almost like he'd disappeared. Since she knew where he was going, though, she didn't have to track his movements with laser-precision, but even then, he'd appeared in front of Midoriya-kun before she even turned her head all the way. Shigaraki reached out for the green-haired teen, hand covering his face for just a moment, before Midoriya-kun launched himself backwards like he'd been fired out of a cannon. The comparison was made more accurate due to the way he rolled along the ground, curling up in the fetal position when he finally came to a stop. Clutching at his face, his shrieks were muffled by his palms, but his agony could be seen in the way he writhed. Over the course of a minute, his erratic squirming faded to spasmatic twitching, and his whimpers echoed across the dead-silent plaza.
Shigaraki, who'd been staring at her tortured classmate, glanced down at his hand, which was still slightly outstretched. "That's… New," he said after a while, sounding quite confused. "Normally they just die." He looked at Momo, who was staring blankly, and Jiro-san, who'd fallen to her knees and was emptying her guts, the anxiety finally getting to her. "You guys are seeing this, right? My Quirk is Decay, it makes things become dust, but he's not. Dust!" He whipped around towards his ally. "Kurogiri, tell me I'm not fuckin' crazy!"
"No, you are correct, Shigaraki Tomura. It seems this young man is able to counteract your Quirk, somehow. Then, you were warned by Leader-sama, were you not? He is not the same as the fodder we brought with us today."
"Well, yeah, she warned me, but I didn't expect her to actually be right! The hell… I thought she was just talkin' outta her ass! He's a kid!"
Yellow gaslights circled inside black haze- it seemed like Kurogiri had rolled his eyes, and he appeared to be suppressing the urge to vent his exasperation by sighing audibly. "Sensei has made it clear to us; Leader-sama is not to be taken lightly. Let this be a lesson for the future, Shigaraki Tomura."
Shigaraki crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine," he said petulantly. "Nomu-"
Whatever he was going to order the monstrosity to do next was cut off by the door to the USJ blasting off its hinges. Clicking footsteps echoed throughout the suddenly-quiet dome, and when the dust cleared, All Might stood at the top of the steps leading down to the Plaza. His perpetual grin was gone, replaced by the visage of a demon. Rage was written all across the Number One Hero's face.
"I had a bad feeling," All Might growled, powerful voice reverberating throughout the dome, "When security contacted Principal Nedzu, saying that they had lost contact with the USJ. It seems I was right to come check out the situation for myself. Villains, I am giving you one chance!" All Might roared fiercely. "Surrender now, or be crushed!"
Shigaraki laughed, straightening up from his usual slumped posture. He was smirking behind the hand covering his face. "What happened to your smile, All Might?"
The taunt worked, because the Pro Hero blurred into action. With blinding speed, he scooped up Momo, Jiro-san, and Midoriya-kun, depositing them at the top of the marble stairs. They were joined a moment later by an unconscious Aizawa-sensei.
"You did well in treating Aizawa-kun, young ladies," All Might praised, giving them a comforting smile. Momo and Jiro-san nodded back, dazed. "I'm sorry to ask more of you, but can you please make sure Midoriya-shounen is alright? I must take care of these Villains." Momo nodded once more, and All Might gave her a thumbs up, before zooming down to face off with the Nomu. Their fight was intense, each clash sending gale-force winds roaring throughout the USJ, shattering windows and breaking the earth. All Might shouted something, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of two super-powered beings locked in a contest of strength. Eventually, with a final punch, the Number One Hero sent the Nomu hurtling through the glass dome, into the stratosphere.
Then, the other teachers came. Snipe-sensei shot at the two leaders, prompting them to escape through Kurogiri's Warp Gate, leaving behind the fodder. With the worst of it over, the teachers set about finding and restraining the knocked-out thugs through the facility, piling them all up in the plaza. Aizawa-sensei was rushed back to campus in one of the vehicles they brought with them, and Kayama-sensei set about comforting the children, with Cementoss-sensei being a calming, stable presence in her background. The woman was surprisingly motherly, despite her exhibitionist tendencies.
It was only when Bakugou-kun made his way to the rest of his class, Kirishima-kun in tow, that they noticed an issue.
"Oi- where's Izuku?"
Monday was a day off, to allow the children of Class 1-A a bit of time to recuperate from the traumatic experience, as well as give U.A a day to hold a press conference after preparing their statement over the weekend.
Unfortunately, their three-day weekend was more than a little stressful for the students.
Bakugou: I've been knocking on this asshole's door for hours. No lights on. He's not here.
Momo sighed as she read the text message over and over again. Ashido-san had suggested they make a group chat for the class, and most people jumped on the idea pretty quickly. Bakugou-kun, worried about his friend (though seemingly determined not to show it) was cajoled into joining to provide updates on Midoriya-kun, as the only one who knew where the green-haired teen lived. At around 2100 Friday night, he sent that message, to the collective concern of the teens.
Jiro: This makes no sense. Where would he go? I didn't even see him leave, and me and Yaomomo were right next to him.
Uraraka: I hope he's alright. Yaomomo-san said he got really hurt by one of the Villains…
Jiro: I dunno. Like, yeah, there was a lotta blood, but he was moving around like it was nothing…
Iida: Adrenaline, perhaps? I've heard many stories about people ignoring potentially fatal wounds during intense moments. This may be something similar to that, though the idea of him falling unconscious in an unknown place once his injuries catch up to him does not sit very well with me.
Shoji: Detective Tsukauchi assured us that the police would be conducting a sweeping search of both U.A Campus and the streets surrounding it. Either they've found him and took him to a hospital, or he managed to find a safe place other than his house. It's best not to dwell on it too much.
Tokoyami: It would not be very wise to dismiss other possibilities, though. Midoriya may be strong, but even he would be exhausted after fighting a beast that All Might struggled against. Someone may find him and help him, but there is also the chance that the person who finds him may take advantage of his weakened state.
Ashido: Stop being so dark, Tokyo Raven!
Tokoyami: Don't call me that.
Bakugou: Oi. Stop blowing up my phone before I blow you up.
Bakugou: Damn extras.
The conversation ended quickly after that, but Momo found herself opening up the messenger app on her phone every now and then, reading the words once more despite having already memorized the entire byplay. It was now Tuesday morning, and Bakugou hadn't given them another update, despite several of his classmates asking, so they were forced to assume that nothing had changed. At least, that was what Momo thought, until she walked into 1-A fifteen minutes before homeroom, and saw Midoriya-kun sitting casually at his desk, fiddling with his phone.
The young woman hustled over to her green-haired classmate. "Midoriya-kun!" she shouted, "Where have you been!?"
The boy glanced up at her, face blank, before returning to what he was doing without a word.
Momo was stung by the blatant disregard for her existence, but pushed on. "Are you okay?"
Silence.
Momo placed her hands on her hips. "Is there a reason you're ignoring me?" she asked primly, irritation overriding her concern for a moment. The door opened then, followed by the sound of firecrackers.
"Oi, you goddamned broccoli!"
"Eh? Midoriya's back!?" Kirishima-kun cried.
"Wha? Oh, Midori-chan!" Ashido-san cheered. Pretty soon, the rest of the class flooded in, since they'd all agreed to meet up at the same time. Momo and Iida-kun came a bit early to deal with their class representative duties (Iida-kun was currently taking care of business in the staff lounge). Many of the students crowded around Midoriya-kun's desk, jostling Momo around. A few, like Todoroki-kun and Tokoyami-kun, went to their assigned seats, content to watch the burgeoning catastrophe from afar. Unfortunately, the one person who didn't seem to want to be there was the one the students were pestering.
"Shut up…" Midoriya-kun hissed. Momo must have been the only one to hear, because the rest of her classmates continued to chatter endlessly.
"Are you okay, man?"
"Weren't you scared?"
"What was it like, fighting that brain Villain!?"
They stopped quickly when the edges of Midoriya-kun's desk shattered in an explosion of splinters, the teen gripping the wood too tightly. The muscles in his jaw bulged wildly as he gritted his teeth hard enough for them to crack.
"I said, shut up."
Silence reigned in 1-A, and the students awkwardly backed away, going to their seats. Midoriya-kun paid them no mind, returning to whatever he was doing on his smartphone, though the glare remained on his face. Aizawa-sensei walked in to a quiet classroom, which surprised him. Of course, when they saw the state the Pro Hero was in, the students quickly began making noise.
"Morning."
"Are you sure it's fine for you to be out of the hospital, Aizawa-sensei?" Asui-san asked. It was a valid concern; the man was covered in bandages, only his eyes and nostrils visible. Both his arms were in casts, as well.
"My wellbeing isn't important. The Villains might be gone, but now isn't the time to relax. The U.A Sports Festival is coming up soon."
"That's a totally normal event!" Kirishima-kun cheered, hopping out of his chair with joy, only to be silenced by a glare from their teacher.
"Wait, but is it alright to have an event like that so soon after Villains snuck onto the campus? What if they try it again?" Jirou-san asked, raising a valid point.
"Security's being strengthened five times over, and there are going to be dozens of Pro Heroes in attendance, both as spectators and guards. Only an idiot would try something there. Anyways, it's necessary to show that U.A's crisis management skills are top-notch. More importantly, though, the Sports Festival is a chance for you kids to get noticed. Back before the Quirk Revolution, one of the most important events in the world was the Olympics. Athletes from all over would compete in different sports. Due to the significantly-lower world population compared to back then, it's not much of a big deal now. These days, the U.A Sports Festival has taken the place of the Olympics- at least in Japan."
"So, we're just showing off to the entire country?" Hagakure-san asked, sounding both daunted and excited by the prospect. Considering she was literally invisible, not being noticed was likely something she struggled with.
"Sort of," Aizawa-sensei said. "The main purpose of the Sports Festival is for scouting. Depending on how well you perform, Pros will offer you an opportunity to intern under them, learning valuable skills out in the real world. These types of experiences will shape your career as a Hero. If you want to go Pro, then it is absolutely necessary that you do your best. You only get one chance like this per year, for a total of three chances before you graduate. If you don't make a good impression by then, chances are, you won't be able to make it as a Hero. Homeroom dismissed. Oh, and, Midoriya. Detention this afternoon. Stop by the staff lounge."
Aizawa-sensei left the classroom, and the students erupted into noise, talking about the upcoming event. Momo, on the other hand, was still concerned about Midoriya-kun, so she got up and walked the two steps it took to reach his desk. Bakugou-kun was turned around in his chair, pestering his friend.
"Oi, how come you didn't respond to any of my texts, you piece of shit?"
"I broke my phone on the bus, remember?"
"And? You do that all the time! It doesn't take you three fuckin' days to replace it!"
"Alright, so I forgot to pack a spare. It was one day. Fuck off."
"It wasn't one day! Your ass wasn't even home for the weekend, and then I come into class, and you act like nothing fuckin' happened! I thought you crawled into a ditch somewhere and fucking died, you shitty cabbage-head!"
"While I wouldn't have phrased it so… Vulgarly," Momo said, giving Bakugou-san a reproachful look, "I must admit that I thought something similar. You went through a lot on Friday, Midoriya-kun. Anyone would be worried, especially when you suddenly disappeared."
Midoriya-kun rolled his eyes. "Like that's my problem. I had shit to take care of, so mind your business- both of you."
Momo placed her hands on her hips, drawing her shoulders back. "That is no way to treat someone who was only concerned with your wellbeing!" she scolded.
"I don't need you worrying about me. I'm not fucking weak!" Midoriya-kun seethed, hands curling into fists, clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. "Just because I couldn't beat that shitty fucking test-tube baby- I'm not weak!"
The dark-haired girl felt her glare softening. "Midoriya-kun, nobody is accusing you of being weak."
"I am," Bakugou-kun put in snidely, sneering at Momo's sharp glance.
"Nobody important is accusing you of being weak."
"Oi!"
"Even All Might had trouble with that- that monster. Does that mean All Might is weak as well?"
"Don't friggin' ignore me, Spiky Ponytail! I'll kill you!"
"All Might didn't lose," Midoriya-kun said simply, gaze dropping to his lap. He looked so… Lost. Momo didn't know what to say. She was saved by Present Mic entering the room, calling for the students to return to their seats. The young woman did so, but a part of her mind remained focused on her classmate's predicament.
Lunch time. Cementoss walked out of the room, leaving the students to gather their things. Izuku didn't bother taking notes this morning, so he just grabbed his phone and bag, and stood from his seat, ignoring the wood chips beneath his red sneakers. Surprisingly, none of the teachers commented on the destruction of school property. Or maybe they did- he hadn't paid attention to a thing they said. Katsuki joined him when he walked past the blond's desk, but they both froze when the green-haired teen slid open the door.
Blocking the way were dozens of students. Izuku didn't recognize a single one of them, but he figured they were probably kids from the other courses- there were too many to just be from Class 1-B, the other Hero Course. Not that he knew anyone from there, either, but that was beside the point.
"What's the big deal!? Why are you guys here!?" Grape Midget shouted, pointing an accusing finger at them.
Katsuki scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? They're here to scout out the competition." Izuku frowned- it didn't really make sense to him. How would they do that just by staring at them like a bunch of jackasses? Then again, he never particularly understood why people did the things that they did. "We're the ones who made it out of the Villain attack. They wanna check us out before the Sports Fest. Stuff like that… Is useless. Outta the way, extras."
"Stop calling people you don't know extras!" Glasses scolded, chopping his hands like a robot.
"I came to see the famous Class 1-A," a deep voice said, "But you seem pretty arrogant. Is the rest of the Hero Course like this?" A spiky, purple-haired boy pushed his way to the front of the crowd. The bags under his eyes were well defined, and he stood just a scant few centimeters shorter than Izuku. "Seeing something like that makes me disillusioned."
Katsuki growled, but didn't respond. Izuku likewise stayed silent, curious, but not really caring, where this guy went with his speech.
"There are quite a few students who enrolled in U.A, aiming for the Hero Course, but ended up in General Studies or the other courses because they didn't make the cut- dId you know that? The school has left people like us a chance; depending on the results of the Sports Festival, they'll consider our transfer to the Hero Course. Of course, there are only twenty seats in the two classes, making for a total of forty spots. If one of us manages to get picked, then it's only natural that they'd remove someone to make space."
The revelation seemed to shock the majority of 1-A. Aizawa hadn't mentioned anything like that- the only thing the injured man had talked about was the internship opportunities.
"You said we're here just to scout out the enemy?" the purple-haired boy continued. "I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the Hero Course right now, if you get too careless, then I'll sweep your feet out from underneath you. This is my declaration of war."
The words rang throughout the suddenly-silent classroom, and Izuku tilted his head in consideration. He didn't hate this kind of thing, despite it being so troublesome, but this kid looked like a strong breeze would knock him over. There was no noticeable muscle on his slight frame, although that may have just been because of how baggy the U.A uniforms were. He'd just have to wait until the Sports Festival to find out.
"Oi, oi!" a voice piped up towards the back of the crowd. It was a gray-haired kid with crazy eyebrows. "I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against Villains, so I came to hear about it! Don't get so full of yourselves! If you bark too much, it'll be embarrasin' for you durin' the real fight!"
And suddenly, his motivation was gone. Izuku's shoulders slumped; this Sports Fest was probably gonna be more trouble than it was worth.
Katsuki scoffed. "Talk all you want. The only bastard who stands a chance against me is this shitty cabbage," he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder to point at Izuku. The green-haired teen's eye twitched in annoyance. He said nothing though, and followed Katsuki as the blond pushed his way through the crowd, heading for the cafeteria.
After Hero Training, Izuku took a quick shower in the locker room, then headed to the staff lounge for his detention. Aizawa was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was All Might waiting for him. Izuku blinked.
"Where's Aizawa-sensei?" he asked bluntly. The Number One coughed in surprise, somewhat put off that the teen hadn't reacted to his presence like any other student would have.
"Aizawa-kun is currently under Recovery Girl's care. He still isn't at 100%, so he shouldn't even be coming in for class, but… Well, what can you do?" All Might said with a shrug. "Anyways, do you know why you're here, Midoriya-shounen?"
Izuku shook his head. "Sensei just said I had detention."
All Might sighed, having expected that. "Well, it's because of that stunt you pulled on Friday. Come, sit," he said, gesturing to the desk next to his. Izuku dropped his bag on the table and plopped down in the chair, spinning his seat so he was facing the blond man. "Now, why did you leave without notifying anyone? Especially after a Villain attack."
"I had stuff to do."
"Stuff more important than following protocol for such a situation?"
"I didn't know there was a protocol. Does U.A make it a habit to get attacked by Villains?"
All Might frowned. "No. In fact, this is the first time something like this has ever happened. However, in the event that something does happen, whether it be a Villain attack or not, it is a student's duty to report back to the teachers, so we can ensure the safety of everybody. When you suddenly vanish like that, without a word, we become rather concerned. The police actually did a search for you, you know that?"
Izuku shrugged. "No."
"It seems to have been a waste of both time and resources, considering you're well enough to attend class today. Something that could have been avoided had you just reported to one of the staff members."
"Alright," Izuku said simply.
All Might sighed. "I can see I won't get through to you about this. Just, keep it in mind in case something like this happens again?" Izuku nodded- considering the Villains were after All Might in the first place, he could probably expect a repeat for as long as the Number One Hero was teaching here. "Now, let's switch topics. Do you remember that day we met, almost a year ago?"
Can a monster become a Hero?
"...Yeah."
"Why did you ask such a question?"
"Because I wanted an answer."
All Might chuckled, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
"Hn."
The Pro sighed. "Forgive me if I sound patronizing, Midoriya-shounen, but you are a child. I know that not everybody has a perfect life, but… What happened to you, that you would think of yourself as a monster?"
Izuku drew his knees up to his chest, resting his heels on the edge of his seat and wrapping his arms around his legs. "...Stuff."
"Stuff?"
"...Bad stuff."
"Bad stuff."
Izuku nodded. All Might didn't seem that annoyed, despite how circular this conversation was becoming. He looked almost… Understanding. It was weird, in Izuku's fucked-up opinion.
"Would it help if I said I wouldn't repeat anything you said? Provided it poses no risk to you in the present day, of course."
That left a lot of loopholes. Nothing in particular was threatening him today, but he had no idea about the future. Was it a good idea to say anything? Probably not. Still, this was the Number One Hero, and All Might had never actually been involved in a scandal (despite what the tabloids and media said). So, Izuku sighed. He wouldn't tell the man everything, but… For once in his life, he wanted at least a few of these thoughts to stop rattling around in his head, haunting him every waking moment of every single day.
"When I was four, my Dad tried to kill me."