Once they got their breakfast, Izuku and the rest of the kids that were attacked yesterday sat at their own table for the day to recover, while the rest of the students of Class 1-A sat at their other separate tables. However, while they got their food and ate, they could feel the other students in the cafeteria take glances at them...probably feeling pity for them, or worse, questioning why they were even here if they couldn't defend themselves from a home invasion...
Izuku bit his lip nervously from all the looks he and his friends were getting from the other students. He didn't even get the time to enjoy his breakfast...
The survivors of the home invasion sat on a ten-seated table, which respectively, from right to left on the bottom row, Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Asui sat. From left to right on the top row, Ashido, Kaminari, Jirou, Todoroki, and Iida were sitting on the top row of the table.
Either way, Izuku and the gang all felt a little...awkward.
Jirou spoke everyone's mind as she grunted, not taking another bite of her breakfast, "Well, this is mortifying."
"Yeah," Kaminari agreed, "I don't know why we have to endure this. I mean, we're just human, we're not perfect. They should know that being in the Hero business isn't what it's all cracked up to be."
"Hm. Ever since the USJ incident, it seems like all the student body of UA were expecting a little bit more out of us..." Todoroki muttered as he took a bite of his breakfast.
Man, I'll say one thing though, I am not looking forward to that training session with my Dad... Todoroki grimaced stoically.
"Well, to be perfectly honest, some of us never even fought at all at the USJ," Tsuyu pointed out. "I was with Midoriya and Mineta, and all we managed to do was survive."
"Hm. But whether or not we fought villains, it doesn't change the fact that we were on the front lines fighting for our lives," Iida said solemnly, "In the end, we were all saved. I had to race over to UA to tell the faculty of what was transpiring to save you all."
"Hm...that's basically what a Hero is, isn't it?" Izuku mumbled, "A person who saves lives, that is."
Upon hearing what Midoriya said, Yaoyorozu glanced next to him. ...Yeah...exactly. she thought with a small smile directed at him.
He saved her life from the Joker, after all.
Mina pouted, "Well, it's like Kaminari said, we're not perfect. We're just learning here, you know?"
Yaoyorozu diverted her attention away from Midoriya to Ashido. "Well, while that's true, it's also like what Todoroki and Iida have said; we were basically on the front lines. After that whole USJ debacle, people were expecting a lot more out of us when we held our very own there."
"Ugh. I just hope the news and media won't blow it all out of proportion," Kaminari groaned.
"Oh, you know they're gonna blow it all out of proportion like a hot air balloon," Jirou said drily. "Seriously, when my Mom and Dad came to pick me and Yaomomo up, they were so worried for my well-being, that at one point, they actually questioned if sending me to UA was even a good idea."
"Yeah, tell me about it. *ribbit*" Tsuyu said with a nod, "My folks were so worried that I was traumatized by the whole thing. My little brother and sister were so upset that they clung onto me like my sister would cling onto her plushie toys."
"Hm. My brother and parents were also rightfully concerned for me as well…" Iida frowned, "I feel like I once again shamed the Ingenium name."
"Iida, you know they weren't thinking that," Izuku reassured him, "They're just happy you're alive and well."
"Yeah! And you fought really well against that crystal guy!" Ochako added, nodding her head for emphasis. She turned her head to Todoroki, "And you did too, Todoroki!"
"Thanks...but still, that doesn't make my Dad approve of it," Todoroki muttered.
Wincing at that, Izuku asked, "How did that go, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Surprisingly, he wasn't too harsh...but he did tell me that my training will be much more intense than before," Todoroki said with a frown, "He doesn't think I tried hard enough."
Yaoyorozu frowned at that, "You told him you fought back, didn't you?"
"Hm...I did. But if you know my Dad, it wouldn't make a difference at all. If I was knocked out in a fight, that just automatically meant that I wasn't good enough," Todoroki sighed.
Izuku frowned as well, "Man...I'm sorry you have to go through that, Todoroki."
"You don't need to be," Todoroki shrugged, "It's just what it is."
Izuku looked down at his meal as he said, "Well...those guys were pretty ruthless...just like their leader."
Joker.
They all sat there in silence as they ate their meals...
...Until Kaminari raised a question.
"Hey, um…" he glanced around the table, lowering his voice so only they could hear him. "Do you guys think that Joker guy really was Quirkless?"
Silence sunk in for a moment until Izuku said to everyone, "I don't know for certain, but I did tell Detective Tsukauchi that the leader Joker claimed that he was Quirkless."
"How did the Detective take it?" Iida asked.
"He was surprised, for one thing..." Izuku hummed in contemplation, "...Although, I was certain he would've informed the news, yet Monoma said they were still trying to figure out the Joker's Quirk and what it is."
"That is troubling," Todoroki nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I mean, he just plain said it. Whether he has a Quirk or not, the news has to be truthful on what everyone says, right?" Jirou asked the group.
"Well, the news sometimes alters things..." Tsuyu said as it dawned on her.
In fact, all of it dawned on them.
The news alters every single thing to make it sound sensational, even when it's not.
"...That was…really interesting. What Joker said...I mean." Yaoyorozu stated.
"Yeah," Uraraka agreed, "...I wonder if one of his henchmen hacked through some stuff or had a hidden camera watching us fight?"
"Eugh, I kind of feel violated knowing that," Mina said with a shiver. "It would make sense, though. Those guys and their leader would know how all of us would fight."
"As well as our Quirks..." Iida frowned at that.
"...Yeah..." Midoriya's frown deepened as he remembered his conversation with the Joker.
I can see that you still don't know how to use it.
"...It is pretty scary," Izuku said.
Everyone could agree on that.
Mina then spoke out, "Actually...this raises another question..." she turned her attention to Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki, "I mean, did you guys really lose against Stain, or..." she raised an eyebrow, "Did you guys really win?"
Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki froze under their friend's curious gazes.
"Wait...yeah. Since that Joker guy said the news would alter certain things about the story, would that mean the news...like, lied about you guys not beating Stain?" Uraraka asked them.
"...Well..." Iida started shakily, "...We...might have...weakened Stain...but, th-the Heroes-"
"Iida, I don't think lying at this point is really worth it," Todoroki told him, "I think they deserve to know the truth, considering what we've all been through together."
Yaoyorozu looked at Midoriya next to her, whose frozen posture relaxed as he sighed in defeat, "Yeah...I think it's time for us to tell you all the truth about what happened at Hosu City. But not here. It should be someplace private."
Curiously, Yaoyorozu asked, "You mean...you, Todoroki, and Iida fought Stain and actually wo-?" she paused as she saw three students approaching them. "Oh...um, I, uh...I think we have company coming our way."
The group followed Yaoyorozu's gaze and saw three students, each of them looking to be in the year above as they were wearing their traditional school uniforms. The first boy, who appeared to be the leader of the trio, was a tall muscular guy with stylized blonde hair that spiked at the front. He was closely shadowed by a girl with long blue hair, and a raven-haired boy staring at the floor.
Upon approaching their table, the blonde-haired student said, "Hey, you're some of the first years, right? Of Class 1-A? From, um...last night?"
Every kid at the table glanced at each other in question, until Midoriya said, "Uh, yeah...?"
The boy smiled sympathetically, "I figured! Well, um, my name is Togata! Mirio Togata!" He motioned to the girl at his right, "This is Hado Nejire," she grinned at them with a small wave, "and this is Amajiki Tamaki!" Mirio finished, motioning to the boy flanking his left, who nodded nervously in their direction without making eye contact. Mirio continued on, saying, "We just came over to your table to let you all know..." he cleared his throat, "Um, to let you all know that...well, while what you've all witnessed was downright scary, all of...well, all of you shouldn't blame yourselves for last night. I mean, from all the things we heard about you guys at the USJ, the whole school knows you have what it takes! Don't let one creep of a Villain and his gang get you down! All of you will prevail and become great Heroes!"
"Yeah!" Nejire piped up, rocking back on her heels, "Don't let it hold you back! We just all have to stay strong and face each day!"
"Um, yeah...y-you can, uh, you can do it..." Tamaki mumbled at the floor, blushing in embarrassment.
Midoriya and the gang all just blinked at their encouragement.
"Um...t-thank you..." Midoriya said, a little dumbstruck.
"Yeah, man, that's cool of you guys to say...uh, what year are you three at?" Kaminari asked them.
"Oh, we're 3rd-years. We're in Class 3-B," Mirio told them.
"Well, either way, we really appreciate your words of encouragement," Yaoyorozu acknowledged them with a nod.
"Yeah! Thank you so much!" Uraraka said with a grateful smile and nod.
Jirou nodded with a small smile, feeling uplifted from their impromptu pep talk. They sounded like they really meant it, too. Todoroki and Iida both smiled and nodded, while Mina beamed with a "Yeah!", while Tsuyu added in appreciation, "Thank you. We'll take what you all said to heart. *ribbit*"
Mirio nodded with a grin, "That's great! And hey, no problem! We just wanted to reassure you all and let you know that you guys can do it! Go long and always go Plus Ultra!"
The three older kids waved farewell to them(Tamaki only half-heartedly waved, still looking shy about it all) and walked off, leaving the group of younger kids to ponder on their words.
"Well, that's nice of them," Yaoyorozu said with a smile.
"Yeah. It made the morning all the more worth it," Midoriya agreed, grinning in her direction.
"Totally! Not to mention those two guys were pretty good-looking!" Ashido smirked mischievously.
"Really? That's what comes to your mind, Mina?" Tsuyu said with a disparaging, half-lidded gaze.
"Aw, come on! You got to admit the guy with muscles looked cute! And the dark-haired guy? Super mysterious and hunky!" Ashido said with a giggle.
"Well...I mean, yeah, sure, they're nice-looking, but they're much older than us," Tsuyu reminded her.
"Aw, age is just a number! What do you gals think?" Mina snickered as she put the spotlight on Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Jirou.
Jirou just shrugged, "I mean, yeah, they look okay."
Kaminari pouted for a moment before smirking at her. Jirou glanced in his direction but quickly averted her gaze upon seeing his smirk, a small blush forming on her face.
Uraraka blinked, looking down at her food as she softly mumbled, "Yeah, they're alright..."
Yaoyorozu, however, sat there dignified and poised as she said, "Mina, those boys are third years. It's not proper to fantasize about our eldest peers."
"Oh come on! Hmph!" Ashido complained, "You gals are no fun!" An impish look gleamed in her eye, "Oh well, I guess that must mean some of you already have your eyes on someone!"
"What!?" Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Jirou jumped in their seats in surprise.
"Huh?" Kaminari yelped as he turned to look at Jirou, "Um, do- do you really already like someone?"
"Wha?" Jirou blinked slowly at the blond, "Uuh..." she said intelligently, staring at him with a deadpan expression.
"...W-What?" Kaminari asked in confusion.
"..." Jirou sighed and turned to her food with a blush as she muttered, "You dope."
Blinking at that answer, he just huffed at her fond tone but didn't say anything more. Although he did seem to have blushed a tiny bit as well.
Iida took a brief silence as an opportunity to address Uraraka "Uraraka? Do you also have eyes for someone?"
"U-U-Uh, well, um..." Uraraka tried to say something but became tongue-tied.
Ignoring Uraraka's spluttering, Todoroki fixed his heterochromatic gaze on Yaoyorozu and asked, "You like someone as well, Yaoyorozu?"
Yaoyorozu gulped as she met Todoroki's icy stare for a split-second. He cocked his head in curiosity but she ignored him, skillfully changing the topic, "W-We should eat our breakfast! I-I'm feeling a little more famished than usual!"
Ashido cackled, while Tsuyu just looked at her disapprovingly. "Way to make things awkward, Mina," she said.
Midoriya blinked at the girls in bafflement but just said nothing, blushing a bit as he said, "I-I kind of agree with Yaoyorozu. Let's just finish our meal and head to class."
Yaoyorozu straightened in her seat and made a small squeak, taking a big bite of her avocado toast so she wouldn't say anything.
Uraraka glanced between Midoriya and Yaoyorozu slowly...looking down at her meal, she frowned slightly and continued eating.
As they ate their meals, Iida and Todoroki both sat there, thinking different thoughts.
Hmm...I have no common idea who Uraraka could or might like. I wonder who this boy could be...she hasn't shown any interest in the boys in our class as of lately. So...wait...I wonder...Uraraka only hangs out with me and Midoriya, so...could Uraraka possibly like...me?
Iida thought long and hard on that one...
Meanwhile with Todoroki...
...Yaoyorozu reacted strangely when Midoriya said something next to her...hmm...I wonder if anything is going on between them...
Neither voiced their thoughts so they kept eating...
"Ah, splendid. I'm happy to see that all of you have come here on such short notice," Nedzu told his fellow employers as he sat on his high chair at the end of the board room's table.
Every member of the UA faculty was there, including Toshinori Yagi, aka All Might, in his shriveled form. They all sat on opposite sides of the table, with Toshinori sitting on the right end of the table where Nedzu's seat was, while Shota Aizawa, aka Eraserhead, was sitting on the left side of the Principal of UA.
"I hope you all know why I've called this little meeting so early in the morning before classes could even begin," Nedzu started.
"I would think last night would have something to do with it," Eraserhead muttered.
"Correct!" Nedzu nodded, "The home invasion of one of your students, Eraserhead, that being Miss Yaoyorozu and eight other students from Class 1-A that were in the line of harm."
Eraserhead nodded with a frown, "Yes..."
I hope those kids are alright...I heard the problem child was messed up pretty bad...
"Goodness, I can only hope those children aren't traumatized by the whole thing," Recovery Girl said as she leaned on her cane.
"Those poor dears," Midnight sympathized, "They didn't need to experience something like that so soon at their ages."
"What this Villain and his crew did was unacceptable to the highest degree," Vlad King said gruffly, arms crossed. "Did they have any names?"
"Don't know the name of the crew, but the leader's name is Joker according to the news," Hound Dog informed.
"Joker..." Toshinori winced as he remembered the brutal scene from the bank the previous day. "From what Tsukauchi said, this Joker could be linked to the bank robbery from yesterday afternoon as well."
"That seems to be the case," Thirteen added. "The reports say that the culprits were wearing clown masks and the robbers from the bank robbery were also wearing masks. The police also found a Buggy the Clown mask in the burning vehicle, so this guy could be going for a clown-based theme, maybe."
"A clown, huh?" Ectoplasm muttered, "Very interesting choice in villainous taste."
"Back in America, some people do kind of have a phobia for clowns," Toshinori told them, "I wonder if this is what this 'Joker' is trying to come across..."
"Either way, this 'Joker' was certainly bold to do what he just did," Nedzu continued on, "Whatever his motive should be, he seemed like a typical criminal wanting to cause havoc...although, the news did say they couldn't determine what his 'Quirk' was."
"That's another thing," Toshinori said, "When I got there after checking if the kids were okay, he told me that one of the students, Midoriya Izuku, said that the Villain...was Quirkless."
The whole room, minus Toshinori and Nedzu, all shared shocked looks across the table.
"Wait, Quirkless?" Vlad King said in surprise, "The news just said that this Joker's Quirk was undetermined."
"Hmm...my thoughts were correct then," said Nedzu as took a sip of his tea.
"Wait, that could be very important information! Why didn't the news tell that part of the story?" Present Mic asked incredulously.
Eraserhead frowned, and after a few seconds of thought, it deepened into a scowl. "I'm pretty certain the media didn't want the public to have a second thought about Quirkless people being dangerous."
Toshinori also scowled, "...Yeah..."
People still think Quirkless folk are just lesser beings...
"Wow," Hound Dog muttered, "I mean, I understand why they would choose to censor that, but it doesn't make it right. The truth is still the truth."
Recovery Girl hummed contemplatively, looking in Nedzu's direction, "So you suspected that whoever did this would've been Quirkless?"
"Well, I had my suspicions when the media couldn't elaborate further on this Joker's 'Quirk',' Nedzu explained, "If he really is Quirkless, then we should try to monitor him, alongside his gang. We have no clues as to what the motive behind this particular attack could be, but I doubt that Joker did all of this for money. Basically, attacking our students here is an act of war."
"Hm. He must be using that money for something, though. We just don't know what for," Power Loader stated.
"Which is why we need to try and figure out their whereabouts," Nedzu concluded. "In the meantime, we have to reassure the kids of their safety. We play a big part in maintaining their self-esteem and teaching them to become Pro Heroes by the time they graduate."
"They won't like it, but I'll arrange some additional training classes for those students involved in the attack after school," Eraserhead said. "Even if it was just a surprise attack, they need to be prepared for any villain so they can try and strike them down at any moment."
"I hate to see those kids go through such a traumatic experience," muttered Toshi. "They are all going to have to train even harder than before, in order to not let this hold them back. And in a superpowered society like this, they need to be as attentive as possible if they're going to be Pro Heroes and keep everyone safe."
I just hope Young Midoriya isn't too discouraged...
"Well then, it's all settled! I think that'll be everything for now," Nedzu announced. "Everyone is dismissed."
The whole UA faculty got up and made their way out of the board meeting room. As they exited the room, Toshinori called out to Eraserhead, walking up to the man.
"Hm?" Eraserhead grunted as he turned to Toshinori.
"Hey, um, Aizawa, how...well, how harsh are you gonna be on these kids? I mean, I understand the reasoning, but...just...don't go too hard on any of them, okay?"
"Look, I'm just glad that they're even okay. I will give them a strict training regime, but I won't drive them past the point of exhaustion..." Eraserhead stood there for a second in thought, "Although, the problem child might need some extra lessons on top of that training."
"W-What do you mean by that?" Toshinori asked with wide, trepidation-filled eyes.
"Well, for one thing, you telling him he 'had the makings of True Hero' will make him even more of a Villain magnet than he already is," Eraserhead started bluntly.
"Huh? Wha...w-well...I, uh, I-I, I spoke the truth," Toshinori spluttered.
"That's irrelevant. He'll still be a potential target for other Villains to go after. Quite frankly, saying that on national television wasn't exactly your brightest moment."
"...Okay, I admit, that was...pretty dumb..." Toshinori scratched his cheek, "But I was so overfilled with emotion when Young Midoriya was explaining his resolve on protecting people that I couldn't help myself."
"I'm not denying that what he said was admirable. I'm saying that you need to keep some of that emotion in check, and not act like you're in favor of a certain student," Eraserhead warned.
Toshinori stayed silent with that.
"I know you were trying to make the kid feel good, but sometimes, don't make a spectacle out of it. You're the number one Hero. Act like it."
"...Right," Toshinori nodded in shame.
"Either way, I'm thinking of doing some focused training with Midoriya as well as the other kids that got involved with the home raid. Midoriya seems to have gotten some control over his Quirk, which is good...however, he along with the others need to learn faster to keep up with his peers."
"You're gonna teach them how to fight one on one? I thought you were already doing that during their scheduled classes?" Toshinori asked curiously.
"I meant teaching them how to fight without their Quirk," Eraserhead clarified.
Toshinori's eyes widened in surprise. "W-Without his-uh, their Quirk?"
"Their Quirks aren't a solution, they're a tool, and right now they're the only viable tools that they have," Eraserhead explained. "They need to learn how to fight without them, so it doesn't hold them back in the future. They can defend himself, yes, but that's not going to cut it in a real fight."
"...I-I see," Toshi nodded again, "Well, I...I hope these kids will do really well. I also hope that they will learn from all of this."
"Hm," Eraserhead nodded, "Now if you'll excuse me, there's a class I need to get to."
With that, the Underground Pro Hero took his leave.
Toshinori just stood there as he contemplated Eraserhead's words.
...Young Midoriya, I think now would be a good time to step up your game. From what you said, you, Young Iida and Young Todoroki did really well on dealing with that Stain guy. Perhaps it's just in hostage situations and having to face many Villains all at once. I mean, you all basically just got ambushed in the Yaoyorozu Estate...
"Are you alright, All Might?" Nedzu's voice rang out.
The frail man turned to see the principal walk up to him.
"Oh, um, yes. I'm just…" Toshinori sighed, shifting from one foot to the other. "I'm just a little worried for the kids and their mental state after what they went through last night."
"Ah yes, it is quite troubling...I wonder if this Joker has an ulterior motive?" speculated Nedzu.
"An ulterior motive?" Toshi asked in interest.
"Well, he did steal that money, but as I said, I doubt he needs it. He just seems more interested in causing mere chaos over any normal motivation, like money, infamy, or anything else," Nedzu continued, "And of all the students he chose to intimidate, he chose our students of UA. He even threatened and robbed one of our wealthier first-year students. Thankfully, the Yaoyorozu family has more bank accounts to keep their wealth in and their daughter is safe. But either way, this Joker's way of handling things is...quite extreme."
"Hm...this guy certainly is deranged and dangerous...it's a horrible combination," Toshi muttered. "Although, I wonder how he got this gang together in question to work with him? Did he offer them portions of the money that he stole, you think?"
"That I don't know...but sometimes, All Might, these kinds of Villains really don't need a reason for doing what they do. In fact, this Joker may not even have a reason whatsoever for his choices...sometimes, Villains, or even people like the Joker, just want to see the world burn."
"That's…pretty morbid," Toshinori said slowly, as he processed Nedzu's explanation, "But also true..." He lowered his head, the image of a single man flashing through his mind.
All for One.
"Well, you should probably head over to the teacher's lounge now and wait for when you are called for Heroic Studies, All Might," Nedzu advised.
"Oh, uh, sure. I'll see you around, Principal Nedzu." Toshinori walked away as the feeling of slight dread gripped his chest in a crushing hold.
...Why do I get the feeling that...something bad might happen later on in the future...
Meanwhile, Nedzu stands there as he thinks about something...
Hmm...perhaps I should give out an early initiative?
In Class 1-A, the students were either seated or standing, communicating with their classmates as they waited for their homeroom teacher, Eraserhead, to come in.
"Wow...well, at least you guys fought against them," Sero said as he, Kirishima, and Tokoyami crowded near Iida, Tsuyu, Ochako, and Mina's seats.
"Yeah," Kirishima agreed, "I mean, even though you all got apprehended, at least some of you got a few hits on them."
"Just barely," Mina stuck her tongue out in dismay, "I was going try out some of my acid moves on the whip guy when that doll face woman hit me across the head with one of her bats."
"What was some of the henchmen's Quirks, if you don't mind me asking?" Tokoyami asked.
Tsuyu answered his question, "Well, the one Mina faced has a whip-like Quirk, while the doll-faced woman can conjure up blunt objects, like bats out of her arms. The other one was a big guy made of rubber."
"Whoa, made of rubber? Like Luffy from One Piece?" Sero asked.
"Nah, he was a lot bulkier. I think he was part of the brawn," Tsuyu clarified
"There's also the one Todoroki and I fought that was made of crystal, while there was a man who has a mutant Quirk, sort of looking like one of those old kaiju monster films," described Iida, "Lastly, there was a man with a Cyborg Quirk and another man with a razor Quirk that held Uraraka down in place," Iida also explained.
Ochako shivered at the thought of Razor, "Brrr! Ugh! Yeah, the razor guy! Gosh, what a creep! I can just feel that guy's disgusting cold touch on me!"
"Man, you guys have been through a lot," Kirishima said sympathetically.
"Yes, we certainly have...I just only hope that my brother and parents will still think I can be a Hero," Iida muttered to himself.
Uraraka turned to Iida in her seat and gave him a stern look, "Iida, stop that doubt! You will be a great Hero, and if anything, that fight with Stain proved it!"
Iida, surprised by Ochako's assuring outburst, looked at his friend, the feeling of warmth arising on his face.
"Um…th-thank you, U-Uraraka."
Uraraka, with a soft smile, nodded.
...Now Iida was really starting to wonder...
...Maybe...she does like me?
Meanwhile, Jirou, Kaminari, Todoroki, and Yaoyorozu were talking to Aoyama, Hagakure, and Mineta about the incident.
"My goodness, these Villains are despicable," Aoyama muttered in distaste.
"You got that right," Jirou agreed with a frown.
"Wow. I mean, how could anyone just interrupt and barge into a home like that while doing a study group? And just do such horrible things! I'm so sorry you all went through that!" Hagakure sympathized.
"Well, let me just say, I would rather be learning something than being attacked by Villains, especially with what we went through. I mean, letting my brain hurt from knowledge from the study group instead of being smashed onto the table is ideal," Kaminari said.
Jirou softly snorted, "Well, if it makes you feel better, my head was hurting from our study session as well. I mean, even before we were attacked."
"Hey, you're way smarter than me, Jirou. I don't think your head would hurt as much as mine did," Kaminari assured with a smile.
Jirou blinked at the compliment, "Oh, uh...thanks," she shifted her attention away from him to hide the soft blush on her face.
Yaoyorozu smirked at Jirou, the latter not seeing it being directed at her.
Meanwhile, Hagakure, Aoyama, and Mineta looked at Jirou and Kaminari...a little intrigued. Even Todoroki was blinking a bit.
Luckily, Aoyama broke the silence by saying to Todoroki, "So, Todoroki, you fought as well?"
Snapping out of the trance that he was in, he answered. "Yeah. But I was blind-sighted and shot by some guy with a Robot-Cyborg Hybrid Quirk."
"Oh, man! I hope you weren't hurt too badly from the gunshot wound! That was on your ice arm, right?" Hagakure wondered.
"Yeah..." he glanced at his arm-cast and narrowed his eyes at his wound.
I never felt so...defenseless before...
Yaoyorozu could only frown at Todoroki's position.
"Uh, Yaoyorozu?" said the voice of Mineta.
The young woman turned to the short grape boy.
"If it's any consolation, I am so sorry to hear what happened to you. We may have our differences, but what this bastard certainly did to you and the girls was downright cruel. I hope you all don't have to experience something like that ever again," Mineta said with a nod, his tone filled with maturity.
Yaoyorozu blinked at Mineta's reassurance and couldn't help but smile a bit at him. "Thank you, Mineta. That was really nice of you to say."
Mineta nodded rapidly, almost looking like he was sweating bullets and containing his excitement...in fact, he kept nodding, not knowing when to stop.
Yaoyorozu blinked again at Mineta's constant nodding, and just decided to divert her attention to someone else.
In Mineta's mind, however...
...Oh yeah. I nailed it.
That someone else that Yaoyorozu was looking at, though, was Midoriya...
Midoriya was at his desk, scribbling away at his notebook...
"..." Yaoyorozu decided to get up and go over to the boy. Jirou noticed this, as well as Mineta, and their eyes followed her form to where Midoriya is.
Izuku sat at his desk, drawing down certain sketches and doodles of Heroes in his art notebook. Upon his doodling, his mind wandered to the Joker...
...A Quirkless Villain...could there really be something like that? And if it's possible...could there be a Quirkless Hero?
His eyes narrowed as he thought about that possibility while he scribbled...
...Could he have been Quirkless? And if he is, then...is his motivation related to being an outcast...all because he is Quirkless?
His mind on autopilot, he started sketching something without thinking...
...Could I still be a Hero...even though I'm…Quirkless?
"Midoirya?" a feminine voice said to him.
Izuku jumped in his seat, startled. "Ack!"
"Oh! I-I'm sorry!" said the voice of…Yaoyorozu...
The boy turned to the young heiress. "Oh, uh, no, I-I'm sorry, I was just...um, i-in thought."
Yaoyorozu blushed, "Well, I...I was just wondering if..." she then remembered what she was going to ask, "Oh, uh..." she cupped her hand over the side of her mouth and leaned over to his ear.
This kind of contact just made Midoriya freeze up and make his face heat up almost like a tomato.
"I was just wondering," Yaoyorozu whispered in his ear, "When will you tell us about...the Stain incident?"
Midoriya gulped and tried to get his bearing together and answer her clearly with a whisper. "U-U-Uh, well, I...I guess sometime around lunchtime? Maybe in the classroom before we get out food?"
"Oh, okay..." Yaoyorozu then stood up and said to Midoriya, "And...Midoriya," she spoke in a quiet tone, "I don't want you to feel like you didn't do anything to save us back at my home. You were brave and spoke up...I mean, you don't need a Quirk to be a Hero, so...I'm glad you didn't use it while we were held hostage."
...That made Midoriya's whole body pause, his facial features expressing absolute surprise.
"...W-Without my Quirk?" stuttered Midoriya.
"Well, yes. I think it takes a real Hero to not rely too much on their power when saving people," Yaoyorozu clarified.
"...W-Wow...th-thank you, Yaoyorozu," Midoriya said to her in amazement and gratitude.
Yaoyorozu smiled warmly and nodded. "No problem...I mean it. Thank you, Midoriya."
And with that, she bowed to him and went back to her seat.
Midoriya, obviously dumbstruck, sat there for a moment until he let his eyes go back to the notebook that he was scribbling on.
...He then realized that he unknowingly sketched the Joker's twisted smile in his notebook...
That smile...
The smile belonging to a man that enjoys malicious intent...
...That's what he should protect people from.
Midoriya, frowning at the scribble, used his pencil to scratch it out.
"Okay, what happened?" said a random voice.
"Wha-huh!?" Midoriya jumped a bit in his seat, turned around, and saw...
Mineta.
He looked...intense. Staring at Midoriya like he has to know his secret...
"...W-What?" Midoriya asked, his eyes blinking.
"What happened between you and Yaoyorozu?" Mineta said plainly.
"...Wha...I...I don't know what you mean?"
"...Since she almost had a near-death experience, I won't ask you how you two got so close to each other as of now, but you got to give me the details later on. After school, probably. In fact, give me some tips when you can."
"...Wha…Mineta, there's nothing going on between me and Ya-..." Midoriya frowned, "I mean, seriously, we almost got killed by these crooks, and you want me to tell you how to pick up a girl?"
"...Midoriya. Look at me. Do I look like 'hunk' material to you? You got something, Midoriya, whether you like it or not. If you got one of the prettiest girls in our class to go ahead and talk to you, then you got something."
"..." Midoriya sighed, "...Mineta, just...talk to a girl and don't act creepy, is I'll say. Be your true self."
"...Hm...like how I did when I said to Yaoyorozu that I was sorry for hearing all that happened to you guys."
"...Uh...yeah, something like that."
"...Yeah...Yaoyorozu didn't flinch when I was being nice...okay, Midoriya, I'll take your advice." Mineta nodded as he sat back down at his desk.
"...Um...okay then," Midoriya blinked and turned away from his classmate.
...Did I just give out love advice? To Mineta?
Meanwhile, with Yaoyorozu, she sat at her desk to read a book, minding her own business...
Until a folded note was tossed on her desk beside the book she was reading.
Blinking at the odd piece of paper that came out of nowhere, she picked it up and opened its contents.
You like Midoirya, don't you?
Todoroki
Yaoyorozu jumped in her seat and blushed, turning her head to the seat next to her, that being Todoroki's desk.
Todoroki just looked at her expectantly.
"..." Yaoyorozu then decided to do something different to tell Todoroki the truth.
She did sign language, which surely, Todoroki must've known at one point.
How did you know?
Todoroki blinked. "Uh..."
When Yaoyorozu felt like she made a fool of herself, to her relief, Todoroki started to do sign language too(not as good as hers, but he managed).
From what I've heard, he spoke up for you when that Joker guy was about to...well, you know...
Yaoyorozu cringed at the thought.
Yaoyorozu: Yeah...he did.
Todoroki: Yeah...I figured you must've been really grateful for that.
Yaoyorozu: I'm more than grateful. He practically saved my life.
Todoroki: Yeah...from what I know of Midoriya, he's pretty selfless.
Yaoyorozu: Indeed he is...I think I do may like him.
Todoroki: Hmm...and you've just found out your feelings for him until now?
Yaoyorozu: Yes...I know it's silly, but...I think he was also trying to give me a pep talk about how I performed at the Sports Festival.
Todoroki: Huh... that does sound like Midoriya. He always wants to help people when they really do need it.
Yaoyorozu: Yeah...he kind of strived me on becoming more of a Hero, just because of what he did.
Todoroki: Wow...you must really like him.
Yaoyorozu: ...I do.
"Hey, what are you guys doing? Are you guys doing some sort of gang sign-off?" the voice of Kaminari asked.
Yaoyorozu jumped in her seat again as her face flushed from embarrassment. Todoroki blinked and turned to Kaminari and said, "Um...yes?"
Now Kaminari blinked. "Wow...I didn't know you and Yaoyorozu got the thug in ya."
"Uh...yeah," Todoroki said with a nod.
Meanwhile, Jirou just looked at Kaminari with the most 'what the frick' look at him...she just snorted and smirked, resting her head on her hand with her elbow on her desk.
Yep. I'm in love with an idiot. And I couldn't have it any other way. Heh...maybe I should tell him about Yaoyorozu's sudden liking for Midoriya at lunch.
Soon, as time went on, Eraserhead finally went inside their classroom. The students went quiet when their teacher came in and went to their desks.
"Good morning, Class," Eraserhead said to his students.
"Morning Mr. Aizawa!" they all said.
"Alright then. Now, as you may already know, yesterday, some of your classmates went over to the Yaoyorozu Estate, with Yaoyorozu included. While there...I'll just say a certain 'event' happened."
The ones that were at that event lowered their heads in shame.
"While that event must've frightened you all, this would also wake you up to be a lot more serious about being a Hero. There will be even more challenges in store, even when you're not in the Hero Course and around campus. You all need to be more alert and cautious about everything around you. So with that said, while Finals are coming up, we need you all in your best performance so you can pass the first year. However, to the students that were in that event, I feel the need to try and strengthen each and every one of your resolves. That means you will be under special training by me after school."
Midoriya and the rest of the kids that were at the Estate looked up at their teacher in surprise.
"For the students that were there, you all have to improve yourselves even further to not let something like this ever happen to you again. So, I expect you all to be here in class after school is over," Eraserhead looked around his students and saw that they all understood, some murmuring 'Yes Sensei" and nodding. "Now, we shall continue with reviewing yesterday's homeroom assignments."
Midoriya sat there as he took what Eraserhead said in.
Special training? After school? Oh man...well, I got to text Mom that I will be home a little later than usual.
While the students were getting their assignments out, Eraserhead's phone beeped out a text. He picked up his phone and read it.
Nedzu: Eraserhead. I think now would be a good time for Class 1-A to experience Hero Work Studies, don't you? :)
Aizawa raised a brow. He looked up at the students and said, "Excuse me for a moment, I have to step out. Behave yourselves."
Confused by Eraserhead's sudden leave, they watch him go out of the class.
As soon as Eraserhead exited out of Class 1-A, he texted back Nedzu.
Eraserhead: What do you mean?
He waited...and almost instantly, he got a reply.
Nedzu: What I mean is, with this Joker being on the loose, we can surely use our students to work alongside other Heroes to make them learn the importance of Heroism. What this Joker basically did was send an invitation to attack our school. We will not take this lying down. So, as of this moment, we are going to find these Villains to the best of our abilities. We will make sure that they will regret even trying to take down some of our up-and-coming UA students.
…How did he even type all this up in two seconds?
Aizawa texted him back.
Eraserhead: Well, I was going to teach the surviving kids how to fight without their Quirks after school, but I'm not against the idea.
Yet another two seconds later, Nedzu texts back.
Nedzu: Ah, splendid! In fact, do what you need to do! Tomorrow, I will contact some Hero Agencies and see if they will take some of our Class 1-A students! Until then, I will send in someone to get our top three students in all UA.
Eraserhead blinked. He texted him back.
Eraserhead: You don't mean...The Big 3?
That time, Nedzu answered under a second.
Nedzu: Indeed.
Aizawa just stood looking at his phone...
"...Well, it can't be helped..." Eraserhead mumbled. He texted back.
Eraserhead: Alright. Go ahead with what you got to do, Sir.
...
Nedzu: Excellent! That will be all.
"I wonder why Mr. Aizawa walked out of the room?" Ochako asked anyone.
"Beats me. *ribbit* I hope it's nothing too bad...and that it doesn't involve us," Tsuyu says.
Midoriya looked antsy, wondering what could Eraserhead walk out of the class for...that is, until he came back in.
Aizawa put his phone back in his pocket and turned to his students. "Well, I just got some interesting news from the principal...but I don't think some of you are probably gonna like it."
"N-Not gonna like it? Wh-What do you mean, Aiwaza-Sensei?" Midoriya blanched a bit.
Oh no...tell me we're not like suspended or anything, are we?
Bakugou looked at their teacher with curiosity, and then back at Midoriya. He narrowed his eyes in a glare, a mixture of bitterness in them as he sees him squirm in his seat.
Tch...if he's gonna be suspended for not taking care of a Villain, then serves him right.
"What I mean by that is...well, first of all, do you all happen to know anything about Hero Work-Studies?" Aizawa asked his students.
The students, including Bakugou, looked confused.
"Nobody, huh? Well, let me give you a quick rundown..." Eraserhead started to explain.
Okay! So...that's the chapter! Next one will be of Joker and Overhaul! But you all probably know where this is going, right? XD
Tell me how I did with a review! And give me a fave and a follow! :D I love them all! :)
Until then, thank you all for reading, and keep on rocking everybody! ^_^
-TSP