Aw shit, here we go again...
Their instructor slowly tapped his foot, eyes pointedly locked upon the ascending figure of his most tardy student. The kid at first looked about ready to "jet" his way up the rows of seats but a piercing yip from Osmund put a swift stop to that. The boy sheepishly reached the end of his climb, taking a seat just beside the ladder in the same row as Izuku's group.
"Okay," Mr. Senki hopped back, perching his black-panted rear on the edge of his desk, "let's start with a simple welcome. As I hope all of you already know, you are now enrolled in the starter heroics course of Aozora High. A program that is, if I may be so bold, swiftly cementing itself as the second most prestigious in the country."
The professor pushed off his rest, striding towards the edge of the room's central platform. Osmund planted his rump atop his master's head, sitting up straight as he cast a cool gaze over the gathered pupils.
"Of course we have no intention of stopping at 'second best.' Striving to be greater is a value everyone should hold, pro heroes even more so."
Hokuto paced the wide rim of the dais, gaze sweeping over the wall of students. Osmund's tail slapped against his skull every couple of seconds.
"Our job – my job, here, is to push you. Physically, mentally, emotionally, if I really have to. 'Limits' are not a concept you'll have the luxury of holding should you manage to go pro. To that end, we'll endeavor to drop that baggage as swiftly as possible."
Izuku sat forward, his waist pressed against the lip of the counter. The hero-hopeful hung on his teacher's every word, eyes all but twinkling in growing wonder. At his side, Minetta had climbed onto the tabletop, his expression matching Izuku's albeit with a hint of apprehension showing.
Hagakure, for her part, sat with chin in hand, taking in the ensuing speech with a degree of thought. Not that any could place her expression for… obvious reasons.
"To that end," Mr. Senki hustled around the far side of his desk, slamming shut the thick notebook his pup had been pawing through earlier, "grab your shit and get down here."
The perimeter of the platform radiated that familiar pink light.
Hokuto looked back to his class with an easy grin in place. "We'll be taking a little trip today."
The students of Aozora were still puzzling over the fact that their class' private elevator had a direct connection to the subway. Or at least it seemed that way, it was hard to gauge the depth of the shaft with how fast the platform was going. There were a few times Izuku swore they were rising back up or even going sideways.
When they had finally stopped, it was a short walk through a narrow corridor and suddenly they were in the station. Looking back the way they came revealed a tiled wall. One which was ironically stamped with graffiti stating "Do Not Pass."
The collective impression was to chalk it up to their school being weird again.
With the passing of the morning rush, the train cars had emptied out some. This being Japan, that mostly meant people weren't quite standing on top of each other. Minetta had swiftly reserved space on Izuku's back, "for efficiency" as the boy had claimed. Having spent the better part of a year hauling washing machines over sand dunes, Midoriya barely felt the added weight.
Hagakure sat – she was one of the only three students who had managed the incredible feat – in a seat right in front of the two boys. Her new crew – mostly Izuku – was running interference, blocking overeager riders who thought they'd snag a free spot on the bench. It shocked the two boys to no end how easily people overlooked Tooru's presence. The invisible girl seemed quite used to it.
Mr. Senki stood nearby, pitched up against a pole in the middle of the aisle. Osmund sat nestled against his master's chest, the pup's top half poking over the second highest button of his scarlet button-up. He was currently in the midst of a power nap.
Joining Osmund in his dreamland escapades was the class' resident tardy, one Kisuke Uzuma. The unlikely pair slept close together, the boy dead on his feet, his full weight pressed against Mr. Senki's chest. A line of drool ran down the teacher's dress shirt, his student's impressive hair spike aggressively invading the space beneath his chin.
Mr. Senki, his face an impassive mask, continued to scan over the screen of his smartphone, tapping away every few moments.
A digitized explosion drew Izuku's sight overhead to one of his similarly phone-focused classmates. The girl with the spider limbs, Ikaruga Kurogane if he recalled, rested lazily against the top of the train car. Her arachnid legs were splayed out, holding her body to the ceiling and drawing a few curious stares from the regular passengers.
Ikaruga gave no notice to the added attention, her full focus on the wide screen of her cell as her thumbs blazed away. Judging by the rapid eye movement and the furious barrage of battle noise, Midoriya assumed whatever game she was playing was putting her through the crucible.
"This little 'excursion' will ultimately have a purpose, right teach?"
Izuku suppressed the urge to flinch. Despite the speaker's even tone, their earlier, brief encounter painted a certain expectation in Midoriya's mind. The amber eyed boy fixed a mild glare towards their teacher, one of his ear buds pinched between two fingers. He paid the hero-taku zero attention.
Mr. Senki did not respond verbally. Mr. Senki began swiping and tapping away at his smartphone, flipping the screen over to face his questioning student. Midoriya was at an odd angle, but he could just make out the word "WAIT" in all capital letters.
The boy wearing his jacket like a cloak, Naota Kimi, brushed some of his steel hued lockes aside, replacing his ear bud.
A curious hum from Hagakure caught Midoriya's attention. The girl's posture implied her gaze was towards the window, watching the late-morning cityscape sweep by. A slight shift of her shoulders said she'd noticed the boy's interest.
"I think I recognize the area, it looks like we're headed towards Surkesh."
"Wait, what," Minetta blurted, reminding the others of his presence, "what could there be to see out there?"
Izuku had fallen into one of his mutter streams, picking apart the district name and why it sounded familiar. The small mumble fit came to an abrupt end as the boy found his answer, "Support gear!"
Tooru flinched back at the outburst, Minetta ducking below the greenette's shoulders, away from his mouth. Ikaruga barely caught her handheld after fumbling it, fixing the top of Midoriya's head with an even glare as she continued her furious gaming.
Osmund yawned, Kisuke moaning softly as fresh drool flowed down the front of his teacher's shirt. Mr. Senki quirked a brow, eyes fixed on his phone.
"Sorry," Izuku yelped, hand nervously scratching the back of his head as Minoru climbed over his opposite shoulder.
Attempting to recover, Izuku continued, "But yeah, Surkesh is a heavy industrial district. It specializes in manufacturing and there are at least three fairly well established support companies in the area."
Minetta nodded along, "That makes sense. With all the materials going in and out, the factories probably collaborate to move larger shipments all at the same time, get a bulk discount from the shippers and whoever provides raw goods."
Midoriya blinked at his shoulder mounted companion, it was rare for him not to be the expositor of the group. The boy fixed a soft smile, humming along to Minetta's observation.
"How do you recognize the area?"
The two boys looked up, Ikaruga still engrossed in her game even as she made her inquiry.
Hagakure didn't miss a beat, "My father has some connections to one of the companies out here. They've been working out a hero costume for me for a little over a year now. They've been collecting my hair as the base material."
Izuku's fist pressed over his mouth, his default thinking pose. Minoru just stared down his female classmate, irises shrinking into his pupils as his mind grappled with the concept of a girl going into battle wearing only her hair.
"Considering the fact that her invisibility persists across every surface of her body, it does make sense that they would use hair as a base material in a uniform's construction. At least it would be easier to gather than having Hagakure go in for skin grafts or some similar procedure. But how would they induce the same light bending effects in a synthesized cloth? Perhaps running some kind of energy current through the garment to stimulate the reaction…"
Midoriya, once again, had fallen deep into one of his trances. Most of his assembled classmates, mulling about the train car, fixed the possessed youth with looks of growing unease. Naota rolled his eyes before returning to his music, Ikaruga never even taking focus away from her flashing phone screen.
Tooru did her best to smile encouragingly throughout the display, her efforts only slightly ruined by the whole "unable-to-be-seen" thing. Minetta still hadn't moved passed the thought of a girl wearing only her hair…
Osmund let loose a bark that absolutely did not match his size, the sound ripping through the enclosed space with the subtlety of a gunshot. Kisuke shot away from the pup and his owner, yelping himself awake as he collapsed to the floor in an undignified heap. His thin, rectangular shades somehow managed to stay perfectly in place.
Mr. Senki, not missing a beat, vaulted off the steel bar and towards the nearest train door. "Look alive class, next stop is us."
Surkesh was a viable maze of office parks and industrial complexes. Izuku had to marvel at the sheer size of the district, the area large enough to house a small city. Even with that vast space Surkesh was densely packed, expansive warehouses and manufacturing centers pushing the more administrative buildings into tight, upward reaching structures. Wider streets, a necessity for all the trucking and public transport, exacerbated the issue further.
Izuku's class had come down from the station into the shadow of a massive factory, its structure a haphazard mess of walkways and pipeworks. Their path ran adjacent to the complex, the edge of the facility coming right up to the sidewalk, separated only by a barbed wire fence.
Another student spoke up, asking Mr. Senki exactly where they were going. Their instructor responded by quickening his stride, veering left as the sidewalk bent in at a slight angle. The students perked as they noted another structure ahead… a rather underwhelming structure.
As if to mock their preconceptions, Hokuto bee-lined his way across the street, towards the six story parking garage. A few of the students skipped a step in blatant shock, some simply halting in place as their teacher blatantly J-waked into mild traffic, wondering just how this man had blundered his way into the field of education. Izuku, and by default Minetta, were leaning towards the latter group when Tooru offered a guiding shove, ushering the greenette and his human backpack towards a nearby crosswalk.
The trio were approaching the gaping entrance just a step behind Ikaruga, who had found safe crossing despite being transfixed on her gaming, when an explosion shook the ground. A quick glance up revealed a cloud of smoke rising from the top level of the parking structure. Minetta was two words through a shocked exclamation when Midoriya gave his warning.
"Hold on."
The two boys, mainly the one acting as the mount, shot across the road and into the first level of the garage. Harsh wind whipped passed Izuku's head as he dashed forward, his dead sprint unimpeded by the strangely bare lot. In record time the hero hopeful reached the center of the building, making for a wide pillar inside which he could spy the beginnings of a staircase. Midoriya shot up the steps five at a time, hitting the first landing in three bounds. Rather than attempting to turn to continue up the next set of steps, Izuku went airborne, twisting mid-leap before planting his feet against the wall. The boy kicked off in an instant, propelling himself up to the lip of the next landing.
Minoru could do little more than grapple to the back of his classmate's head, too keyed up on adrenaline to even scream.
Izuku continued his pattern of ascent, hungrily devouring the distance to the top floor as his skin radiated a hot crimson. Rushed footfalls clattered out from below, at least two individuals, maybe a few seconds behind. Midoriya raced onward.
The top of the stairway was covered, a heavy blast door separating it from the rooftop. Izuku didn't slow in the slightest, his entire body charged with white-hot energy. Mad confidence saw the boy lunging, turning over as he aimed both feet at the top of the door.
A powerful shout accompanied the deafening crack of the sturdy barrier being blasted off its hinges. Izuku crouched low, riding the downed door a grinding meter across the asphalt. Minetta, having lost all color in his complexion, began to issue a weak, high pitched whine as the door ground itself to a halt.
Ikaruga had, as a surprise to herself, reached the rooftop at the same time as the two boys. Considering that she'd simply scaled straight up the side of the structure, this spoke volumes of the sheer amount of hustle shown by Midoriya.
Mr. Senki appeared through the open portal three seconds after, looking as though he'd just gone for a brief jog. The scarlet shirted instructor made a swift cut to the side, clear of the open doorway. At that moment a howling whirlwind tore through the opening, a trail of spiraling dust following in its wake.
Kisuke flew forth, both arms extended back as forceful twisters traveling down his limbs thrust him forward. Unfortunately, Midoriya had come to rest directly in the spike-haired boy's path. Good fortune reached the greenette as the physical tax of his recent charge took hold of his body, Izuku slumping face-down onto the blacktop.
Minetta, however, was still perched atop Midoriya's head. Just within the impact zone.
The two students were sent into a wild tumble, Kisuke just managing to stop his propulsion and snatch up the much smaller boy. He had not quite drawn Minoru to his chest when the duo slammed into a thick wall of steel with an echoing thud!
A notable pause followed, the silence stretching a moment longer as the dust began to settle. A sudden call of "Wait, what!?" shattered the atmosphere.
Izuku inclined his head, locking on the toppled forms of his classmates. Kisuke looked a little roughed up, his uniform sporting some new tears and his shades slightly off center. His crimson cone of hair remained remarkably solid. Minoru was in a similarly scuffed state, though with the added aesthetic of having the left side of his face planted into the side of a metal blast shield, Kisuke's body weight pressing the kid harder against the steel surface.
A pair of new individuals stood nearby, the shorter figure apparently backed into the taller one to dodge the projectile teens. The surprised call from earlier no doubt came from the man, his bushy eyebrows screwed into something resembling confusion. All Midoriya could focus on was the fact that the gaudy, multi-colored diamond pattern on his sweater vest was repeated on his leggings. The material looked to be the same as well…
"Why are you poking my face," was mumbled by Kisuke, his tone more curious than vexed.
The girl half of the new duo sat crouched over the two boys, her hands busy prodding both their faces with a pair of screwdrivers. Her yellow eyes were intently focused on her task, the effect amplified by their strange, cross-hair patterns. "Just checking your vitals," said the girl.
The older man shifted his steel gaze towards the girl, the midday sun glancing off his shaved scalp. "Hatsume… that is not the proper method of diagnosing a human being."
"Hmm, good thing I'm not lookin' to be a doctor." Hatsume rose to her feet, twirling her tools like an old school pistolero before sheathing them in the thick band of her tool belt. Again the sun glinted, this time off the rounded lenses of the brass goggles perched atop her head. A mane of pink hair sat beneath, the chest length strands styled into thick braids.
By this point Ikaruga had walked around to stand near Midoriya, her eyes focused on the two strangers though her handheld was making a reappearance. Izuku made an effort to stand but found he lacked the energy. Hagakure appeared at his side, swiftly throwing one of his arms over her shoulders. The invisible girl hauled her classmate to his feet with surprising ease.
"Tomo," Mr. Senki called, walking passed his students with a flat palm raised in greeting, "still haven't managed to singe off the bushy brows, eh?"
Tomo, the bald and poorly dressed man, offered their instructor a superb eyebrow waggle. "Dare to dream."
Hokuto continued forward, exchanging a handshake with Tomo and a brief nod at Hatsume. The girl paid him no mind as she strode around to the other side of the blast shield.
Midoriya stood a bit straighter, Hagakure keeping a hand on his back but letting him stand on his own. Kisuke edged in from the side, taking a spot next to Ikaruga. Minetta sat grasped beneath the boy's arm, halfway to consciousness with an obvious black eye blooming. The remainder of the class filed out from the staircase a few moments later.
Mr. Senki clapped his hands together, forming a triangle over his head. Osmund, poking out from his shirt collar, followed that up with a sharp bark. "Welcome to our first stop class! Surkesh Industrial Park. More specifically, the offices of Mal Tech's Japan Branch… 's antiquated western parking complex!"
The man stood with feet together, head tossed back, and arms spread wide as though presenting some wondrous vista. Silence reigned as the few observers still taking Hokuto seriously cast curious glances about the area. Ikaruga's game spat out a few digitized explosions as she advanced on the enemy fortress, Kisuke pumping his fist whenever the girl smashed through her opponents.
Already tired of his "friend's" antics, Tomo slipped under one of Mr. Senki's arms, shoving the teacher aside with a palm to the face. "Okay, let's just move this along now."
Tomo ran his thumb and pointer towards opposite ends of his upper lip, smoothing out his mustache as he loudly cleared his throat. "Why don't we start with the obvious question: what are you doing here?"
In the ensuing pause, Hokuto plopped himself on the ground, sitting cross legged like a little kid. Osmund hopped out of his master's shirt and into his lap.
"Support gear," shot Naota, all present turning their attention to the stoic boy. Naota remained silent, his piece said.
"Succinct," Tomo said, "and not entirely inaccurate."
Hatsume came marching out from behind the blast shield, pressing some sort of soldering tool into a softball-sized discus. Tomo quickly snatched the device away, "Hatsume, rule number one?"
The girl groaned as she pulled off her goggles, "No unsupervised endeavors." Hatsume crossed her arms and Izuku made a special effort to avoid looking as her limbs lifted her bust. That black tank top did nothing to conserve modesty.
"This structure is one that no longer serves its intended purpose," Tomo began tossing the mechanical disc from one hand to the other, some worrying sparks issuing from various points. "A newer, larger, more modern construction was built in a superior location, able to service our factory, warehouse, development, and corporate employees all at once."
The bald technician began spinning the disc atop his finger, balancing the device along its curved edge. Hatsume was thoroughly unimpressed.
"I have taken personal initiative to utilize this space as an outside testing ground. Part of that, a fairly substantial part, is due to the tendencies of my young ward here." At this Tomo made to ruffle Hatsume's already wild dreads. The girl instead slipped his reach, swiping the discus in one quick motion. She skipped away to join Midoriya and his classmates as she pulled some sort of multi-tool from her belt.
Tomo rolled his eyes at her antics. "But a portion of my reasoning comes from my own engineering philosophy, one that I feel all of mankind should strive towards. Tell me students, in one word, what have I effectively done with this old parking platform?"
The class cast inquisitive glances at their seated teacher. Mr. Senki pointedly ignored them, eyes on Tomo's back as he busily pet a napping Osmund.
Waving his hand to garner attention, Minetta offered a dazed, "Uh, recycling?"
Tomo crouched down, presenting dual finger pistols in a quick-draw maneuver. The man gave it to Minetta with both barrels, his arms snapping back at the "intense recoil." Shooting to his feet, the man's limbs spread wide as he mouthed out the sound of an explosion.
"Boom!" Tomo waggled an approving finger in the small boy's direction, "That's what I'm talking about!" Minetta would have hid behind something if he wasn't still being lugged like a sack of flour. He settled for adopting the face of one being forced to suck a sour lemon.
"The titles 'best and brightest' are often given to those who innovate, create. We are a people fundamentally obsessed with the idea of 'The New'."
Hatsume continued to tinker with the pilfered disc throughout her instructor's speech, not bothering to look up from her task. Nevertheless, a pleased smile brightened her features.
"The achievements of yesterday are often forgotten, their benefits taken for granted by our sedentary society. This is even more so for our failures and the antiquated, remembered not for the sake of learning from the past but in order to ridicule it.
"In this place," Tomo stamped his foot a few times to accentuate this point, "itself a structure which has lasted beyond its intended purpose, we strive to salvage some degree of success from the otherwise abandoned."
Throughout this, Hatsume began to pace away from the group of teens, moving to stand beside the blast shield. With superb timing, the pink haired girl seemed to finish her tinkering – pumping her fist in joy – just as she came to a stop. Tomo threw a prompt nod in her direction and, not missing a beat, his protege picked up the dialogue.
"Hello fellow teens! My name is Mei Hatsume! Allow me to present today's project!" Hatsume held up the high-tech discus. The glass housing at its center now pulsed with a pale glow, the light fading and returning in a slow rhythm. Izuku's inquisitive mind was already going over possibilities at a mile a second.
"This basic piece is actually the third prototype of a project known as 'Citadel.' Its function," Mei paused, just long enough for her smug to fully manifest, "well, how about a demonstration?" Holding the device in her upturned palm, Hatsume brought her free hand down in a wide arc, slapping down on the glass housing.
The lazy glow surged with sudden radiance, turning a bright yellow. A small hum issued from the disc, building to a high pitch before stabilizing. No sooner did the sound steady then a sunkissed sphere appeared, encasing the device as well as Mei's clasped hands and about half of her lower arms.
Anyone who wasn't paying attention before directed their full focus on the display, a few quick gasps pulling free of some students. Tomo tossed a swift smirk at the only other adult in attendance. Hokuto and Osmund rolled their eyes.
Hatsume pressed on, "As may or may not be evident, Project Citadel seeks to generate a defensive field using a distinct energy conversion process. The high point of our research is versatility: by altering the intensity of the energy involved, we can change the very nature of the barrier itself. Imagine a shelter which can alternate between being an impenetrable wall to one which allows people to pass through but will catch objects traveling at high speed or block flames and explosions!"
"Wow! That's just like the French hero Bastion!"
All eyes focused on Mei swung in Izuku's direction. Hagakure had since left the boy to stand on his own, remaining near just in case. Now she was readying to knock her friend out of another of his potential tirades.
But Hatsume seemed to jump at the observation, her enthusiasm clear as day, "Ooooh! Good eye! He was actually one of the driving forces behind the project, both in inspiration and involvement. Not only has his agency supplied a significant amount of funds, but our European branch was allowed extended periods of testing and observation of his defensive aura and its capabilities!"
"Bastion always was one of my favorite heroes, even if he is stationed halfway around the world; number fifteen in ranking for all of Europe is nothing to sneeze at, but I still feel like he doesn't get enough recognition." Tomo and Mei nodded at Midoriya's words, the pinkette with far more zest. Mr. Senki appeared torn between feeling proud of/embarrassed by his student.
Hagakure had rolled up her sleeves, hoping to hide her raised arm, poised for a wake-up slap. Never hurts to be prepared for the worst.
"Oh, definitely," barked Hatsume, "he's always been a big proponent for advancing technology. His uncle actually heads the entire European division of Mal Tech."
"Silas DuPont," said Ikaruga, stunning even Izuku and Mei, "he brought virtual intelligence forward by at least twenty years in the span of two. That man is the reason medical robotics has become so streamlined and commonplace in society."
Mei came back to her earlier mirth, "Heck yeah, Mr. DuPont is a personal inspiration of mine! He's basically the gold standard of what it means to be an inventor; I'm hoping to surpass him before the year is out!"
Hagakure could only marvel at the brilliant technique as Tomo seemed to phase in behind the eager gadgeteer, his presence noticed only when the bald man delivered a precise bop to the top of Mei's noggin. The blow looked both soft enough to avoid a pained reaction, but sharp enough that the pinkette immediately snapped to attention. A simply superb showing of skill.
As the senior engineer gave his apprentice a light scolding, Izuku couldn't help but be impressed with the girl. Hatsume was a little odd and she clearly possessed an obnoxious amount of confidence, but you couldn't deny the girl had drive. Her goals were lofty to say the least, something Midoriya could more than empathize with.
Mei warded off her mentor. "But back to the point! Please observe the following!" The dreadlocked inventor turned and began marching the short distance to the blast shield. Tomo gestured for the gathered students to bunch up behind the barrier, Mr. Senki hugging his legs and rolling into position as Osmund bounced atop his tumbling form.
Without pause, Hatsume gave a deft slap to the disc's bright plate, tossing the shield prototype over the blast wall. The pulsing light shot up in tempo, a shrill whine peeling free of the wheeling device. It was just before the disc hit the ground that the demonstration really began.
Those who managed a spot looking through the barrier's glass panel bodily recoiled as the device activated. There was no blinding flash to the explosion, there was barely even any sound. The sudden whoosh of rushing air cut off almost as soon as it started, leaving a void of silence in its wake.
What really caught everyone was the ripple. A cloud of debris was kicked up, for sure, as would be the case with any explosive burst. But the distortion, the physical force of the blast shot through space like a swift wave, the period of silence immediately following in its wake. Even with the defensive shield imposed before them, everyone felt the disturbance pass through them.
At once the field of kicked-up particles ripped outwards from the epicenter, pelting the barrier and surrounding ground with a storm of crackling cacophony. The observers reeled back, both due to the violent noise and a delayed response to the previous wave streaking through their bodies. Even Hatsume and Tomo couldn't suppress a flinch in spite of, presumably, being used to it. There were a still few moments as the rain of dust tapered off, the assembled taking their time to recover.
Perhaps more shakily than she would have liked, Mei began, "A-as you can at-attest, the concussive force alone, even through a solid barrier, is more than enough to stun the target. And as the explosion itself has no heat or fragmentation component intrinsic to it, it serves as a viable non-lethal option for capture maneuvers whilst sporting a bit more kick."
The Aozora students were mostly too stunned to heed the explanation. And then Ikaruga spoke up, "So its main draw is shock and awe?"
The dreaded inventor seemed to reclaim her energy at this, "How right you are! A huge part of any conflict is reaching a resolution! Demoralizing the enemy is literally half the battle in and of itself."
Long strings of exposition seemed to flip a switch in Izuku. Though the boy had a palm half covering his mouth and his face turned toward the floor, his voice rang surprisingly clear and concise.
"It's interesting that the explosion itself appears to have a sort of 'piercing' effect, even through the blast shield a jarring amount of force managed to reach us. The most obvious parallel is Bastion's shield energy and its unique property of selectively choosing what it permits to pass."
Hagakure, herself roused by the building word flurry, had nearly brought her arm into position for a second attempt at snapping Midoriya out of his head space when Mei, again, intervened.
"Another great observation! As this stems from Project Citadel, the energy source has been kept the same to further explore the potentials of its use."
"Does that mean the blast could somehow be set to affect only specific targets? It would be invaluable in situations where friendlies or civilians were mixed in with the enemy."
"That is one avenue of development we are considering! At present though, we're working on some method of shaped explosion. The nature of the device makes it capable of multiple use, so having it be deployable from close range may prove even more optimal than as an indirect-fire method. A hand held repulsion device does have a certain wealth of appeal."
Watching Izuku and Mei converse as such was some sort of spectacle. The former refused to look up from his "thinker's stance" and the junior inventor held her head so high she was basically staring off into the clouds. Hagakure and Tomo met eyes for a brief moment, an instantaneous understanding passing between them as both parties raised their arms in unison.
Minetta's fist struck Midoriya in the ribs, snapping him out of the "presentation." The small boy was still being lugged around by Kisuke, the spike-haired teen giving Izuku a happy wave in greeting. At the same time, a rogue Osmund bopped his head against Hatsume's legs, yipping to be picked up. The girl swiftly complied.
Tooru and Tomo stood dejected, their moments of purpose denied.
Hokuto seized the opportunity, announcing himself with a hand clap. "Allow me to summarize the importance of our first visit: support gear is pretty dope."
Tomo showcased the swiftest of mood swings, turning from utterly downtrodden to hands up in a joyous "raise the roof" display. Mei stepped away from him.
"A good ninety percent of licensed pros use some form of supplemental gadget in their day to day patrols. To say that quality gear is vital in the field is the greatest understatement imaginable."
Pausing, Mr. Senki reached out towards the dancing engineer. Mei, and by extension Osmund, skittered quickly to the far side of the blast shield as their red clad professor snaked an arm around Tomo's head, his free hand catching one of the man's wrists.
"The people who craft and maintain these devices," at this Mr. Senki presented his captive friend the way a child does a favorite toy, "are your everyday heroes. Their efforts are what will keep you and the innocents you protect alive through the worst of it. Appreciate them."
"Dammit Hokuto! You're gonna wring my skull in two!"
As is customary among good friends, Mr. Senki added some extra torque to his crushing hold before finally releasing Tomo. The bald engineer flapped away, hands hastily patting about his head as though making sure it was still properly attached. He seemed quite concerned with his eyebrows in particular.
Osmund scampered back around from the far side of the blast shield. The pup had a familiar disc shaped gadget held within his mouth. Mei followed a moment after, not a hint of worry to be had. Osmund gave a cutesy little twirl before rearing up on his hind legs, presenting the device to Hatsume.
The young inventor plucked the discus from Osmund's mouth, giving him a few appreciative head pats. Being a dog, Osmund immediately started yipping and pouncing about, expecting the "game" to continue. Mei, with little defense to puppy tactics, gave the device a quick lob.
Tomo snatched the disc out of the air, using the hand not preoccupied brushing over his thick brows. Hokuto caught the dog, lugging the young pup over his shoulders like a sack of rice.
Turning back to his class, Mr. Senki threw out a grand thumbs up, "See? Just like that, maximum teamwork." His tone could not have been flatter.
Kisuke offered an applause, his movements jostling Minetta something fierce.
Fighting back a smile, Mr. Senki announced, "Alright, we've been here long enough. Got more spots to visit and daylight's burning." Their teacher walked through their ranks, spinning his finger in a group-up gesture. Osmund happily slipped free of his master's grasp and reclaimed his post atop the man's scalp.
Tomo glanced over the mechanical dish, wiping clean the occasional bit of slobber. He turned to Mei, "I think that'll be enough field testing for today. Time to log data and run diagnostics."
If anything, the prospect of office work seemed to instantly recharge the pinkette. "Oh man, I've got soo many new ideas and theories to catalogue tonight! Not to mention I've got my own babies I need to final proof the designs for. There really aren't enough hours in the day – I'll have to cut back on sleep and forgo eating again."
Tomo slipped the discus into his back pocket and turned towards his friend and his retreating students. "Hokuto!"
The instructor stopped and turned, "Yeah?"
"Take this one with you." Catching Hatsume by the shoulder, he shoved her towards the crowd of teens. Osmund gave an excited bark and vacated his throne.
Mei rounded on her mentor, the pup rushing around her feet. "What? But… Mr. Namida-"
Tomo Namida held up his hand. "You've been here two full weeks and you've barely had a day's wort of downtime. I understand you don't want to waste time with this opportunity, but you're going to burn yourself out."
Mei visibly scoffed at the notion, "Pfft! Don't underestimate my dedication! I've got fuel to burn if its for the sake of my babies!"
Her mentor plucked the goggles strapped to her skull, letting them snap back over her eyes. "That's your problem, you're too single minded. Take the rest of the afternoon and consider things other than your gadgets. For example…"
At this Tomo pinched her scalp between his fingers, rotating her sights onto the gathering of teens nearby. The same group that was closely watching their exchange.
The senior engineer pointed to the students, "This lot right here are your future clientele, might be smart to start forming connections while you have the chance, before some other hungry gearhead gets their claws into them."
The thought of future business prospects brought a sudden, eager light to Hatsume's strangely shaped eyes.
"And if you happen to get some friends out of it," Tomo crossed his arms, looking rather pleased with himself, "we'll call that a fringe benefit."
Nobody could be sure if Mei even heard that last bit, the eccentric girl having already made personal introductions to four people – including the dog. Hokuto ground out a tired breath though the annoyance didn't quite reach his eyes.
Tomo strode up and through the group, reaching his apprentice in he midst of her seventh introduction. Unfazed by her vibrancy, the bald man clapped a palm over her shoulder.
"And while you're out, bring some food back for us. That barbeque place has some good deals on bulk orders."
Alrighty then, how about we get introductions out of the way?
So we've got some named classmates to go over! Spider-girl gets a proper intro as Ikaruga Kurogane. Her first name comes from one of the original Hanzo girls from the Senran Kagura series and her last name is shared with Ikki, the main protagonist from Chivalry of a Failed Knight. Though she maintains a relatively dry and stoic personality, she's an avid fan of fast, furious gaming, particularly bullet hells.
Kisuke Uzuma comes from a more... novel inspiration. Kisuke's first name is just kind of a Japanese name I like. It's not something that comes from any particular character, I just have fun saying it. Uzuma is a cut-off Uzumaki, less from Naruto himself and more just the concept of "spirals" in general, to tie into Kisuke's rotating energy powers. His quirk itself is based on Bari's power from the series Gash Bell.
Also, you may recognize Kisuke's description if you spend a lot of time lurking through the early episodes of season one. It'll come up later...
Naota's name, all of it, is just something I made up. No clue if it's in any way a proper name, but I like it. Naota is a bit more of an important character than the other classmates, at least in terms of his purpose in the long run. I'd say he fulfills a role (and personality) somewhere between Todoroki and Bakugo. We'll get to his power at a later time.
Let's talk actual content of this chapter. Gonna be real with you guys, but we've got some talky chapters coming up. Setting up themes, relationships, a little worldbuilding here and there. The usual.
The entire sequence with the elevator and the "secret door" was one of the last things I added. Originally had it so Hokuto just declares they're going on a trip and then BAM! We're in a train! That was an odd read - remember to always look over your work. I took it as another chance to make Aozora "that weird place."
Surkesh is sort of sideways take on Hero Academia's tendency to use Star Wars names for their locations. Never was a very avid fan of the series so I elected an adjacent media for my name scheme. Surkesh is named after the Salarian homeworld from Mass Effect, lending to the district's nature as a hotspot for developing technologies.
A lot of the details surrounding "Project Citadel" (which I am honestly only just now realizing is another Mass Effect reference... I swear, I am the author of this story) were things that I just kind of threw in after the fact. There being a French hero named Bastion (not an Overwatch reference, by the way), his powers being the basis for the project, his uncle being a leading researcher in Mal Tech as well as the driving force behind this universe's robotic advances is pretty much just flavor I added around the idea of "little disc-thing that generates energy fields." Just an example of how my rambling thoughts turn into world lore.
Almost forgot about Tomo! If I could say there was any kind of influence behind Tomo's first name, it's that the first time I heard it used was for a... particular character from the series Elfen Lied. In terms of personality I want to say he reminds me of that one buff, glasses wearing guy who works for Urahara in Bleach, though my absolute lack of interest in that series for several years now has dulled my memory.
I wanna finish off with Mei. I like using Mei. I feel like she represents a corner of the canon universe that we see very little of. I wanna bring her more to the forefront in this universe. As you have seen, Mei is apprenticing under an established engineer at a big support tech company as opposed to studying at UA. It's not just the hero course students who had a harder time this particular go-around. Well, I doubt someone like Hatsume would see being fast-tracked into a hands-on internship as a negative.
Okay, that's enough rambling from me. Here's hoping spring starts off right.