"One of the most fascinating facets of history is the fact that it is constantly evolving. Not only are we living through ever-changing times, but each day brings about new understandings of the past that were never before possible. Take, for example, the case of the Luminescent Child of Qing Qing, China. According to all prior knowledge, that child was the first case of a Quirk manifesting in a human. Recent studies, however, have hypothesised that there's evidence of a prior manifestation – perhaps several – that could alter the way in which we approach our understanding of our genetic development. Of course, such research is only in its primary stages, but I believe it would be best to recap our current understanding so you can understand any changes should they arise…"
The urge to fall asleep was great; the urge to blow up Mr Hanawa so Katsuki never had to listen to his drivel again was greater. How the man could practically get himself off over reading history books was a mystery Katsuki didn't care to learn about. So long as it didn't impact his future career, it was all piss in the wind anyway. Villains weren't exactly going to stop because you were able to recite a textbook, after all. The only thing stopping him from completely falling into the realms of slumber was that UA wouldn't tolerate anything but the best, including the more superfluous subjects.
Naturally, that didn't stop Katsuki from making his disinterest apparent in the slightest. The tapping of his pen against the desk had become a common occurrence by this point, to the extent that Mr Hanawa had long since forgone trying to stop it. Whether it was of his own volition or some gentle persuasion from those above to avoid any demeanours on Katsuki's would remain unspoken. Either way, the man probably considered it a more tolerable alternative to the impromptu naps of his classmates.
Such was why, when the ground trembled at the might of a bestial roar, Katsuki was one of the first to rush over to the window and witness the giant attacking their school building. Thank goodness too, for it would've been impossible to get as good a seat as Katsuki had he waited but a moment longer, the swelling crowd soon forcing him against the glass. Fortunately, one foul tempered shove was enough to remind his peers of his presence, the closest offenders rushing to provide Katsuki some breathing room.
"Now everyone, back to your seats! Remember the protocol we went over in the first week!" Mr Hanawa struggled to say, yet it was no better than a whisper compared to the cacophony his students produced. Not that they would've followed his instructions had they heard him; a villain meant a hero was soon to follow. Why cower under their seats when they could have a front-row seat to the action? "Oh, at least don't stick your head out of the window! Do you lot have a death wish or something?"
"Hey, what's that?" Unlike the whinging of their teacher, the students near-simultaneously turned in the direction of someone's pointed finger, their excitement unrestrained as they saw some strange projection extend to the horizon. "Does that mean there's a hero in Aldera right now?"
"No way! A hero coming into the school would've been huge news." Another immediately denied. With how raucously their class had reacted at the possibility of a hero's arrival, it wasn't an unreasonable claim. Such was why it took a minute before the first to speak out managed to find a retort.
"Then who's doing that?"
Whatever answer they would have received was silenced by the sight of a rapidly enlarging train rocketing over their heads, swiftly followed by another. When that was followed by a golden blur launching themselves from the very same windows to the sound of a child's scream, that incredulity only grew. Needless to say, a Quirk that was capable of achieving such a feat would make many a pro jealous. The likelihood of one of Aldera's own being responsible was laughable at best.
Katsuki, however, paid little attention to such ramblings. No, his mind was far too preoccupied with the scream that had accompanied the appearance of those trains. After all, it was a tone that Katsuki had long since grown accustomed too; his ears could've picked out that wimpy voice in the rowdiest of crowds. Just how Izuku managed to get himself involved with whatever hero caused this spectacle though remained a mystery. Even accounting for the doctor's quirk dealing with his injuries, there was no way for Izuku to be anything more than a detriment to a hero in action. What, then, was the point in dragging him along when the hero could've just left him in the safety of the infirmary?
Before any answers could come to Katsuki, the sharp whir of heavy machinery drew him out of his thoughts, just in time to witness a trigger depressing and a dial spinning. What had once appeared to be a steam engine's chimney soon revealed its true function when the entire roof of Jail began to lift and rotate, its new position aimed towards the attacking villain as if it were a gun's barrel. Chain, meanwhile, allowed its sides to jut out and slide forward, the two spools of chain held within primed for action.
Once those actions were complete, the giant never stood a chance. By the time he had thrown his hands up to act, they were already bound by chains that refused to relent. Dragging away their captive, neither tooth nor foot managed to break them, the students watching breathlessly as every attempt the villain made became fruitless. Once Jail followed suit with a strange light pouring out of its chimney, even that was rendered impossible, the giant encased in a fluorescent cage. With his new confinement shrinking by the second, it wasn't long before he could do no more than sit and await his fate.
The consequent racket from the students threatened to shake the walls of Aldera far more than the giant could have. Such raucous noise only served to make Katsuki's silence even more distinct.
What was he to say? In less time than it would take to make a cup of tea, a villain with blatant strength was subdued without any effort at all. Even a Quirk as great as his would've struggled to achieve such a flawless victory. That there was a hero who had reached such a level of efficiency was a sobering thought to any who took their dream seriously, support tech or not. Looking down at a sweaty palm, Katsuki could already sense the spark that had ignited in the back of his mind. Whether it was motivation or envy mattered not; if it could spur his abilities onward, then Katsuki would eagerly embrace it.
"Hey, look! The hero's coming this way!" cried a classmate.
In truth, the call was rather unnecessary considering that their arrival was heralded by the two mysterious trains shrinking down to their original size, but it whipped the others into an even greater furore regardless. With visits from heroes woefully few and far between considering their workloads, any opportunity to speak with one was a blessing. Add on the takedown they just witnessed, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a single child who didn't abound with energy. That energy served its purpose well when, in spite of Mr Hanawa's orders, the entire classroom seemed to evacuate in seconds. Katsuki only needed a second's thought before he joined them, his leisurely pace a stark contrast.
Those within other classrooms could only lament their misfortune when the golden figure was mobbed the moment that they landed, barely enough space left to lower a disoriented Izuku. Knowing how fanatical some of their fellow students could get, their chance to speak with the hero had shrunk to near nonexistence in a matter of seconds.
"Huh, would you look at that? Guess that saves me the effort of calling people out." Léa mused as she was flooded by a barrage of questions she couldn't possibly hope to decipher. It wasn't until she threw her hands up in surrender that any semblance of control was returned to the crowd. "Alright everybody, back up a bit! Look, I know the situations perfectly under control, but this is still the site of an attempted crime. Any more rowdiness and it's back to the classroom with all of you! Now, let's hear what's gotten you so riled up. Just remember I can't answer anything if you're all screaming your lungs out over each other."
"Are you a new hero? I don't think I've heard anything about a newcomer being placed around here!" one young girl was fortunate enough to say first, Lea shaking her head.
"Hero? Not at all. I'm just a policewoman." came her answer amidst the sounds of awe elicited by Léa's suit dissolving, leaving the pristine uniform beneath as proof. "If there's anyone who should be called a hero, it's this kid right here. After all, none of this would've been possible without his help."
Silence. At least, the closest you could get to silence given the whispers that tumbled from the windows above. By the time Izuku managed to recover from his esoteric form of transport, he was met by a sea of piercing eyes. Hardly the first time he had come across such a situation – pretty much any occasion where Izuku demonstrated his love for heroes had resulted in the same scene – yet unnerving nonetheless. It wouldn't break until Léa gave a snap of her fingers.
"Right, Quirkless, nearly forgot." She mused aloud, a carelessness to her words that almost made Izuku wince. Only the words she had spoken to him before kept the remark from having the bite it might have held. "Well, if you don't believe me, watch this."
Though he would never admit it, Izuku was somewhat relieved when his classmates also failed to comprehend how Léa managed to pull the VS Changer and Jail seemingly out of thin air. That relief was short-lived, however, confusion taking its place when the woman connected the two to little fanfare. The raucous music and fiery yelling from before were nowhere to be heard, the twisting of the barrel eliciting nothing but the sound of metal against metal. When pulling the trigger continued to do nothing, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think Léa had simply pulled out a toy.
"See? Useless in my hands. If it weren't for Izuku, I'd still be facing down a giant with nothing but a gun. Sure, the heroes might have come eventually, but who's to say how much damage may have accrued in the meantime?" no answer came, leaving Léa free to throw the two items over to an unprepared Izuku, a few panicked noises escaping the child as he rushed to catch them. "And speaking of Quirklessness, let me see… you, with the spiky fingers. Rock-hair, hiding behind that girl. The horny one at the back. Miss Floaty hair and… the one who's trying to kill me with his stare. Care to come forward?"
Not particularly, but it wasn't as if there was any choice. Considering Léa's present company, it was glaringly obvious why they had been called out. Refusing her call would not only be a blatant insult to a figure of authority, it would also essentially be an act of hypocrisy. After all, none of them had been particularly subtle about their distaste for Izuku and his aspirations. Backing down at this point would be admitting that they didn't hold confidence in their own beliefs. That would involve admitting they were wrong and no child ever likes to be told they are wrong.
"Obedient; appreciate it." Was the first thing Léa said as the chosen grouped before her. While the words may have been praise at their core, their dryness was unmistakable. "Now, I could go on the tangent I'm dying to give you, or you could confess here and now and we won't have to make a big deal about it. Know what I'm saying?"
Katsuki's scowl expanded exponentially as a sea of stares turned upon him. Cowards, the lot of them. Where had the bravery they showed when Izuku was on the ground gone? Always backing down the moment that trouble came their way – and they had the gall to wonder why Katsuki called them extras. How they planned to become heroes was anybody's guess.
"Not really. Izuku wanted to play hero and couldn't handle it. That doesn't seem like something you need a confession for." Came his reply, his voice only vaguely coloured by irritation. Said irritation became far more visible when those surrounding began to dumbly nod and voice their agreements, a sharp bearing of his teeth bringing them back under order. "Is that why you called us out? Because someone got hurt trying to do something they have a genetic disadvantage at? As far as I remember, the law says that Quirkless people can't become heroes. Shouldn't Deku be the one who's getting questioned here?"
"Well, I was thinking more about the whole 'beating up one of your fellow students under the guise of a game' fiasco, but you make a fair point." Léa conceded, a wry grin towards the rising of Katsuki's eyebrow. "According to Japanese law, people designated as Quirkless cannot become the legal definition of a hero. Problem is, that's not exactly what the rest of the world has to say on the matter. Hell, even Japan's being going through talks about lightening up some of the restrictions. If we were back in my home country, they'd be scrambling to praise him. You know, instead of staring at him like he just broke the laws of physics or something."
"Seriously? You mean the Deku who cries at the first sign of trouble? Who was screaming the whole time the villain was attacking?" Katsuki couldn't help but answer back.
"Nope. I mean the Izuku Midoriya whose first reaction upon waking up was to try and defend you lot, knowing you have the chance to be somewhat-decent hero candidates despite being the ones to beat him up. He saw potential and strove to protect it, which is a lot more than I can say about you." Now that managed to earn their attention, more than a couple of awkward visages. "Besides, who cares whether he has a Quirk or not? Not like he needed it to help here. Given the right sort of support, Izuku could become a greater hero than any one of you. Well, police officer given the current political climate, but the point still stands."
"What?" any semblance of politeness in Katsuki immediately evaporated, the insinuation already causing his Quirk to release a small explosion. His restraint was to be commended; were it not for the identity of the one who had angered him, there was no doubt he wouldn't have settled for such a discrete reaction.
"Okay, I guess that isn't really fair. After all, it's not as if you lot could become heroes even if you wanted to. Not through any of the better schools at léast." Cries of alarm merged with Katsuki's growl of annoyance to form a rather hideous noise, Léa's lazy shrug merely adding fuel to the fire. "Like I told Izuku before, you beat someone up specifically because they were weaker than you and haven't shown an ounce of remorse since. That's not exactly going to scream 'hero' when people are looking over your records. What, did you think I was just going to brush that aside with a warning?"
Her previous claims about having a rant prepared soon proved to be true, only matched in ferocity by Katsuki's counters. Despite that, the dumb expression on Izuku's face spoke of how little attention he was paying to their conflict. His mind, after all, only had space for so much and Léa's later statements were leagues more dominant. Why wouldn't they be? They were the words that Izuku had been hoping to hear for years, words that plenty had been more than happy to deny him of. Such was why it took until Léa's scolding finally lost steam before Izuku managed to speak up.
"Miss Takao, what you said before…"
"Huh? Oh, that. You heard right. While you might not be able to become a pro hero until the politicians finish having their squabbles, you've seen what the GSPO's currently working with. Come under my wing and you can become a police officer that can rival any pro hero." Léa easily reassured, only for that confidence to disappear with a scratch of her cheek. "Well, there are a couple of complications."
"L-like what?" Izuku swallowed instinctively. Such was the cost of getting his hopes up to soon.
"The fact that my division – the only one with access to stuff like the VS Changer and the VS Vehicles – has been a little unlucky, for starters." Was Léa's answer, followed by a sigh. "After someone stole a bunch of my VS Changers, the higher-ups have been a little antsy about how I handle things. Guess they want to make sure they can best take advantage of my work once they officially reveal it, meaning they want everything their way. That's easy to deal with though – it is my division after all. You've already proven yourself. It's the second part where things get a little tricky."
"Which is?"
A grim expression took over Léa's face.
"I'm a member of the GSPO's Parisian Branch, not here. If you want the chance to utilise your full potential, you're gonna have to come to France with me."
Super hero time! See you next time!