"GIVE EM BACK! THOSE AIN'T TOYS FOR YOU BRATS!" screamed Bakugou as the kids ran away with his gauntlets.
"NO WAY! WE AIN'T GONNA DO WHAT YOU TELL US TO!"
"Sheesh," I sighed in annoyance. "Think you can make it any easier for them to steal from you!?"
"I TOOK EM OFF AND PUT EM ASIDE CUZ THEY'RE DANGEROUS!"
"So," said the Utsushimi girl, who the students had taken a dislike to, "This whole 'connect with their hearts assignment is kinda fuzzy. Totes dunno what we're supposed to do."
"FROM THE LOOKS ON THEIR FACES, TEAM FISH POOP IS AT A TOTAL LOSS!" cried Present Mic.
"This is a training course. Have some respect for the process," said Mr. Mera.
"TOTES! GOT ANY SPECIAL REQUESTS FOR WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AND HOW THEY SHOULD GO ABOUT IT, SENSEI?" he asked the teacher.
"Yes. The early elementary school years are critical and formative…A child's unique quirk can have a great effect on development, so we try to provide sound emotional support via counseling. However, counseling isn't always enough. The children of this class in particular have chosen their hearts to us. I know that this should be my responsibility, but I - I thought that if they had a chance to meet you fine young men and women who are pursuing your dreams…if you could show the children how earnest you are…"
"Better not say anything thoughtless and make more trouble," I concluded.
"ALL WE GOTTA DO IS MAKE FRIENDS WITH THEM! GOTCHA!" Shouted Yoarashi.
"LET'S FINISH THIS BABYSITTING JOB QUICK AND GET TO THE REAL TRAINING," snapped Bakugou, looking over at Gang Orca's class.
"AKUGOU IS ALWAYS SO THOUGHTFUL! WHAT'S UA'S RESIDENT POWDER KEG PLANNING TO DO NEXT?!" came Mic's commentary.
Bakugou turned to us. "Of course they're gonna walk all over a teacher who doesn't know how to lead them. The rugrats have decided they're in charge! You can't just say 'they'll come around eventually!' One of those pipsqueaks has gotta be the boss. We just gotta find out who. THEN WE KICK THEIR BUTT, STRING EM UP, AND HAVE THE OTHERS CHUCK ROCKS AT EM AS A WARNING! THERE'S NO BETTER WAY THAN SHOWING THEM HOW WEAK AND PATHETIC THEY ARE!"
"Or we could just make friends with them?" said Yoarashi weakly.
"THERE YOU HAVE IT! BAKUUGOU'S, ER - UNIQUE POINT OF VIEW!" said Mic.
Bakugou turned to the kids and took an offensive stance.
"WHO'S THE STRONGEST, HUH? STEP UP AND FIGHT ME!"
"Whoa!? Let's just take a step back!"
"Such an antiquated and violent way of thinking," said the kids' leader. "It says a lot about how you were raised. You bet it does!"
"Um, pardon me for doubting," said the teacher. "But is this gonna be ok?"
"Relax, he's all bark," said Mic.
"The tough guy act is so last year," said Camie.
"I'M BRINGING IT BACK!"
"GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER IS THE BEST SHORTCUT TO FRIENDSHIP!" said Yoarashi. "WHO HERE WANTS TO BE A HERO SOME DAY?" He raised his hand.
"OUR NEXT CHALLENGER IS THE BOY FROM SHIKETSU!"
"Me me!" chorused the kids.
"Hero's are cool!"
"I'm really strong!"
"Is that so?" said Yoarashi, scooping a couple up in his arms. "Well same here! FEELS LIKE MY BLOOD'S ABOUT TO BURST I'M SO EXCITED!"
"Not sure what he's talking about but it sounds good!"
"HEROES ARE THE ONES WHO KEEP EVERYONE SMILING, RIGHT? NOW, BOYS AND GIRLS WHO CAUSE TROUBLE FOR THEIR TEACHERS CAN'T EVER BE GREAT HEROES!"
"They can't?"
"NOPE! WHICH MEANS -"
"But - you big kids and your special training course made all this trouble for the council people, so you can't be great heroes either, can you?"
And Yoarashi gasped - and blew away crying "FAIR POINT!"
The kids laughed.
"I WAS IN NO POSITION TO TALK DOWN TO YOU! APOLOGIES!" he cried as he returned, bowing into the pavement again.
"HE'S SO DRAMATICALLY SENSITIVE AND PURE!" called mic.
"These kids'er tougher cookies than we thought," said Utsushimi.
"LIKE I SAID, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA GET ROUGH!" snapped Bakugou.
"Bakugou, that's not true," I told him.
"HUH? THAT'S HOW I WAS RAISED!"
I winced, uncomfortable memories of our previous conversations returning. "I think there's a better way."
He flinched too, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah? Then let's see this better way."
"Sure. I'll do this my way."
"YOU'RE UP NEXT! IT'S THE MAN WHO BRINGS A COOL HEAD AND HOT BLOOD TO THE TABLE! SHOTO TODOROKI!"
"GO SHOTO!" My damn old man shouted.
I headed towards the kids, who were watching me with odd expressions.
"HOW'S HE GONNA BRIDGE THIS DIVIDE? STAY TUNED FOLKS!"
"Whatever. Five wienies is boring."
"Let's go mess with the giant gorilla."
What sort of person am I? Until I show them that, nothing I say will get through to them. A glance back showed me the old man, glowering at me. Focus.
"I'm not 'five wienies.' My name is Shoto, and I'm a student at UA High school with aspirations of being a hero. I've always hated my father, the current #1 hero Endeavor, so becoming a hero is my way of beating him. My classmates and I have shared good times and bad, and -"
"HE'S STARTING WITH HIS VERY OWN CHARACTER PROFILE BLURB!"
Mic's interruption stopped me and I saw the kids all staring at me in irritated disbelief.
"BORING!"
"Survey says, no thanks!"
"Sorry," I sighed, deflated as I returned to Yoarashi and Bakugou.
"NICE TRY, TODOROKI!"
"Coulda predicted that."
"So you three all took kinda typical approaches," said Utsushimi, raising her hand, "but maybe showing off our quirks is the best way to finish this."
"THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY!" shouted Bakugou.
"No way. Really? Imagine that. Cuz the gap between us is huge, and they're having too much fun messing with us."
"Instead of trying to fill that gap, let's just dive in headfirst with a live demonstration."
We talked together and came up with a plan. Suddenly we heard a sound again, and turned to see the kids had activated their own quirks. "We know we're better than them!"
"HAH!" said Bakugou. "This I like!" He lit up his gauntlets, as if to say 'bring it on.