Chapter 35: School's Out for Summer
Summary:
Preparations for summer camp get underway!
Notes:
So, while my approach to canon has been to bash it with a sledgehammer and take the good bits, it turns out I've been able to salvage something I thought would be irreparably broken. Thus, manga spoilers apply from hereon out.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Nezu sipped his tea as the two Support Course girls took a seat in his office, "Ladies, I have an offer for the two of you."
Melissa tried to remain composed, uncertain about the mammal's intentions. Mei, on the other hand, asked, "Are you going to tell us your species? 'Cause if so, I offered to try and hack into the encrypted files to tell Izuku, but he told me not to. Said the challenge was more fun, and that your species doesn't actually matter, what's important is you're the principal!"
Nezu laughed, "No, Hatsume-san, I would never give up the little game that Midoriya-kun and I play. No, this involves the two of you, and your futures, should you choose to accept my offer. You see, while we typically keep our students on a single track, sometimes opportunities arise for students to take a more interdisciplinary role."
Melissa drew in a breath, having an idea where this was going and scarcely believing it.
"We have many reasons for this. Primarily due to the unique circumstances of this year. We are in a unique situation where our students are being targeted by villains. Your connections to class 1-A in general and Midoriya-kun in particular leave you in a vulnerable spot. Additionally, your skills in granting aid to 1-A during their final exams showed us your potential, and you are the highest ranking Support Students in your respective years. Hatsume-san, reaching the third round of the Sports Festival typically results in us offering the student the opportunity to join, or at least try out, for the Hero Course. The only reason we did not is that you adamantly insisted that you remain in the Support Course. Not to mention that the two of you have undergone 'Quirk Awakenings' quite recently…"
Nezu used air quotes, which was odd given the structure of his paws.
"So, my offer is this," Nezu said. "While the two of you will remain Support students, you may supplement your original coursework by attending the Heroics lessons alongside Class 1-A. This will begin with the two of you attending the summer training camp, and we will allow you to participate with them in the Provisional License Exam in September."
Melissa sat back in her chair, overwhelmed by the emotion. She'd considered her childhood dream of Heroism long buried. Having it brought to her so late in life felt insane.
Mei, however, took it much better, "Oh, cool, so we'd be like Power Loader-sensei, then? Maybe a bit more on the Support Side, but we could participate if things got hairy? And defend ourselves without worrying about stupid outdated laws?"
"Precisely!" Nezu said happily. "Though, obviously, whatever you wish to specialize in doing on both sides of the Support and Heroics spectrum would be your own prerogative."
"Sweet, I'm in!" Mei said. "Now I can build AND field test my babies!"
Melissa felt a little better about the idea. She had a brilliant mind and plenty of help to get her to this level. She would just have a few extracurriculars added to make her more versatile and make sure she could handle a harsh life, "I'll do it."
"Splendid!" Nezu said. "There'll be some minor paperwork, but I believe we can make this work well enough. And you will need to decide on Hero names. I'll do my best to help, but I don't always know what humans find appropriate. So we'll need to run suggestions by Midnight to make sure it works. Feel free to take your time."
Melissa smiled, "I think I have one already. Shieldmaiden."
Nezu grinned, "It sounds perfect to me."
Mei cried out, "Babymaker!"
"No," both Melissa and Nezu said in unison to Mei's disappointment.
Eraserhead sat in the conference room, absolutely shell-shocked.
He'd always suspected that there was more to his Problem Child than he was told. There was too much coincidence, too much secrecy. However, he felt that it was beyond his pay grade, and trusted that Nezu would fill in the gaps where he could. All Might as well. He was shocked at how his opinion of the Symbol of Peace was changing after a semester working alongside him. The man was obviously more shrewd than Eraserhead initially believed, and was working hard.
He never expected that Izuku Midoriya would approach him and tell him that he would be read in on the full details of his Quirk, its true history, and everything that it was capable of thus far.
Honestly, he was glad he didn't know this from the beginning. He'd have never believed it otherwise.
Problem Child's Quirk was All Might's Quirk. Not a similar Quirk, the same Quirk, transferred from the Symbol of Peace to his student. As was transferred to All Might years ago. A Quirk that grew stronger and stronger since the Dawn of Quirks, and had gotten so powerful that Quirk Singularity went from being a crackpot idea introduced to students specifically to be dismissed to a very real phenomenon embodied within his student.
Eraserhead wouldn't have believed a word of it, if not for the fact that Nezu and All Might corroborated the story while they spoke. And for the fact that, despite the insanity, this explained all of the inconsistencies with Izuku's story that he'd either overlooked or seen as inappropriate to pry into. At the very least, it made his grab bag of powers make so much more sense to be a bunch of unrelated Quirks rather than different expressions of the same Quirk.
And so, Eraserhead sat there, All Might and Nezu having left, with Izuku still there, looking uncomfortable, but not wanting to leave in case his homeroom teacher had questions.
Eraserhead finally got up, going over to the coffee machine that had been brewing. He took the pot and, after some consideration, chose to forego a mug and simply drank straight from it. "I appreciate your candor, but I would like to know why you're telling me this now, of all times."
"Partly because, well, you've proven yourself trustworthy after all this time," Izuku said. Eraserhead would never say out loud that his heart skipped a beat after hearing that. "But it's mostly because of the training camp. I wanted to be sure that you gave those bonded to me proper training. Especially M- Hatsume-san and Shield-san," Izuku stumbled, remembering to refer to his Support Course girlfriends more formally for an official setting. "They all need to have training that fits their bond-enhanced Quirks and physiology, and if you have a wrong idea about how their Quirks work, then this entire excursion would be worse than useless for them."
"Of course you're more worried about them than yourself, Problem Child," Eraserhead said, then bit his tongue. "Sorry."
Izuku blushed, "You know, I don't mind that nickname. I've had plenty of cruel teachers call me names. I know how it sounds when it's malicious, and this isn't it."
"It doesn't matter. You've been discounted by adults in authority for too long. You deserve to be treated with respect," Eraserhead said.
Izuku paused, "Then, logically, shouldn't you treat me the way you would any other student? Not like I was made of glass? Because that sounds both disrespectful and irrational."
Eraserhead stared into the middle distance, "I should have resigned the minute the rat got his hands on you, Problem Child."
"Actually, I've narrowed him down to a carnivorous Australian marsupial. And of those, I think I can discard the antechinus and similar 'marsupial rats'," Izuku clarified.
"Ah, then it doesn't matter, I'm doomed no matter where I go," Eraserhead said before taking a long pull from the coffee pot. "So, tell me about the Quirk you created for Shield-san," he almost wanted to scream due to how maddening that sentence was.
Izuku nodded, speaking slowly and clearly, "Battery is a power stockpiling Quirk split off from One for All. I don't think she can transfer it the way I can. It's equivalent to 0.25 percent of One for All's total power. When it manifests, it's similar to my Full Cowl technique in expression, but it looks very different, providing afterimages that appear to bend and curve. We believe that the lightning is my unique expression of One for All, influenced by my parents' Quirks, while the afterimages are influenced by her father's. Between those and All Might's muscle form, we believe that we may have dormant, inexpressive Quirk factors that influenced our use of these Quirks on a purely aesthetic level.
"The Sharing Bond, however, takes those aesthetic flourishes and makes them much more literal. I can now bend my joints impossibly," to demonstrate, Izuku bent his fingers the opposite way, then bent his elbow in reverse, then rotated his head 270 degrees like an owl. Eraserhead hid his shock at that disturbing sight well. "It's not the same as, say, Tiger's Pliabody Quirk, but it's pretty useful for dodging.
"As for Melissa, she has access to at least one percent of One for All, in addition to her own stockpile Quirk, but she can bulk up in a manner similar to All Might. She's not as muscular as All Might or Star and Stripe, but she's got more mass to work with and she can use her Quirk more easily. Additionally, while the other girls express my lightning when they use One for All, she can actually use her blue lightning as if she was discharging a lightning bolt. The attack has a range of 100 meters, and it doesn't actually shock or do electrical damage. It's merely a concussive force."
Eraserhead nods. He expects that he now has several gray hairs, but this is workable. "I should have decent training menus available for all of you. I'll be holding you to a higher standard…" At least Izuku's gulp meant that he had the right amount of fear remaining. "Now, I can scarcely believe this, but En is one of your Quirk's past holders? And he's currently in your head?"
Izuku blinked, "He is, Aizawa-sensei. Why?"
"Largely because he's a legend among Underground Heroes," Eraserhead clarified. "It'd be interesting to pick his brain."
"He's a man of few words," Izuku said, before he amended that. "At least, when he's not teasing me for something. And he's given me insight for our stealth exercises."
Eraserhead nodded, "If you're both willing, I would like to talk to him at some point. Not today, too much to prepare and I've dealt with a ton of crap already."
"We could ask Shinsou-kun, he knows my Quirk's haunted, and whenever he brainwashes me, one of the vestiges takes the wheel," Izuku offered. He paused for a bit, then added, "But En says that he's not sure how much you'll learn. He… died pretty young."
Eraserhead chose not to comment on that. He wanted to be mad at All Might for giving his student a Quirk that came with its own nemesis, but everyone was sure he was dead. To be fair, according to all eyewitnesses, All for One's skull resembled an egg crushed by a brick, so it was a reasonable assumption to make.
"Very well, Problem Child. Dismissed. Go enjoy the day with your-" Eraserhead stopped as he stared into the middle distance once more, "Oh no…"
"What is it, sensei?" Izuku asked.
"Don't worry about it," Eraserhead said, shooing the boy away as he wondered what to do. He was initially planning on making sure Izuku knew he couldn't expect a romantic time with his girlfriends at summer camp, because they'd be too busy training.
Now? In his particular case, that might actually interfere with his plans to strengthen his students' Quirks.
"I don't know how, but this is Nemuri's fault," Eraserhead muttered as he finished off the coffee pot.
The day prior to leaving for camp, Tsu had already arranged for two things she'd wanted to do for a while.
The first was having her family visit them. It had been the longest that the frog girl had spent without her parents or siblings and she was getting homesick. Thus, in the middle of preparations for camp, Class 1-A had their introduction to the Asui family.
"Your parents are really nice, Tsu-chan, but your dad's a little intense," Ochako said to Tsu while changing in the locker room.
"Ribbit, he's just trying to make sure you're good people," Tsu replied, helping her little sister into a yellow swimsuit. "Since we're, y'know, dating, ribbit."
"Is it just me, or was he mad at Nejire-senpai's questions?" Ochako asked.
Tsu squeezed her fingers, "Ribbit, a little bit. He knows it's not malicious, ribbit, but that kind of questioning to a heteromorph can be offensive, ribbit. At least the bond had her back off and apologize."
"I'm sure Samidare-kun has at least five crushes by now," Toru burst into the conversation, a floating swimsuit. "I saw the way he blushed at Mina and Tokage, at least!"
"Should Kirishima-kun and Tetsutetsu-kun be worried about competition?" Momo asked playfully.
"Nah, ribbit, if anyone needs to be worried, it's Tokoyami-chan, ribbit," Tsu said. "Or maybe Yanagi-chan? Ribbit, either way, he currently thinks they're the coolest people he's ever met."
Their musing on the situation was stopped when Eri stepped into view, dressed in a pink swimsuit, being brought along by Yui, "T-thanks for your help, Mama Yui."
"You're welcome, Eri-chan," Yui whispered in response, patting the girl on her head.
The second thing Tsu wanted to do was finally teach Eri how to swim. Hence why they gathered at one of U.A.'s pools.
"Eri-chan!" Satsuki Asui hopped towards the other young girl, "You look really nice, wibbit!"
Eri smiled. Satsuki was the first person her own age she'd interacted with, and they'd immediately hit it off. The two began to rush off to the pool in excitement.
"Hey! No running!" Ochako raced after them, followed closely by the others.
The teens caught up to the smaller children and instructed them to walk carefully towards the water. Once they got within sight, they saw waves being kicked up by a green blur. Realizing their presence, the waves ceased as Izuku stopped, then pulled himself out of the water.
"Wow!" Toru said telepathically as he shook water out of his hair.
"It's always nice to be reminded of what we're working with, ribbit," Tsu said.
"Forget grinding meat, you could sharpen metal on those abs," Yui replied approvingly.
"How does he have such an adorable face and a great body?!" Ochako said, blushing and hoping she didn't have a nosebleed, "Who gave him the right?!"
In lieu of responding, Momo simply turned beet red and averted her eyes.
"Hey, everyone!" Izuku greeted them. "Sorry, I just wanted to get some laps in before we started. I didn't want to go too Plus Ultra when we're teaching Eri!"
"Training or Quirk experimentation?" Ochako asked, focusing on that instead of anything else.
"Column A, column B," Izuku said, deliberately avoiding looking directly at them, lest he blind himself as though staring directly at the sun. "Fa Jin is REALLY good at moving through water with very little effort. But that's not what's important right now!" Izuku crouched down to see Eri and Satsuki, "Want to have some fun in the pool?"
They cheered, and thus began a wonderful day that interspersed actual lessons on how to swim with a whole lot of playing in the water, thanks to Momo providing the group with pool toys.
When relaxing in an inner tube shaped to look like a dolphin, Satsuki swam up to Tsu and said, "Nee-chan, wibbit, everyone's so nice! It's kinda weird how none of your boyfriends or girlfriends is an animal-person like us, wibbit."
While potentially rude, six year olds could be forgiven, particularly given how blunt her older sister was, "Ribbit, they're all very nice people. That matters much more than what they look like."
Izuku smiled, "I might not have a frog Quirk like Tsu-chan, but I can improvise…" And with that, he opened his mouth and shot out a strand of Blackwhip like it was Tsu using her tongue.
"Wow," Satsuki was wide-eyed with delight. Tsu, meanwhile, looked at him with a look that most wouldn't parse, but that the bond made clear was very appreciative.
"Um…" Eri spoke up, floating by on a raft-chair. "And I might not have an animal Quirk, Satsuki-chan, but I'm told my horn looks like a unicorn's, or a narwhal's…" she said, pointing to the appendage.
"Yay!" Satsuki cheered, rushing over to hug the other girl. Unfortunately, Eri wasn't fully used to the pool, and the sudden contact made her freeze, and her Quirk began to activate.
"ERI!" Izuku and Tsu cried out in unison, seeing the girl's horn begin to glow. They both reached out, Izuku with Blackwhip, and Tsu with her tongue. Izuku grabbed Eri, Tsu grabbed Satsuki, and the two of them reeled the little girls close to them and away from each other, leaping out of the water as they did so.
VWORP!
The two were shocked at the sudden sound in their head. Moreso when the girls commented.
"Papa, why is Mama Tsu's tongue glowing like Blackwhip?" Eri asked weakly.
"Nee-chan, wibbit, why is Nii-chan all covered in the black stuff?" Satsuki asked.
The two of them inspected each other, and themselves, more closely. Tsu was sparking with yellow-green lightning, and her tongue was indeed covered in a protective sheath of black energy. In Izuku's case, however, it was as though Blackwhip had covered his entire body in a second skin.
"Izu-chan, could you try and keep it off your face, ribbit?" Tsu asked. "Cause the only part of you that isn't black are your eyes. Ribbit, it's a bit unsettling."
"Sorry," Izuku squeaked, and tried to clear it off of his head, as the inky energy retreated, making it look like he was wearing a black turtleneck bodysuit.
"Better, ribbit," Tsu said.
Izuku smiled, and stroked Eri's head, still glowing, with the black-covered hand, to no ill effects. At which point, Rewind stopped, and Eri panted as Eraserhead stood in the doorway to the pool, eyes glowing red to stop her Quirk.
"Thank you for your quick intervention, Aizawa-sensei," Momo bowed, holding her panic button in her hands.
"Those buttons were the best investments this school's ever made," Eraserhead said. "So, obviously, swimming lessons are over for today."
Satsuki began to cry, "Wibbit, I'm sorry, Eri-chan! I didn't mean to make you upset or to stop the fun!"
Eri looked shocked, "No, it's my fault. I can't control my cur- my Quirk. I didn't mean to activate it!" Tears began to sprout from her eyes.
The two little girls began to cry, with the teenagers comforting them and Eraserhead looking extremely awkward and out of his depth.
When it subsided, Satsuki asked, with trepidation, "Do… Do you not want to be best friends anymore?"
Eri shook her head, "I still want to be friends with you if you still want to be friends with me!"
Satsuki looked like she was about to leap onto Eri with pure, relieved joy, until she stopped herself. "Can I hug you?"
At Eri's nod, she went over and the girls embraced. Eri slumped once they broke free, and Izuku picked her up.
"I'll bring her back to the dorms," Eraserhead said, taking the girl from his student. He looked at Izuku and sighed, "I suppose we'll be working to determine exactly how this affects the both of you before we leave tomorrow…"
"Part of me wants to say we'll have time at the camp, but I assume that you'll have packed the camp to the gills and we'll need to get this sorted beforehand so that you can plan appropriately," Izuku muttered.
"You're catching on," Eraserhead said as the students left to change and he returned the school's ward to the dorms.
The next morning, as the First Years woke up early and prepared to head to the camp, Mei asked, "So, let's go with the basics. Tsu, how does Blackwhip interact with you?"
"Ribbit, my tongue's length is doubled, and I can cover it with the same energy, so it's a lot tougher," Tsu replied.
"And how does One for All boost Frog?" Melissa asked with interest.
"We couldn't figure all of it out, ribbit," Tsu said, a little dejected. "Recovery Girl took some blood and tissue samples, ribbit, so that should help. But I know three things for certain, ribbit, but they're all kind of embarrassing, ribbit…"
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to. But you know we won't judge," Ochako replied, putting a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder.
Tsu leaned into it, "All right, ribbit. Well, the first is that I can grow out webbing, ribbit, starting between my fingers and toes, but I can get it between my arms and legs, too, and it lets me glide. The second is that I can grow out some bony claws, ribbit. The third… ribbit, the third is that my poison mucus changed. It used to just sting a little, ribbit, but now I can pour more into it, making it a lot stronger. And I can change it from poison to other effects. It can be really sticky, like a type of glue, and I think I could make a painkiller of some kind?"
"And all of those are things certain amphibian species can do!" Izuku said excitedly. "The African clawed frog not only has natural claws, it can essentially break its bones through its skin to form stronger claws. It's also capable of regenerating, and I think that Tsu-chan may be capable of that, too. Wallace's flying frog can glide thanks to webbing between its toes, though Tsu-chan can also grow patagium like a flying squirrel, so that's a bit of an overboard reaction. There's a number of poison dart frog species that have dangerous poisons, the golden poison frog has the strongest toxin. The holy cross frog secretes a powerful adhesive substance, and the waxy monkey tree frog secretes a powerful opioid painkiller! And that's just what we know about. There may be more unique traits of possible amphibian species that Tsu can replicate!"
The group blinked. They'd gotten used to Izuku's mutterstorms, but even now, some of that was muddled beyond comprehension. Toru asked, "Izu-kun, how do you have all of these facts just rattling around in your skull?"
Momo cleared her throat, "The two of us may have done a research dive into various frog species and their capabilities last night. Though we were both aware of a number of facts like this, I had more foreknowledge in this particular instance than he did."
Despite saying that, there was a clear insight thanks to the bonds, revealing that both Izuku and Momo did have these random pieces of information floating around their heads, largely as a result of being socially isolated and thus filling the void with reading about whatever caught their fancy.
Desperate to change the subject she'd inadvertently brought up, Toru said, "So, Izu-kun, what about that Blackwhip catsuit?"
"It's really cool! It functions as body armor, and it's great at reducing impact! When it's active, it increases my jump distance and lets me cling to walls!" Izuku said happily.
"So you've fully become Spiderman," Yoichi replied. "With shades of the Venom symbiote suit."
"What are you talking about, Yoichi-jii-san?" Izuku asked, confused.
"..." Yoichi seemed distraught. "I can't believe that's been lost. Truly, this is the darkest timeline."
"You know, for once, I agree with you, nerd-lord," Ryouji said.
"Losing Spiderman was a blow to culture," Isamu agreed.
Izuku's eyes widened, "Okay, all three of the Dark Age vestiges agree on something. Should I be worried?"
"Yes," came the unanimous agreement of everyone in his headspace.
"Look, I'm just saying we have the perfect opportunity here!" Tsuburaba said as his group of 1-B's students began making their way towards the bus.
"Maybe," Kaibara replied. "Assuming that we weren't screwed by association with the trash we had to throw out."
"I doubt 1-A's going to think we're all the same level of asshole as those two were," Awase said.
Monoma, who was walking ahead of the group, had a dark facial expression when 1-A was mentioned, but didn't comment. Which was somewhat worrying.
"What's wrong with 1-A?" Shouto popped up behind the boys talking, startling them.
Gathering his nerves, Awase shook his head, "Ah, sorry Ice Prince, you popped in outta nowhere." Shouto nodded. The nickname had started as Awase being angry at Shouto's aloof nature, but it quickly morphed into affectionate once Awase realized that Shouto was, to quote him, "basically an abused puppy that's only been socialized for a few months now."
Granted, Awase hadn't intended that comment to be overheard, but Shouto didn't think it was false.
"Tsuburaba-kun thinks that we should try to get 'acquainted' with 1-A during the training camp," Honenuki said, a little exasperated. "As if we'll have many opportunities for that…"
"We can't be training the entire time. There'll be some time to get to know them," Tsuburaba said.
"I'm on friendly terms with a number of 1-A students," Shouto offered. "Shinso-kun and Fuki-kun as well. Not to mention our representatives."
"Really," Tsuburaba's round eyes gleamed with interest. "Anyone in particular who could be interested in spending time with us?"
"I'm pretty sure Izuku-nii would be thrilled to discuss Quirks," Shouto said plainly.
Tsuburaba sighed and facepalmed. Honenuki chuckled at the boy's frustration.
"Dude, Todoroki-kun, he means the girls," Kaibara said. "Some of us want to get to know some of the girls and see if they're looking for a relationship."
"Oh. Right, yes, sorry. I forget that's a thing most people want," Shouto replied. Awase shook his head at that statement.
"I mean, I know there's seven guys in there, but even if they're all in relationships, that still leaves six others unattached," Tsuburaba said. "There's still a chance for us to have some summer romance!"
"Hmm, your math's off, unfortunately. I don't know about everyone, but Izuku-nii and five of his female classmates are in a polyamorous relationship," Shouto stated flatly.
Several of his classmates turned to him, shocked. Even the ones that weren't invested in the idea of dating one of the Hero Course's few girls were shocked by that news.
"Wait, he's not dating the pink-haired support girl?!" Kaibara said. "I heard that every single one of the first year support students were thankful for him 'taming the beast'!"
"Oh, he is. She's part of it," Shouto said unenthusiastically. "Two upperclassmen as well. It's a group of nine total."
"Holy shit, I can't believe Mineta was correct!" Awase said.
Tsuburaba opened and closed his mouth several times in shock, before stating, "You know, part of me's mad, but honestly? I'm glad someone's living the dream. Of course, that does mean that in the worst case scenario, there's only two ladies available."
"Assuming no one else is polyamorous," Honenuki stated. "And that they're all attracted to men."
"Aw, hell," Tsuburaba slumped.
"The fantasy had a good run," Kaibara said, a little glum himself.
Any further musings were stopped when the assembled mass of 1-B students met with the towering form of their Teaching Assistant. Mirio waved as they all approached.
"Bonjour, Togata-senpai!" Aoyama popped up, twinkling as he did so. "Will you be accompanying us on our excursion?"
"I certainly am!" Mirio said happily. "The faculty decided that the more help they had whipping you first years into shape, the better!"
"Will Amajiki-senpai be joining us as well?" Shoda asked. "He helped us out so much preparing for the finals…"
"Yup! Tamaki-kun's on the bus already. He'd be here to greet you as well, but, well, you know…" Mirio replied.
Everyone nodded. Tamaki had been moved into 1-B's dorms as well. Seeing how much the indigo-haired boy relied on Mirio for social interactions, it just made sense. And thus, most of them knew the depths of his anxiety.
"You'll also be meeting the last member of the Big Three, Nejire Hado!" Mirio said. "She's 1-A's teaching assistant, and the three of us will be helping you all out where we're needed, not just sticking with our own classes!"
Tsuburaba perked up, "Well, that's interesting… wait, Todoroki-kun, is she one of the two upperclassmen you mentioned?"
"Yes," Shouto deadpanned.
"Damnit," Tsuburaba said under his breath.
At this point, Vlad King arrived. He'd been doing much better ever since the Sports Festival. A lot less irritable, "Good morning, everyone. There's two things we'll need you to be aware of before we head out. Firstly, two Support Course students are being considered for dual-course placement. They'll be joining the training camp alongside 1-A."
Monoma scoffed, "And they couldn't have joined the superior Hero class? Or split them evenly?"
"They're already friendly with 1-A," Vlad King stated. "Their help was instrumental in helping a number of 1-A pass their practical exams."
"HAH!" Monoma was filled with energy as he posed like a madman. "I knew those glory hounds had to have cheated! There's no way they could have surpassed the might of 1-B on their own merit!"
Akira butted in, "Neito-bro, if that's true, then the Pep Talks we gave everyone before the exams would be considered cheating as well, wouldn't it?"
Hitoshi put his hand on Akira's shoulder, "Maybe we should just let him have this."
Vlad King gestured to Mirio for the second tidbit of information. Mirio said, "The second is that there's going to be a little girl joining 1-A on the trip. Her name is Eri, and she's about five or six years old. U.A. gained custody of her after I helped rescue her from a villain. Eri has a volatile quirk that's difficult to control. If things go wrong, there's a short list of people who she trusts and who can stop her from hurting someone. That list contains 1-A's homeroom teacher and a handful of its students whose Quirks protect them from her's. So, she's coming along for safety reasons."
"We're not going to have to babysit, are we?" Ojiro asked.
Vlad King shook his head, "No. You simply need to be aware that there'll be a civilian in your midst that you'll need to watch out for as you train."
Ojiro shook his head, then looked at Monoma, "Not gonna comment on 1-A bringing a mascot?"
"I'd have to be an absolute monster to insult Eri-chan," Monoma said bluntly.
Most of 1-B looked utterly shocked at that statement, but any commentary was stopped when a voice shouted out, "Papa Mirio!"
The shock continued as the class saw a tiny girl with white hair, red eyes, and a single horn growing from her forehead rushed ahead of 1-A and ran towards their T.A. Mirio knelt down and scooped her up in a hug.
"Hey, Eri-chan, what's up?" Mirio asked.
"Clouds!" she replied, and Mirio gave a hearty laugh at that. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," Mirio said, patting her on the back. "I'm sorry, I was busy."
"I know," Eri said sadly. "Papa Izuku said you were helping the other class like Mama Nejire was helping his, but I wanted to see you and Papa Tamaki more often."
"Oh my stars and garters, this is positively heartwarming," Shishida said softly.
Sato nodded, "If this was any sweeter, it'd activate my Quirk."
"Good to see you again, Eri-chan!" Akira said as he and Hitoshi approached the girl.
"Hi, Uncle Akira! Hi, Uncle Hitoshi!" Eri waved as 1-A caught up with them. She looked at the others, a little intimidated, "Is… Is this your class?"
Mirio nodded, "1-B, this is Eri-chan!"
Before they could get introductions underway, Eraserhead cleared his throat. "We'll have plenty of time to introduce you later. We're currently eating up our time here."
"Where are we going, anyway?" Hitoshi asked,
"Classified," Eraserhead said. "Kan-san and I were only told this morning, and you won't know until we arrive. We've had to step up security thanks to the League of Villains. As a reminder, no cell phones or other electronics. If any are found on your person, it's grounds for expulsion."
As they boarded the bus, Aoyama went to Vlad King and asked, " Excusez-moi , but does ma ceinture not violate this rule?"
Vlad King shook his head, "Your belt is a necessary support item. It's been approved for the trip."
Aoyama nodded and boarded the bus.
Unfortunately, Yuga Aoyama neglected to mention that his parents provided him with a new belt, as the custom manufacturer had found a defect. But he thought it was unimportant. That manufacturer had often sent him new belts. He found nothing odd about that.
Similarly, he never gave a second thought to the "Quirk specialist" his parents brought him to when he was five.
And thanks to his parents' cobbler, he had no idea that his shoes were custom made for someone with an additional toe joint