There was a tense silence between John and Nagant as they walked back to the teacher's lounge after the class was dismissed. The ex-heroine's frown was tighter than it had been throughout the entire day. Her gaze kept fluttering to the man next to her, never remaining on his form, but neither straying for long.
"Speak your mind." His tone had returned to the encouraging teacher, but the echoes of lethality still bounced in the Rifle-user's mind. She flinched.
"…What's going to happen with that Bakugo kid?" She succeeded in keeping her voice from shaking, but she couldn't help but feel as if he heard it nonetheless.
"Therapy. I've managed to catch both a superiority and inferiority complex in the boy. Midoriya and Bakugo have shared schools since they began going to school. It's been clear to me that Bakugo has been praised his entire childhood, and it's undisputable that he's deserving of a good portion of it. In opposition, Midoriya's been Quirkless his whole life, and he's been unwavering in every career assessment that he wants to do the same thing Bakugo does." His eyes swiveled to cage her within their sight. "Tell me, what do you think happens when you have someone who's been told he's better than everyone else his entire life and someone who's perceived as less-than and effectively lock them in a room together?"
"Nothing good." She breathed. He nodded.
"Nothing good, indeed. Now, take a volatile concoction like that, let it sit for ten years, and give Midoriya a Quirk that has the capability of making him a more effective hero than Bakugo could ever be."
"Something that's a hairs breath away from exploding." She realized.
"An explosion that's already begun, to be more accurate." The man corrected. "This isn't going to be something resolved quickly, but since I'll be helping, it hopefully won't devolve into broken bones."
"Hopefully?"
"There always exists the possibility that they'll want to. If they feel it won't be completely resolved until something of that extent happens, I'll make sure it's controlled."
"Aren't you supposed to not encourage them to beat the shit out of each other?"
"I'm not, it's simply that there are situations where preventing violence is more harmful. Imagine it from Midoriya's point of view. You have someone who has been praised, most likely beat you, and even more likely praised for doing that, his whole life. A teacher sits the two of you down and you talk out your issues, then you're to act as though everything is fine. Not having the opportunity to balance the scales so to speak can build resentment. One could easily attain the view that their aggressor got off scot-free, and that could be taken to an even more aggressive extent considering the profession they seek."
"It would almost be like he's rewarded for anything he does, no matter what." The woman understood. John once more nodded.
"I told the boy that I did not want him to have a similar experience to his middle school here. I plan to follow through on that. Ensuring his relationship with Bakugo is at least no longer antagonistic would be vital for such a promise."
"I'll leave it to you." Nagant trusted.
"As well you should." They entered the teacher's lounge, the room currently empty. Without preamble, they went over to one of the desks, the only one lacking in personality. "Did you notice our little visitors?" The blue and pink haired woman snorted, leaning back against the desk while the man sat in the chair.
"If I missed the blonde moron, I deserve to let you cut off my shooting arm." A chuckle escaped the brunet as he waited for his computer to turn on.
"Stealth is most certainly not a skill he possesses. But did you notice where his attention laid?" The ex-heroine narrowed her eyes as she stared at nothing.
"Midoriya's having a lot of eyes on him. Probably scaring him shitless if he's used to being ignored."
"There's something I'm pursuing between All Might and Midoriya." John announced. "I have a theory, but I need to collect more evidence to know the truth of the matter." He looked at his assistant meaningfully out the corner of his eye. "It has to do with that roach we found." Her eyes snapped to his, silent seriousness within her violet orbs.
"Damn thing has its fingers in every pie, doesn't it?"
"That merely means it has some level of awareness of how to do things. We're not far off, after all."
"You're not far off. I still have no idea how you've done half the shit you've pulled."
"You're not interested in finding out how I've done half the shit I've pulled." He counter-argued. "But before we get too lost in this, recall that I mentioned visitors." Nagant rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless.
"I'll admit I didn't see Aizawa immediately. I've narrowed it down to about a two-minute window, but I don't know when he started watching. Nice to see at least some Underground Heroes know their craft." John's fingers drifted to the mouse and keyboard as he began inputting the student's Apprehension Test scores.
"From what I've gathered, quality of skill is a constant from those who graduated here. Same with Shiketsu, though that should be a given considering they are in competition for the best Hero Course in Japan. But the effectiveness of the individual is not what we're trying to change."
"Right. So why did you bring up our little peeping toms?"
"All Might was the more obvious one. As I mentioned, there's something between the two that I'm investigating. I'm going to have us join him in tomorrow's class so we can see if he can suppress his bias and how deep it goes."
"You're going in deep for this whole teacher act." She hummed.
"Well, the reason it's so convincing is because it's not an act, my dear." He corrected. "It just so happens that teaching is not my only goal. Beyond confirming his ability as a teacher, understanding his bias helps us learn how deeply the two are connected. It's clear now even to you that they possess some sort of relationship, finding out what that is may be more important than you realize."
"I don't see how that would help us."
"And that is why I'm the one making our plan." Was his explanation. "There is no such thing as useless information, only information you may not be able to use yet." The violet eyed woman stared at the other teacher for a moment, her mind working to process that.
"…What about Aizawa, then? What's so important about him?"
"Before we joined, he was the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A. While he was, he built himself a rather impressive reputation of expelling students due to his unforgivingly logical view on heroism. You were asleep at the time, but he and I discussed our opinions on some of those who passed the Entrance Exam while we were reviewing footage. He was of the belief that four of the students in 1-A as well as two from 1-B should have not been allowed into the Hero Course." The assistant raised an eyebrow in interest.
"Damn."
"I gather we'll see him relatively often, as he appears to be interested in being there for his own brand of 'I told you so' in the scenario the students fail to keep up."
"Doesn't he have his own class to teach?"
"Technically, he's been moved to being the homeroom teacher of Class 2-A, However, he expelled all of Class 1-A last year, and so there is no Class 2-A to teach."
"Fuck, what the hell are his standards for heroism?"
"Take care to note that, despite my description so far, he isn't some uncompromising perfectionist. He views what he does as a mercy." A quizzical look was sent towards the blood-red eyed man, so he continued. "When he attended UA, he and Present Mic were friends with a boy named Shirakumo Oboro. Shirakumo was killed when a building collapsed upon him while fighting a villain. From what I gathered, Aizawa reasonably is of the belief it is better to prevent them from getting in over their heads than to let them literally die trying." The woman then slowly nodded in sympathetic understanding.
"So if he spots anything that could end up screwing them over, he'd prefer to kick them out than risk failing at correcting it. There's no forgiving mistakes when you're out in the field."
When Grand-sensei and Lady Nagant entered the room, all chatter between students was replaced with a heavy silence. Nagant did nothing more than plop herself in the stool next to the whiteboard and lean back against the wall, her arms once again folded underneath her chest. The blood-red eyed man stood in front of his desk and clasped his hands behind his back.
"Good morning, Class." He began. "I must apologize for frightening you all yesterday. I would rather have a more comfortable relationship with all of you, but I worried that there would have been some bullying had I not intervened. This is a place to learn, both of the world around you and of yourselves. For that to happen, you have to be comfortable with being vulnerable, and that can't happen if there's animosity between you. I'm not going to say it's a requirement for all of you to become friends, but I want to see you all become the best versions of yourselves. I'm sure we all can agree that can't happen if you're afraid of your faults being seen." The silence remained, but it wasn't as oppressive as before. "I have an idea: since we missed it yesterday, how about we all go through with introductions now? I don't want to put all the weight on you, so why don't we start with Lady Nagant?" He finished with a teasing tone.
"Oh, come on." She groused. "First you have me join in that test, now you're having me be the first one to go? Why don't you start, you're the teacher, I'm just the assistant."
"I'll get you some of the best grape soda in the world?" The man offered. Her eye twitched and they matched gazes for a long moment.
"Enough to last me two weeks." She demanded, a light spattering of hidden giggles sounding from where the students sat.
"Of course." Grand-sensei agreed easily. A mildly irritated huff came from the woman, clearly not having expected him to accept the terms.
"Fine." She grumbled, as the man stepped to the side of the desk and opened a drawer. He picked up something from within and casually tossed a purple can her way. She caught it and opened it without even looking, grumpily aware of what it was. The sip that passed through her lips brought her to visibly relax. "Alright, most of you don't look like you know who I am, so I guess it'll just be better to rip off the bandage. Like John told you yesterday, I used to be a pro-hero by the name of Lady Nagant." She paused for a moment, then looked concerningly at the silent teacher. He gestured encouragingly, leading to her slowly returning to looking at the class. "My license was revoked when I was arrested and put into Tartarus." If anyone didn't react in some horrified manner, she would be surprised. "John is the one that got me released, under the condition that I stay at his side." To her shock, the first proper response was a particular student raising his hand urgently.
"Midoriya-san?" She more muttered than called. He took that as permission either way, standing with a sureness he didn't possess before.
"Lady Nagant-sensei, the articles I heard were that you were imprisoned because you killed a fellow hero!" There was a firm demand of an answer in his voice, he likely didn't even realize it. Silence echoed through the classroom as her violet gaze once more slid to the other teacher, who matched her gaze. A somber sigh came from her mouth.
"…I did." She confirmed, her voice soft. The silence grew heavier.
"You may speak, Iida-san." Grand-sensei didn't even look in the boy's direction. The glasses-wearing teen stood rigidly.
"Sensei's, I must protest that the Assistant Teacher to this class was arrested for murder she is admitting to! And of another Professional Hero, at that!" The brunet pulled at the still-open drawer a little more before returning to his place before the desk, leaning back upon it.
"I figure you've all lost your appetite for the moment, but I'll leave an open offer that anyone who wants a snack is free to claim an item from my snack drawer." He announced before looking the crimson-eyed boy in the eyes. "Lady Nagant was, as she admitted, imprisoned in Tartarus for killing a Pro-Hero. However, as I mentioned in our test yesterday, context is important. Nagant, inform the class of why you ended up killing him." The blue and pink haired woman worked her jaw for a moment, struggling with her response. Her gaze flicked to the back of her fellow teacher a few times, before she settled on tilting her head back and staring up at the ceiling.
"I found out that he was cooperating with a group of small-time villains." Her voice was empty. "They would all put on a little show of them committing some crime and him subduing them. It would raise his numbers, and he would share a part of his paycheck with them. He never had to take any risks, they didn't have to do more than nurse a couple light bruises, and they all got better off for it." There was an extended pause from her as her jaw clenched. "I tried to get him to stop, but he wasn't interested. Outing them to the public wasn't going to work, so I had no other choice but to shoot."
"There must have been another way!" The legacy shouted. To his shock, it was Grand-sensei that shook his head.
"I investigated the matter myself." He announced. "She wasn't given any other options. That's why I got her out. She's still a hero, even if she doesn't believe it herself. I think it will do all of you some good to be in such close contact with each other. Being a Pro-Hero provides a lot of money and a lot of fame, and there are far too many who seek it out for nothing other than the paycheck and the attention. I'm hoping I can teach you all to stand up to injustice like Nagant did, and I'm hoping we can reach a point where you don't have to bloody their hands to do it. The bigger the voice, the bigger the impact." It was not just the students that stared at the man this time. The man's laugh jarred them all out of their stupor. "But that's a bit of a heavy subject, and I wanted to have us introduce ourselves to lighten the mood a bit. Nagant, why don't you tell the class something fun about yourself? There anything you can tell them that can make them go 'wow!'?" The ex-heroine only rolled her eyes in response.
"I thought you were good at being subtle?" Another round of chuckling rumbled from his chest.
"If I were bad, I wouldn't be able to tell you're stalling." Her eyes twitched once more.
"If this can were empty, I'd chuck it at your head."
"Ah, but it isn't, so that would be a waste of a good drink." His smirk was wide and teasing.
"I bargained for this thing, I'm damn well gonna enjoy it." She took another sip to support her point, a notably wider spread of laughter coming from the class at the interaction. A satisfied sigh escaped her as she lowered the can, her eyes drifting to the ceiling, this time in thought. Then came a shrug, followed by a self-assured smirk. "Alright, you want me to give a 'fun fact'? I haven't met anyone that can beat me in a game of pool." A delighted hum came from the homeroom teacher.
"Is that so? Well, I know that Nezu installed a billiards table in the teacher's game room," he turned with a hand next to his mouth like he was telling the class a secret, "And I just might be able to sneak us in there for a little tournament one of these days."
"You're on!" Bakugo displayed no hesitation in literally standing up to the challenge.
"I wanna try too!" The pink skinned Ashido was bouncing in her seat.
"I spend hours in the arcades every weekend!" Kaminari boasted. "Don't underestimate me!"
"This is sounding so manly, how could I not join in?!" Kirishima's shark-tooth smile was visible to all.
"I could…try my hand." Yaoyorozu was much more reserved, though her eagerness was hidden in how she held her hands to keep them from moving. Her confident smirk tittering with her own brand of eagerness, Nagant leaned back atop her stool, her can held just above her lips.
"Feel free to take on the Queen, just don't be disappointed when you lose." She took another sip like she was already celebrating her victory. Grand-sensei laughed once again, the joyous sound warming the bodies of the students.
"See, that wasn't so hard, and now we're penciled in for a friendly little competition. If we get another contest with every introduction, we'll be playing games all year." There was a cheer from most of the class, lead by the more vocal students. "And since I'm certain Nagant would make do on her promise to throw a can at me, the next introduction shall be mine.
"I told you all my name yesterday, but for the sake of doing this properly: I am Grand Johnathan. I give you permission to refer to me by any name you wish, as my assistant demonstrated by calling me by my first name. Considering the reputation of the school, and this course in particular, I believe the most interesting fact I could reveal about myself is that I do not possess a Pro-Hero License." There was a wave of curiosity and intrigue from the students. "Who wants to be the first student to go? It would be boring if we just went by the seating chart."
"Ooh, ooh, me! I wanna go!" Ashido was now the one standing, actually jumping with bound energy.
"Well, how could I say no to an offer like that? Have at it!" The teacher chuckled.
"Hi~, everybody!" The girl waved around. "I'm Ashido Mina! My Quirk is Acid, it kinda speaks for itself! I can shoot out acid from my body, and I can adjust the acidity and viscosity! I love to dance, I got the highest score for three different dancing games across five arcades! I can't wait to play with everyone!"
"I see who here is the one that likes to keep the party going!" A rolling laughter came from the chest of the red eyed man. "At the moment, there is no dance cabinet in the teacher's lounge, but I'm certain it won't take much to convince Nezu to acquire one. Who wants to go next?"
"Of course, it could only be someone that shines as bright as moi!" Aoyama struck a pose, sparkles continuing to radiate from his body. "I am Aoyama Yuga, and I shine with the power of my Navel Laser! As I dazzled you all yesterday, I can project my fabulous aura from my navel powerful enough to shock any foe! As you all are eager to learn about me, I am a connoisseur of cheese!"
"Do we need sunglasses to be in the same room as you?" Nagant drawled, to the increasing laughter of the class. The blonde took her words as the finest compliment, standing straighter with his smile broadening.
"There is no need to worry, Madame Nagant, I reserve my harmful shine only for evildoers!" In face of the boy taking her words so seriously, the woman nearly chocked on her drink from laughing. Having said his piece, the blonde sat down, and another stood before anyone could begin to wonder who would be next.
"Nice to meetcha, the name's Sero Hanta." The man exuded the aura of easy-going kindness. His wide grin was unwavering as he lifted his arms without fanfare, displaying his uniquely shaped elbows. "My Quirk is Tape, like everybody before me, it's as it says on the tin. I never have to worry about needing to go to the store to grab some tape. Made all of my science projects a breeze, lemme tell ya." A round of chuckles came from the light joke. "My favorite hero is Arachni-Boy, but the first dozen or so times I tried to swing from something like he does, I just ended up falling on my face." That brought up a greater chorus of laughter. He sat down promptly. The next to stand was Asui.
"Ribbit, I'm Asui Tsuyu, but I'd prefer if you all called me Tsu-chan. My Quirk is Frog, I'm keeping up with the trand of our Quirks being really easy to figure out. I can do what frogs do. But I don't eat flies. That's gross." Despite the flatness of her voice, her words brought another rumble of laughter easily. "I have two younger siblings that I take care of. I'd like to introduce you guys to them someday." The laughter was replaced by a nearly unanimous 'aww', which quirked up the edges of the frog girl's lips before she slipped back into her seat. The next to stand caused a significant portion of those in the room to tense with anxiety.
"Bakugo Katsuki. My Quirk is Explosion. My sweat explodes. I'm gonna be the Number One Hero!" The crimson eyed boy snarled.
"That is neither fun, nor is it fact. You have stated a goal." The tone of Grand-sensei's voice was flat as paper, and as empty as a long-abandoned building. "Something fun would be to state that you look as though you share a bloodline with a Pomeranian." A few of the students hid their snorts of laughter at the comment. "Something factual would be that you have a desire to become the Number One Hero." The boy who had been compared to a Pomeranian twitched as though he was aboutto yell back at the teacher, before he refrained.
"Fine. I like mountain climbing." He grit through his teeth before slamming himself down into the chair. The next to stand was the shaking Midoriya, who nervously raised his hand in greeting.
"M-my name is M-Midoriya Izuku. My Q-Quirk is S-Superpower." He stuttered. "I-I don't really know much a-about it, o-obviously. I only g-got it a l-little while ago, l-like Grand-sensei said. I h-have a lot of e-energy that I c-can use to power myself u-up. My f-favorite food is katsudon!" To the boy's visible shock, nearly all the students clapped at the introduction.
"I'm sorry for assuming, but you seem like you're nervous because you got treated badly because people thought you didn't have Quirk, ribbit." Tsuyu spoke up. "I get it, there were kids in my previous schools that were mean to me because I have a Mutant-type Quirk. I'll be the first to say that I'd want to be friends even if you didn't have a Quirk." A few of the students, most notably Uraraka and the other students with Mutant-type Quirks, nodded eagerly at the frog girl's words.
"…h-h-huuuh?" The freckled boy's voice wavered as he gave the response of someone who didn't know how to react to such a statement.
"You can sit for now, Midoriya-san." The teacher possessed a kind smile, a hint of teasing upon his tone. "I suspect you won't get the chance to stand for quite a while." The teen could do nothing other than appear helplessly confused, but he did as told. The rest of the introductions were smooth, the comfortable mood being retain for most of it, only having a slight hiccup such as when Todoroki gave his stiff introduction or the delay of Grand-sensei explaining Koda's sign language.
With everyone happy and enjoying their company, the ringing of the bell very nearly brought sadness rather than excitement.
"It would appear that is all the time we have for now, but don't worry, there's a surprise waiting for you all today for your Foundational Studies class." The tall man announced as he stood. "If you all get good marks on your classes today, I'll also throw in a little extra reward for everyone." He winked. The air quickly warmed with the rapidly building excitement, a focus sharpening itself into existence. With a wide grin, the teacher duo left the classroom, another man sliding in only a few moments later.
"WHAT"S UP EVERYBODY!" Present Mic shouted, his already impressive smile widening until it had to be painful when well over half cheered in response. "OH YEAH, WHAT LIVELY LISTENERS! THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!"
The teens were sitting in their seats with baited breath, waiting in eager anticipation for their homeroom teacher to return to the room once more, the rest of the day having blurred by. They did not have to wait long, Grand-sensei and Lady Nagant stepping through the doorway a few moments before the bell rang to signify passing period was over. The red eyed man, at least, possessed a wide smile on his face as he looked towards the students.
"Hello again! I've heard from your other teachers that you all did exceptionally in class today, I'm proud of you! You all have earned that special 'extra surprise' I mentioned, and you'll be receiving it at the end of this class. In the meantime, I do believe it's time to unveil the original surprise we had in store for you, don't you agree Nagant?" The brunet asked with a glance towards the other teacher.
"I think you should probably get on with it before he screws up the timing." She grunted past the can she had already opened and was sipping at. That brought another wave of eager curiosity from the students and a rumbling chuckle from the main teacher.
"So nice to see you care about my showmanship." The woman rolled her eyes at his words. "Like I mentioned, there is a little surprise in store for your Hero Class today. Not only are we not the only teachers for this class, but we are not the only new additions to the staff this year. I'd state his name…" The man trailed off, leaving the students to lean forward in their seats in anticipation.
"I AM HERE!" An iconic voice boomed from far down the hall, causing the eyes of the entire class to widen as excitement built up.
"…But I think he can introduce himself just fine." The door was slammed open, and an impossible to mistake figure leaned in through the doorway.
"COMING THROUG THE DOOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" All Might shouted, his cape billowing from the winds he generated.
"Are you saying that because you genuinely think people step through a door like that or because you aren't jumping through the window?" Nagant's blank drawl was the pin that caused the balloon of excitement to burst, a bright laughter filling the room.
"I HAD TO IMPROVISE AFTER YOU TWO TOLD ME IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO COME IN THROUGH THE WINDOW!" The man pointed exaggeratedly at the Rifle-user.
"I told you that because Nagant would have shut the window just to see you panic at breaking it." Grand-sensei smirked. A gasp was performed with the same level of exaggeration.
"YOU WOULD HAVE SOUGHT TO TARNISH MY INCREDIBLE ENTRANCE?! YOU VILE FIEND, YOU HORRIBLE EVILDOER, YOU TERRIBLE VILLAIN!" The tightly clenched fist held in front of him completed the image. A barely seen glance from the brunet was sent towards the woman, whose eyes twitched. But, with a suppressed shake of her head, she then gave a much more noticeable shrug.
"If I'm a villain, and you're a hero, there's only one thing left to do, isn't there?" The grin that manifested upon the Number One Hero's face was brilliant. The students were barely capable of keeping themselves in their seats at the display. With as much flare as possible, the hero snapped his body around towards the teens, his cape whipping around epically at the movement. His left fist came to rest at his hip in a typical hero pose, but his right came up to display a small plaque held within, the letters upon it proudly forming a single word.
"THAT'S RIGHT! WE MUST ENGAGE IN A COMBAT TRIAL!" The blood-red eyed homeroom teacher hummed thoughtfully as he rested his chin in his hand.
"It seems like we're missing something though." He mused. The muscular blonde's arm flung around to point at the brunet.
"ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, MY FELLOW TEACHER!" All Might agreed, before continuing his movement until he spun almost completely around, the plaque turned to reveal a single button on the back. "BEHOLD!" The right wall of the room opened up with a hiss, flaunting off twenty numbered metal suitcases. "WHEN YOU SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATIONS, YOU ALL ALSO SUBMITTED YOUR DESIGNS FOR YOUR HERO SUITS, AND THE SUPPORT DEPARTMENT TURNED THOSE DESIGNS INTO REALITY! INSIDE EACH OF THOSE CASES IS YOUR DREAM TO BECOME HEROES, MADE TANGIBLE! AND TODAY, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO PUT THOSE SUITS ON AND TACKLE ON YOUR FIRST TRIAL AS HEROES IN TRAINING!"
"You all can grab your suits and get changed, we'll meet you at Ground Beta." Grand-sensei announced.
"NOW YOU'RE ALL LOOKING LIKE HEROES!" All Might announced with his signature smile as the students walked up to the trio of teachers. Nagant actually nodded appreciatively at some of the students, though their homeroom teacher for some reason looked pensive. Iida's hand shot up.
"Sensei's! I've noticed that this appears to be the same environment used for the Entrance Exam! Will we be once again performing cityscape maneuvers?" Grand-sensei lightly shook his head as his face returned to being passive.
"Not today. We're going to be starting on Indoor Combat. Inside is going to be where you'll start off most encounters." The man explained.
"Don't most villain fights happen outside?" Kaminari questioned.
"Most villain fights end up outside." The brunet gently corrected. "A lot of villains won't care about collateral damage like you will, and it's generally easier to fight in a place where there's no concern over your ability to move around. But things like black market deals, trafficking, and most meet ups are better done where a random civilian won't spot them. Furthermore, the villains with more experience behind them will likely know how to use a hero's concerns against them."
"EXACTLY AS THE MAN SAYS! NEARLY ALL OF MY FIGHTS WITH BIG VILLAINS STARTED OFF INSIDE WAREHOUSES AND ABANDONED BUILDINGS! IN ORDER TO PRACTICE SCENARIOS LIKE THIS, WE'RE GOING TO BE SPLITTING YOU ALL INTO VILLAIN AND HERO TEAMS FOR TWO ON TWO MATCHES!"
"We're going to be fighting each other? What about basic training?" Tsuyu wondered.
"The best way to learn how to fight is being in one. You can train to throw the perfect punch, but try it in reality and it's probably not going to work out the way you think it would." Nagant announced. "And if we keep throwing you against brainless 'bots that break easy, you're never gonna learn how to pull your punches or work around someone that can actually think."
"What determines victory?" Yaoyorozu tilted her head.
"How badly can I fuck someone up?" Bakugo grinned.
"How do we decide who teams up with who?" Iida's hand flung up.
"Isn't my cape just fabulous?" Aoyama posed. Unseen by anyone but the other teachers, All Might began to sweat nervously.
"Slow down everyone," Grand-sensei held out his hands placatively, "We have a prepared scenario for this. We're not just going to lock you all in a building and tell you to fight for the key. All Might, I believe you're the one who volunteered to come up with the situation?"
"YES, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE!" To the shock of everyone else, the giant of a man pulled out a notecard. "HERE WE HAVE IT! THE VILLAINS WILL BE HIDING A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN A HIDEOUT, AND THE HEROES HAVE TO GO IN AND GET IT! THE HEROES HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES TO EITHER CAPTURE THE VILLAINS OR SECURE THE WEAPON! THE VILLAINS MUST EITHER CAPTURE THE HEROES OR GUARD THE WEAPON UNTIL THE TIMER RUNS OUT!" The man finished reading and looked up at the group, his smile wider and the man looking proud of himself.
"I'm coming up with the scenario next time." The slightly shorter man announced. The Number One Hero had the gall to look offended.
"I THINK IT'S A GREAT SCENARIO!"
"Have you ever dealt with a nuclear bomb?" A single brown eyebrow raised questioningly.
"I HAVE NOT, BUT-"
"We're trying to prepare them for things they will actually encounter, not have them live out fantasies." The sight of All Might shamefully turning away and poking the tips of his fingers together as he grumbled to himself caused Nagant to laugh so hard she spit her soda. "We'll still perform the scenario, credit where credit is due, the practice of this is fairly realistic. You will most definitely encounter situations where you have to invade a villain's base to deal with something they shouldn't have."
"I see." Yaoyorozu nodded. "How will our teams be decided?" Both the teacher and his assistant slowly turned to the hero expectantly. The blonde's shoulders slumped slightly further as he slowly brought out a box from behind his back.
"I was going to have them draw lots…" The man was resigned to his fate.
"Is that really the best way?!" Iida kept from shouting. To everyone's surprise, however, the teacher duo nodded approvingly.
"In the situation that you aren't acting by yourself, you're most likely not going to have a choice of who you're working with." Grand-sensei elaborated. "The most probable possibility will be that your allies will simply be whoever is the closest to where you are."
"And when you're performing a raid, highest priority is whoever is best suited for the mission rather than whoever you want to work with." Nagant supported. All Might immediately stood straighter, his air of confidence returning. He then proudly thrust the box out for the students to begin grabbing from.
"While you're all drawing your lots, we'll explain some of the rules for this Combat Trial." The suited man began. "Both teams will have five minutes to prepare. We'll be handing both teams one map at the start of the five minutes to learn the lay out of the building. The villains will be inside during the preparation phase and they have full freedom to do anything with their environment during that time. The heroes will not be allowed to investigate the inside of the testing ground until the prep phase is over. In order to capture your opponents, we will provide each one of you a single roll of capture tape. The only condition for capture is to wrap capture tape around a part of the opponent's body. To secure the bomb, one of the heroes must touch the bomb with a part of their body. Projections such as Todoroki's ice or one of Yaoyorozu's Creations will not count. Grievously injuring someone will result in a failing grade for your team and detention dependent on how grievous the injury. To attack a student with the intention of grievous harm or awareness that your attack could result in grievous injury will have much worse consequences." The students all nodded in understanding of the rules placed before them, though the teacher duo noticed the slight hesitance the explosive boy displayed with his agreement. All Might, clearly unaware of the slight tension that appeared in the forms of the duo, reached into the boxes labeled 'Hero' and 'Villain' and promptly pulled out the balls representing the teams taking part in the first bout.
"ALL RIGHT! THE FIRST TWO TEAMS OF TODAY'S COMBAT TRIAL ARE TEAM A'S MIDORIYA IZUKU AND URARAKA OCHAKO AS THE HEROES AND TEAM D'S BAKUGO KATSUKI AND IIDA TENYA AS THE VILLAINS!"
"…Are you fucking with me?" Nagant muttered as she stared in shock at the spheres in the hero's hands.