2.
The alarm startled Michael awake to the sound of an old party song blaring through his phone's speakers as loud as they could be. He slid out of bed and shook himself awake, letting his joints crack and pop loose for the day. He checked his watch and sighed as he sluggishly dressed for the day ahead of him. The temperature outside was cool in the early morning, and the broken heater kept his room that much colder. He shivered as he fought off the slight drowsy sensation as it flooded his body and mind. A quick slap to his cheek woke him back up enough to finish sliding his jacket on.
Finally getting all his clothes on, he shuffled out of the room and made it to his kitchen. The room was still bathed in darkness, but to Michael, the room was a mix of dark blues and blacks. His kitchen was reasonably barren, besides a large coffee machine and a few plates in his sink that patiently waited to be washed. A refrigerator hummed to itself quietly despite being mostly empty. Michael quietly thanked his past self for paying the extra money for a programmable coffee machine and setting it up as soon as he could. He snagged his favorite cup out of his cabinet and poured a cup for himself. The steaming cup glowed a brilliant red against the dark-hued blues of his infrared sight. In the quiet darkness, he quietly walked around his house and enjoyed himself and his coffee as it warmed him. He finally sat down on his couch when another alarm on his phone went off. He slipped it out of his pocket and sighed when he saw it was time to leave. He threw the rest of the coffee back and rolled his shoulders before inserting an earbud and heading out.
Michael's phone played through a variety of music as he walked along the sidewalk. He looked up to the sky to see the sun just starting to peek out from along the horizon. Its light washing away the darkness and letting the morning dew shine on the grass. His snake eyes took a moment to switch from infrared to normal vision. The cool blues, popping yellows, and bloody reds all melting away to a much wider range of color. Grass became a rich green, and the bird searching for a worm morphed from a hot red to black and white.
Michael's sight had finally entirely switched over when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see a pink girl with black eyes and gold irises. She stood roughly a foot shorter than him and had a bright smile on her face. Two curved horns stood out amongst her curly pink hair, and she was wearing the same uniform as him. Michael raised an eyebrow at the smiling girl and asked, "Can I help you?"
"Are you taking the hero courses too?" She asked in an excited tone as she pointed to his uniform.
"Um. No, robots are kinda immune to snake venom. I'll be in general studies classes and hope for a transfer sometime soon if I'm good enough. How'd you know I go to U.A.?" He asked as he took out his single earbud.
"Oh, well, I hope you get in soon. The uniform kind of gave it away, though. A cutie like you would fit right in." She said as she flashed him a grin.
He stopped for a second and looked at her, still smiling face before rolling his eyes. He started walking again, leaving her behind. He had made it a few feet away before looking back over his shoulder and saying with a smirk, "I'm not cute… Unlike yourself."
Blushing, she let out a laugh before running to catch back up with him. The two walked alongside each other, and she immediately started talking again. "I'm Ashido. Mina Ashido. So what's your quirk? I bet it's like super cool." She asked, looking at him with wide eyes and a smile. He yawned, making a point to flash his fangs and pale mouth. He then looked again at her as she jumped in the air and exclaimed, "That's so freaking cool. So you're a snake or something. Do you bite people, or can you spit your venom like one of those cool cobra things?"
Michael thought to himself on trying to find a way to spit or even shoot his venom. He had never thought of using it like that. He'd only ever manually applied it with his two knives. "A Cottonmouth, to be exact, but I don't think biting people directly is very sanitary. That and some people taste funny." He said, looking at her now shocked face with a serious expression.
The two stared at each other before Michael's deadpan stare cracked, and a grin formed. The two broke out in laughter, and Mina wiped her brow before saying, "That was mean, ya know? I was kinda worried for a second."
"Ms. Ashido, I can assure you that I've never eaten someone." He said as he finally caught his breath.
"My quirk is Acid. I can make it and slide on it and throw it and everything." She says as she slides a few feet in front of him.
A small grey liquid trail marked her path as she skated back towards him. She finished with a little twirl and gave a quick bow to sell it. "I can see how that's pretty useful. Any limits you know of?" He asked as the two came in sight of the school.
"Just can't use too much, or it'll start hurting me, ya know. Hey! I never did get your name." She said as she gently punched his shoulder. "Michael Farron." He said as the two reached the gate.
"Well, I really do hope to see you at the hero course soon. Everybody loves a tall, dark and handsome hero. Oh my god, I can't wait to set you up with somebody. I'll have you set up with a girl in no time." She said as she waved him goodbye and headed to her classroom.
Michael rolled his eyes and waved back before looking for his class.
The school was huge, and even with directions he found off the map, he still took longer than he would've liked. A door with the label of 1-C told him that he had finally made it. He rolled his shoulders before pushing through the door and scanning the room. The room had around twenty desks, and only half were currently occupied. He looked over the students to find a familiar head of purple hair. He smiled and took a seat beside the student. "So I take it you missed the cut for the hero course too, Farron?" Shinso asked in a neutral tone.
"That's what the hologram said, at least." Michael said as he leaned back in his desk.
The two sat in silence as the few students that were there quietly talked amongst themselves. The room was reasonably big for only ten students being here. Michael checked his watch to see that he had gotten here five minutes late, and no one else had come into the classroom yet. He saw a few of the other students were looking around in confusion as well. He decided that he may as well get a little sleep in and closed his eyes. As soon as he finally felt himself start to slip into unconsciousness, the door bust open. He snapped his head to look at who burst in. "What the actual fuck" Michael said as his eyes widened at the sight.
A woman with long dark purple hair stood at the door with a hand on her hip and a predatory smile for all to see. She wore a black breastless leotard and white bodysuit, with thigh-high stockings covered by black knee boots. "Good morning, class! My name is Ms. Nemuri Kayama. You may know me better as my pro hero persona: Midnight!" She said as she sauntered to the front of the classroom.
Michael looked towards Shinso in disbelief. Shinso was only able to shrug and shake his head in return. Ms. Kayami took a moment to look over her class before saying. "I will be your homeroom and art history teacher. Now, you may have noticed that there aren't very many of you in this class. You ten have been specially selected for this class due to being the top ten scorers in the academic testing group. You ten have the potential to earn degrees from the most prestigious colleges all around the world. From Harvard to the University of Tokyo, It's all up to you and how much effort you put into this, however. So as we say here, go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!" She said with a crack of her whip and a fist in the air.
A quick scan of the room told Michael that he wasn't alone in his shock. "So today, for your very first assignment, we'll be doing a little ice-breaking exercise. Each of you will get up and tell the class a little about yourself." She said as she hopped on her desk and crossed her legs with an evil smile.
Students got up and took turns, telling the little class things about themselves. Some were as excited as ever to introduce themselves, and then there were Michael and Shinso. Ms. Kayama would occasionally ask the students questions during their introductions. When Michael realized it was his turn to stand up, he held in a sigh and stood. He could feel Ms. Kayama's eyes silently undressing him as she and the rest of the class got a good look at him. He was tall, standing confident at six feet even. His school uniform jacket was still at his desk, and the tie was left in his bag. The white button-up shirt brought out his jet black hair cut into a medium fade. He cleared his throat before saying, " My name is Michael Farron. I'm originally from America, and I came here to live with my godparents. My quirk is called Cottonmouth. To keep it short, I basically do what the snake of the same name does. I plan to join the hero course, but I look forward to working with you all."
Michael started to walk back to his desk when he heard Ms. Kayama ask, "Mr. Farron. If it's not too personal, why are you with your godparents rather than your birth parents?"
"They're dead." He answered as he sat back down.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open any old wounds." She said with wide eyes.
He shrugged and leaned back again when she asked another question. "So why come to Japan to be a hero?"
"Parents were both military and were deployed to Okinawa when I was born, so I have dual citizenship. I've spent a good portion of my life here, and I love it just as much as I love the states. I want to help keep it safe. Simple as that." He said as the two looked at each other.
"Then why aren't you in the hero course already?" She asked.
He yawned, raising a hand to point at his fangs and pale mouth to her. He finished and answered her by saying, "Venom does not affect robots. Just like your knockout gas, Ms. Midnight."
She raised an eyebrow at the mention of her hero name and eventually smiled before saying, "I suppose so, Mr. Farron. I hope you find it in you to break past those limitations, though. That's why our hero-teachers are here to guide you. Go beyond your limits… Plus Ultra!"
Midnight quickly shot back into calling out names with a smile and wink. The class's remainder was slowly introduced and occasionally questioned by the teacher. Michael had decided that napping through said introductions probably wouldn't offend anyone that much. The homeroom period quickly slipped by, and Ms. Kayama promised to return last hour with her actual teaching class. The classes' hushed conversations faded into a gentle white noise for Michael as he waited for the next class to begin.
The following few classes passed by fairly quickly, with teachers who were far too bland for Michael to pay attention to. The bell for lunch had finally rung, and his classmates made their way out. Michael and Shinso had been the last two out of the room, walking to the lunchroom in silence. The two were only a few feet out of the classroom when a deep gruff voice called out, "Michael Farron, Hitoshi Shinso. My name is Shota Aizawa. I am the homeroom teacher for class 1A. I need to speak with both of you."
The two looked at each other and shrugged before walking over. "The both of you originally applied for the hero course and failed the entrance exam. Why is that?" Aizawa asked.
"Robots are made of metal. Venom and blades don't have that much effect on metal. Stabbing works, but it's not very efficient unless I get lucky and nail something important. " Michael said as he swept a hand through his hair.
"Can't brainwash robots." Said Shinso with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"So you both decide to rely solely on your quirks?" asked Aizawa with a gruff voice.
"I can fight just fine. I'm great at close quarters, but I don't have super strength. I can't exactly rip and tear a robot into scrap unless it's some really soft metal." Michael said with a raised eyebrow.
"Same here, but I could use a little CQC practice." Said Shinso with a small shrug of his shoulders.
Aizawa stared at the two in silence for a moment and thought to himself. He finally broke his silence and said, "Are you two actually interested in becoming heroes, or are you just in it for the benefits that come with it? I watched the entrance exam footage for all possible students, and the two of you stood out by actually working together. The plan was flawed and carried out horribly, but it was an attempt at cooperation, which is more than I can say for the rest. I see potential in both of you, but I refuse just to give you any title. You will work towards every step taken if you choose this path. It would be irrational to think that just because I'm giving you a shot, that you have it made. I see potential, and we need as much of that as we can get. If you show any signs that you aren't giving it your all, I'll drop you faster than you can blink. So what is your answer?"
Michael and Shinso looked towards each other for a moment before Michael looked towards Aizawa and said, "We're game."
"Excellent. Be in classroom 1A when then the final bell rings. Contact your parents and inform them that you will be coming home late today. Be prepared as those who show no potential are shown no mercy." The teacher said before walking off down the hall.
"Fuck yeah. We're gonna show 'em how we do it." Michael said as he raised a fist towards Shinso.
The purple-haired teen gave a small smile and bumped Michael's fist with his own.
The rest of the day seemed to pass by in a blur for Michael. A small part of him felt excited to be a hero for once. A small amount of him knew that this should have been the path he actually took. Michael shrugged off the thought as he turned the corner, finding Shinso waiting for him outside 1-A's door. "Ready?" asked Michael as he raised his hand to the doorknob.
Shinso silently nodded, and Michael pushed the door open to see Aizawa laying on his desk, wrapped inside a sleeping bag. An eye opened, and Aizawa looked over the two students. A small sigh escaped him as he stood and shed the sleeping bag. As soon as it touched the floor, he threw a pair of gym uniforms at the two and said, "Put these on and head outside. Be ready for anything."
Aizawa then left the room, leaving the two students confused. "The hell are we about to walk into?" Asked Michael with a raised eyebrow to Shinso.
"I have no idea." replied Shinso as the two started walking to the showers to change.
The restroom was huge, with shower booths wide enough for a small car and plenty of stalls. The two boys were surprised to see how nice the bathroom was, even if it was considered the best school for Japan's future heroes.
The two had changed over and stepped outside to see nothing but an open field and buildings standing against the horizon. The sun shone brightly, and fluffy white clouds blanketed the sky. The weather was warm with a calm wind, and trees started to lose leaves in preparation for autumn. The two stood in silence. The only thing that could be heard was the city outside of U.A.'s gates. "Something ain't fuckin right here." Said Michael as he motioned for him to come closer.
Shinso started to walk over when the door to the building opened. Both of their eyes snapped to the door to see three people standing side by side in costume. Aizawa, Midnight and Present Mic stood in combat-ready stances and stared at the two. "Well, fuck." Said Michael as he dropped into a basic stance.
Shinso looked at him and mimicked him. Midnight and Aizawa broke off and charged the two students while Snipe hung back. Midnight locked onto Michael while Aizawa and Shinso stood each other down. Michael spared a glance to see Shinso rush Aizawa and barely had time to dodge a spinning kick from Midnight. He ducked under the kick and swept aside a fist aimed for his jaw. He managed to grab the leg she shot into his ribs and shot one of his own into her ribs. She visibly recoiled from the kick and clutched her side as Michael let her go. He closed in with both arms guarding his head, blocking the two high kicks she slammed into him. A quick jab and two hooks to her body were quickly followed up, with two hands grabbing her head. The next thing she saw was Michael's knee rapidly approaching her face before slamming into her forehead. Dazed, She stumbled back and away as she tried to stop her world from spinning. "This kid is vicious! Oh, I'm getting turned on now!"
Midnight shook her head clear and ripped her sleeves off before rushing Michael. Clouds of purple mist seeped out of her as she rushed him and leaped at him with a spinning kick. A quick inhale was all he was able to take in before she was on him. Holding his breath, he and Midnight exchanged a few blows before he leaped back and out of the purple clouds. He gasped for air and took in his surroundings to see Midnight sauntering towards him with a bloody lip. Her arms were crossed behind her head, and her chest was puffed out as her hips swayed. She let out a soft moan as her tongue licked the small blood trail coming from her lip and gave him a wink. On his opposite side, Aizawa stood ready to attack with Shinso knocked out and already bruising over. "Careful now, Eraser… Mr. Farron here has got some spunk. Spunk that I'm going to make him give me." She said as she ripped off her leggings, leaving only her black leather leotard covering her.
"I need an adult!" Said Michael as he shuffled closer to Aizawa.
"Oh, honey, I am an adult!" Said Midnight in a much too sultry voice for a fight.
Michael shivered at the mental picture in his mind before catching movement from his peripherals. Aizawa's boot only managed to skim Michael's shoulder instead of drilling his face. Michael broke off from Aizawa and rushed towards Midnight, who smiled and readied her whip. "OH YEAH, COME TO MAMA!" She yelled with her whip cracking in the air.
His rush was interrupted when Aizawa's scarf wrapped around one ankle and Midnight's whip caught the other. He was forced into doing the splits when both heroes yanked their weapons. Both ankles caught him as he did his best to hold himself together. Eraser and Midnight were essentially playing tug of war with him, and his lungs were aching for fresh air in the thick gas clouds. Eventually, Eraser's strength won out, and Michael was reeled out of the cloud and into Aizawa's boot. He had no time to react when Aizawa's other boot found its mark in Michael's jaw. He was sent spinning and landed in a heap as he gasped for air. He finally managed to catch his breath and barely made his way back to his feet when cloth wrapped around his chest. A slight tug was all it took for Aizawa to yank himself towards Michael with a boot ready to drive itself into Michael's chest. Eraser was surprised when he felt two hands wrap around his boot and redirect his momentum over Michael's body and straight into the ground. Aizawa was stunned as he slowly picked himself up. He brushed the dirt off his black attire and watched his partner rush past him. Midnight wasted no time attacking by kicking in the inside of Michael's knee and bringing him to his knees. He held in the little air he had as Midnight bent over and whispered to him, "You did well for your first time. I'll be sure to play with you again."
Midnight then cocked a knee back and slammed it into his back repeatedly. Michael's breath was knocked out more with each blow, his body finally forcing him to take in a deep breath of the knockout gas. Darkness rapidly clouded his vision, and the last thing Michael saw was Aizawa's stoic face.
Cold wetness was what ripped Michael from unconsciousness. He was in the middle of a field with Aizawa and Present Mic standing over him. Aizawa set the now-empty bucket down beside the two before looking at any damage Michael's face had taken. He sat up and took in his surroundings to see Shinso sitting off to the side with an ice pack held up to his temple. "Hey, bud! Helluva fight out there. You got Kayama all hot and bothered and even made Aizawa miss out on a flawless victory." Said Present Mic with a smile.
"You both need work. A lot of work. The good news, though, is that you have potential that I can work with. Especially since both of you will most likely end up specializing in ambush methods. Be in class at the same time tomorrow. If you keep showing potential, then I'll see about participating in the battle trials with 1-A and 1-B." Said Aizawa as he walked off back into the school.
Present Mic shot the two students a thumbs up and said, "You two managed to impress him if he's already thinking about letting you fight the Hero course kids. You guys did great out there. Shinso nearly had me fighting Aizawa there for a moment. A good attempt that may have worked had Aizawa not been disabling your quirk the entire time. Farron, I don't know who taught you, but you're a natural fighter. I know muay thai when I see it, and Kayama certainly could feel it."
"All good feelings, I assure you, Yamada." Said Nemuri as she walked outside, dressed in civilian clothes. She looked at the two boys for a moment before smiling and walking off with an exaggerated sway in her hips. She was nearly in the school when she turned around and yelled, "Hey Michael! If you ever decide you wanna play really dirty, then just give me a call, ok hon?"
"Don't worry, boys, she's just kidding… I hope." Said Present Mic with a nervous smile.
"I'm not kidding!" She yelled with a devious smile before disappearing back into the school.
"Don't let her scare you. You'll just give her more joy out of it when she does inevitably get you alone." Said Aizawa with a straight face.
Michael looked at the man in black before giving a slow nod. He ran a hand through his jet-black hair and looked to Shinso, who still stared at the door Ms. Kayama entered.
Aizawa made his way to the door along with Mr. Yamada before turning to the two and saying, "Class dismissed."
Michael and Shinso looked on in amazement before looking back at each other. The two boys grabbed their things as fast as they could, and Wrath said, "You weren't kidding when you said you needed a little CQC practice, huh?"
Shinso rubbed the back of his head and said, "Yeah, I'm not very strong or even that fast. All I can really do is the very basics in a fistfight. So how are you so good?"
"I grew up fighting. Back in the states, I had cousins that were always gunning to see who was faster or stronger. Everything was a competition, and nobody wanted to lose anything. I was good at two things, hide and seek and fighting. So if you wanted, then I could give you a crash course in some basic stuff." Michael said as they walked.
"I'd like that. When do you wanna start?" Shinso asked as the two stopped at a fork in the road.
Michael rolled his shoulders and hummed in thought before saying, "I could do it sometime this weekend if you're free. Hell, I'm usually free every weekend, so just text me, and we'll see what's up."
"Cool. Hey, what is your number, by the way?" Shinso asked as he reached for his phone.
Michael rattled off his number before heading off down the road home. Shinso waved to him and went down the opposite road. The walk was quiet, with the silence only being broken up by the occasional pedestrian talking on the phone as they passed. The wind picked up as dark clouds slowly came rolling in. Brown leaves blew past Michael's feet as thunder quietly rumbled on the horizon. The rain came down gentle and fast as small puddles began to form on the streets. Michael's house wasn't much further when his ears caught the sound of footsteps splashing close behind him. His hands slowly balled into fists, and he turned with both hands at the ready. A blur of pink is all he saw before being slammed into. He caught the weight and slid back a bit from the force. Once stopped, he looked at what ran into him and saw black and gold eyes looking into his with a smile. "I told you he'd catch me, Toru!" She said with a laugh as she looked back.
Michael rolled his eyes before setting her down to the side and looking to see who she was talking to. A floating blue jacket, black pants, and shoes were all he could see. He switched over to his thermal vision, and the girl's form was made visible in reds and yellows. Green and blues added to the cooler spots, and the girl's details were made out as she came closer. She stuck her hand out, and Michael reached out with his free hand before shaking with a small smile.
"Oh, my God. He can see me!" Said the invisible girl before she jumped in the air and spun around. "This is so great! My name is Toru Hagakure. I'm so happy, you have no idea! Like, it's so rare for someone to actually see me. Wait, you can actually see me, right?"
"Yes. Yes, I can see you, Ms. Hagakure."
"Fine. How many fingers am I holding up?" Her red form raised a hand to display three fingers. Her deep blue hair was done in a messy bun, with a few strands hanging free.
"Three, and you've got a bit of a cowlick there."
He motioned towards a stray strand on the side of her head. Toru's hands snapped to the wild hair with an annoyed grumble as she worked to straighten it. Meanwhile, Michael focused back on Ashido. She was carrying a small bag in her hands, and it looked to be filled with snacks. "So what are you two up to?" He asked as he yawned, flashing his fangs and white mouth.
"Sleepover at my place with my bestie." Says Mina with a blinding smile as she skips over to Toru.
The two hug and giggle to themselves as the thunder rumbles again. The gentle rain starts picking up a little more, and the three look to the sky. "Y'all gonna be okay getting back in this rain?" Michael asks.
"Aww. Aren't you quite the gentleman, huh? Nah, we'll be fine. My house is actually right there." She says as she points at a house two doors down from Michael's.
"Oh. Well, damn. That's my house right there." He says, pointing to his house.
Mina follows his finger and spots his house. "No way. Awesome. Hey, we should totally walk to school together every now and then. Get to know each other a bit better. Whatchya think?" She asked with a hopeful smile.
His grey snake eyes met her gold and black ones for a moment in silence as he thought to himself. "Sure. I'd like that.", he said as he ran a hand through his now wet hair.
"Awesome! We'll see you tomorrow, okay, Farron?" said Ashido as she and Hagakure started walking away.
A quick look with his thermal vision revealed that Hagakure was waving to him as they went. He shot her a wave and ran inside his house, instantly swallowed by the darkness inside. He sat down on his couch and quickly went for the phone in his pocket. He dialed a number and waited as the ringtone played a classic melody. Once the call was picked up, he heard a soft raspy voice ask, "What do you need?"
"We may have a problem." Said Michael as he inspected his knives.
