So, VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THIS STORY!
Normally, I believe that retconning things in one's story is irresponsible, that if you wish an opportunity it is unfortunate, but an author has a responsibility to maintain the continuity you've given you readers without confusing them. That said, I recently had an idea for this story that I believe would be highly entertaining and increase its dramatic heft. So I have posted a poll on my profile and will let you all decide if you'd be alright with it.
The change I am talking about would be adding Jiro to the people who were snatched up by Salem's spell and reincarnated on Remnant. The retcons required for this would be minor at the moment, just fudging the number of students taken up from five to six and adding her into some of Izuku's thoughts, but I don't want to pull this out of left field on you guys. If you vote no on the poll, then the story will continue on as is. If you vote yes, I will edit in the minor retcons and it will continue on anyway, with Jiro's reincarnation to show up later. Either way, I hope you continue to enjoy this story.
Now, on with the chapter!
Beta-ed by xenosaiyan
He hadn't been in Vale long, but he already hated the stupid kingdom. Back home, it rained nine months every year and was muggy the other three, but at least he could tell where the hell he was going! Every rundown village or settlement had the same layout, with one main street and a town square, simple and easy to navigate. Even the different rings of the capital weren't too hard to figure out the few times he'd been there, the poorest suckers stuck at the bottom of the mountain, markets and merchants in the middle, and the rich, the council, and Haven at the peak. But here in Vale, everything was just smashed together in one big hodgepodge of a city that made no sense! It was ridiculous! How was he supposed to clear the level if the map didn't make any sense!
No, no, no, throwing a tantrum wouldn't help. Just like his sister always said, he had to keep calm if he wanted to finish the job. And he was perfectly aware just how important his current mission was. He wouldn't fail her.
Eventually, he'd finally given up trying to make sense of the CCT navigation on his scroll and just asked some old shopkeeper where his destination was. The elderly man was busy sweeping up glass in front of his decimated dust store, but he'd still taken the time to show him the way. He'd have to remember that, ask his sister if they could give the senior citizen a discount on protection once they were in charge of the stupid kingdom.
But that was a matter for another time. Now, he had arrived at his destination, the homely store situated at the edge of an alley with the golden letters TBT emblazoned across its windows.
He went inside, noted from the sizable shelves of books that he was in the right dungeon, and strode up to the front desk. He smacked the bell atop the counter, smirking just a bit as the satisfying ding chimed through the shop.
"Coming!" a deep voice called out, its owner, a bulky dark-haired man with biceps the size of bowling balls, soon emerging from the shadowed back room. The man glanced around the store for a moment before his eyes landed on him. It wasn't surprising. A lanky, slouching teen in a black hoody like him would hardly stand out normally and the shop was quite dark. Honestly, it was more surprising that he'd been spotted so quickly.
"You the owner?" he inquired. "Tukson?"
The towering man flashed him a friendly smile. "That's me. How can I help you?"
He smirked, reaching into his hoody's pocket. Finally, he'd found the right place. Now, to clear the level.
"I've heard a lot about you, Tukson," he said, his voice raspy from his dry throat. "Everyone I talk to about what I'm looking for since I got to this shitty kingdom always says the same thing. Go to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. He'll have what you're looking for."
"Um, yeah. Glad I've got good word of mouth," Tukson replied, the friendly face giving way to a warier stare, his hands clutching towards his body. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"Something very important."
He whipped his hand out of his pocket and slammed the item it held onto the counter. Tukson hopped back, dropping into a combat stance of all things.
Weird. Someone in his family must have had huntsman training. Or maybe military. Eh, who cared?
"Alright," he said, leaning over the counter to examine the list he'd produced from his hoody, his gray wool gloves with a fingerless thumb pinning the paper to the wood. "The Thief and the Butcher?"
Tukson blinked numbly, his clenched fists loosening. "Wha—what?"
"The Thief and the Butcher? Do you have it?"
"The book?"
"Yes, the book! This is a bookstore, isn't it?" he moaned. "My sister's birthday is coming up and the big-name stores never have what she wants! Now come on, please, do you have The Thief and the Butcher? Preferably in first edition?"
Tukson, finally realizing that he had a paying customer in front of him instead of whatever he thought was going on, let out a sigh of relief, his friendly smile back on his face. "You're in luck. I've got some suppliers that Nobles & Barnes don't know about. I've got a few copies in the back."
"Perfect! Thank you!" he grinned. "What about Third Crusade?"
"Oh," the large man winced. "No, unfortunately. We don't have that one."
"You don't have a first edition, or you don't have it at all?"
"At all."
"Damn it!" he moaned, his face falling into the palm of his hand. "Why does no one have this book?!" Seriously, he looked all over Anima for this dumb thing and it wasn't anywhere! Did it ever even get published? How did his sister even find out about it?
Tukson flinched. "I mean, we don't have it now. But I can check with my suppliers—"
"Really?" he said. "Thank you! She has been looking for this stupid book for ages and if I can get it for her it'll be the best birthday ever and I'll be the best brother ever!"
"Um, sure," Tukson replied. "Glad to help. So, do you still want The Thief and the Butcher?"
"Oh yeah, totally. She loves first editions."
"Great. I'll bag it for you and ring you right up. I should get back to you on Third Crusade in a couple months."
He grinned and nodded his thanks. With Grimm prowling outside the kingdoms and without the resources of a government or a big corporation, a few months was pretty good time if he had to order it in. Plus, if he was lucky, it'd be right on time for the occasion.
"Here we go. That'll be fifty lien."
"What?! How can it be that much? It's ink and paper!"
"First edition. It's decades-old ink and paper."
He grumbled and went shuffling through his pockets for his wallet. "My comics never cost this much. It's freaking highway robbery, I tell you." As a part-time highway robber, he felt sure in saying so.
But… it wasn't like his sister wasn't worth it. Darn it, he was skimming Junior's cut for this.
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Alright, the first day of Beacon. An all-new day to train his skills and jog Kacchan's memories so he wasn't lost to the abyss between dimensions when he died. And the first step in doing that was making breakfast!
Izuku had never been much of a morning person, but with the stakes as high as they were, he would push through the grogginess. He'd gotten up bright and early, while the rest of his team was still fast asleep (he was sharing a room with three girls!), and snuck out of the room in his pajamas.
He had been living at Beacon since he'd arrived on Remnant, so he knew about certain things that the others would find out later. Such as that while there was a cafeteria where meals were provided, each floor of the dorms was also equipped with a communal fridge and kitchenette. Normally, they would be empty at the start of the year, but, again, he'd been living there for a week. He'd surprise his team by making breakfast for them and, wanting to befriend his new partner and team leader, he'd do the same for her sister and her team. And if that made Kacchan at the very least tolerate him, that would be a crucial first step in making up for lost time—
"What the hell are you doing here, Broccoli Hair?"
Izuku froze as soon as he entered the kitchenette, his wolf-eared target seated at a table, a bun filled with yellow curry (probably spicy knowing him) and some kind of fish half-eaten in his grip. His red eyes were glaring straight at him.
"Oh, hey, Kacchan—"
"Katsuki!"
"Right, sorry, force of habit."
"What fucking habit?!"
"Long story," Izuku deflected. "So, what are you doing up so early?"
Kacchan scowled and held up his bun. "What does it look like? And I asked you first!"
"Oh, I've got some stuff in the fridge, so I figured I'd surprise our teams with some breakfast. You know, start off the first day nice," Izuku explained. "But I guess you've already eaten."
The wolf faunus growled and returned to devouring his bun. "You want to waste your time making food for everyone when the cafeteria will be open, go right ahead."
"But you're not eating at the cafeteria either?"
"That's because the person who made these is a better cook than any third-rate hacks this place's hired! And a million times better than you!"
A bead of sweat dripped down Izuku's face. "Ri… right."
So much for that plan. Oh well. He was here, so he might as well still make everyone else breakfast. And if Kacchan was here as well, he could talk to him while he cooked, try to figure exactly what the similarities and differences were between the hothead he knew and the one that had been reborn on Remnant. Besides the wolf ears obviously. Everything he knew was a step closer to making his classmate remember everything he knew.
He shuffled over to the fridge and started removing the pork, rice, vegetables, eggs, and everything else he'd need, placing it all on the counter next to the stove before he'd started removing the pots and pans for the job. "So, curry and fish? Sounds delicious."
"You can't have any."
"That's fine." Since their moms were best friends, he'd been over to the Bakugos' for dinner before. He'd gotten used to the ridiculously spicy curry, but he couldn't say he enjoyed it. Or that anyone else would survive it. "I prefer Katsudon myself. My mom makes—made a really good bowl. Always made me feel better after a long day or when I was away from home. Maybe it'll help everyone else feel more at home here."
Kacchan scoffed. "A bit of food isn't going to make people forget where they are."
Izuku flinched for a moment, pausing just after he lit the flame under his pan. It was a small thing and he couldn't have known what the words would mean, but his rival's remark cut deep into the green-haired boy's mind. After all, his mom wasn't a phone call away anymore, and she wouldn't be sending him any care packages filled with Takoyaki. No matter how much of his favorite food he ate, he couldn't forget that.
But, he couldn't linger on it either. His mission, saving his friends, that came first.
"Maybe, but the intent might help all the same," he proposed. "I mean, the person who made your bun must be important to you. Was it one of your parents—"
"What the hell do you want with me?!" Kacchan roared. He slammed his palms on the table and whirled on Izuku, his teeth barred and his eyes ablaze. "You wouldn't stop staring at me in the ballroom! You tracked me down in the locker room! And then you tried to follow me when we were thrown off the cliff! What are you after, you vegetable bastard?!"
"Want? I don't know what you mean! I don't really want anything from you, besides to be your friend, I guess," Izuku said, plastering on the best smile he could. "You seem like a nice guy."
"No, I don't."
"No, you don't," Izuku sighed.
What was he supposed to say? If Kacchan really had noticed his attempts to partner with him, denying it outright would just make him seem more suspicious, maybe even a stalker. But he couldn't very well tell him the real reason, he'd think he was insane. He needed to remind his rival about their shared past, but making it so he would avoid him like the plague wouldn't help. Initiation was proof of that.
Wait, maybe that was it! He wanted to spark Bakugo's memories, but if his best chance was getting close to him… they hadn't really been friends since preschool. But what they were now, what they'd finally managed to evolve into was…
Rivals.
Katsuki would see through any lie he tried to feed him. So, a fraction of the truth would have to do.
"But you are incredible," Izuku proclaimed, his eyes hardening at the wolf faunus. "Maybe it was just a feeling, but no one would just yell at Weiss Schnee so casually like you did in the ballroom. And after I learned your semblance, I knew I was right. I wanted you to be my partner."
Kacchan's eyes narrowed. "Why? You seem perfectly happy with Moon Eyes."
"Ruby's amazing," Izuku clarified, there was no way he would say anything but the truth on that count. "But something tells me she won't push me like you would. To her, being here is a dream come true. For you, it's another mountain to climb. You crave victory, and you'll push yourself past any limit, break yourself, to get it."
The wolf faunus kept glaring at him for a moment before scoffing. He turned around and snatched up his breakfast, stomping back towards the dorms. "You think you know me after a day? You're a cocky little shit, aren't you."
"The only person you called by their name yesterday was Pyrrha!" Izuku called, Katsuki pausing in the middle of his exit. "That's because she's the only one you think is worth remembering, the only one who can give you a worthwhile challenge. That's what I see in you. An image of victory that I can push myself against, someone who will help me become stronger just by constantly trying to surpass them. And whether we're on the same team or not, I'm not going to give up on that. Before long, you will remember my name."
For a moment, the wolf faunus was still. A dream flickered through Izuku's mind, a brief hope that just maybe his speech had been enough to trigger his classmate's buried consciousness, that this stage of his epic quest might be over with just a few well-placed words. Maybe the next words out of Kacchan's mouth would be—
"You're a crappy liar, Broccoli Hair."
Just like that, Izuku's fantasy vanished as soon as it had appeared.
And yet, his hope was not completely cast aside. Because even as Katsuki spoke those words, a bead of sweat dribbled down his face, his head shaking as if trying to dislodge a cobweb. The memories from Earth were there, he felt them. Izuku just needed to keep hitting until he shook them loose.
But that would have to wait for another time. Kacchan mounted his head straight on his neck and clenched his fists. "You want to take a shot at me, feel free. Just don't complain when I crush you into the dirt."
With that, he marched out of the room.
Izuku's eyes never left his back, his own hands closing tight. He had an opening, and Ruby and Yang's relationship would give him the excuse to keep hammering it. His mission wasn't impossible. He could do this. Soon enough, Kacchan would know his name was worth remembering. And he would remember it.
The name of a hero.
"And lower the temperature of your pan, dumbass! You're gonna warp the damn thing!"
"Oh, right!"
Izuku whipped back around to the stove, lowering his pan's flame and getting the rest of his ingredients set up. There was more to being a hero than flashy interdimensional rescue missions after all. Sometimes to help people, you just needed to give them good food. Whatever worries the others had, breakfast would be sure to calm them down.
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"Oh my gosh you guys, Izuku's gone! He didn't tell me where he was going, did he tell you guys where he was going, did he drop out, why would he drop out, he just got into Beacon!? Ah! Did a Grimm break in and kill him-"
"Would you please be quiet?" Weiss demanded, clutching a hand to her ruffled bedhead. It was far, far too early in the morning for this.
Their esteemed team leader had seen fit to wake both her and her partner up at the crack of dawn with a whistle, in a complete panic about their fourth member's absence from the room. And while she did admit such was a matter for some concern, considering the circumstances, it was hardly cause for this level of alarm. But then why should she expect anything more from a child?
She took a deep breath. No, no, she should control herself. Yes, she had been denied her first step in following in Winter's footsteps and becoming an esteemed and respected huntress. Yes, she had been overlooked for team leader in favor of this silver-eyed chipmunk with a scythe. But Professor Ozpin was perhaps the most acclaimed huntsman on Remnant. He must have known something, seen something in Ruby, that made her the superior… the more practical choice for leader.
The sleeveless pajama-wearing tomboy had shown some glimmers of potential during the battle with the Nevermore. Obviously, it would not be long before the cause for her appointment, whatever it was, made itself apparent. Until then…
Weiss jammed a finger towards Izuku's bed, where his scant belongings (which actually appeared to be just books and school supplies now that she thought about it. Did he not bring anything from home?) rested at the foot of the wooden supports. "His stuff is still here. He did not drop out. Wherever he's gone, it is obviously temporary."
"But what if—"
"No Grimm is going to be able to break into the middle of a huntsman academy!"
Blake, clothed in a tasteful black kimono, rubbed the dark bags under her eyes. "It does seem unlikely."
Ruby finally stopped squealing, taking several deep breaths and crashing onto her bed. "You're right. You're right. He's probably fine. Absolutely nothing bad could happen to him before the first day even starts—"
The door to the room cracked open and all conversation immediately ceased as an utterly exquisite smell wafted into the room. All three girls' eyes turned to the entrance just in time to witness their fourth teammate return carrying a tray of steaming bowls.
"Izuku!" Ruby cheered, rushing over to her partner. "You're alright!"
"Where were you?" Weiss inquired, marching up to a far more respectable distance.
"And what is that…" Blake sniffed the air, her head shaken so much that even her bow twitched. "… delicious smell?" She was the only one to stay back.
"Oh…" Izuku stuttered, his cheeks red as his eyes flickered between Weiss and Ruby, (in hindsight, they may have been pressing a bit close) desperately trying to avert his gaze. "I… uh…"
"For goodness' sake," Weiss muttered. "Speak in full sentences! Or at least words!"
"Did the Grimm tear out your vocal cords?"
"What?" Izuku gasped, finally able to look at them properly. "Grimm? No, I just woke up a bit early. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I figured I'd make everybody breakfast." He raised up his tray, the contents of the steaming bowls looking even more enticing.
Ruby squealed and snatched up one of the bowls and accompanying utensils, bursting back to her bed and digging into the meal like a savage. Weiss sighed and nodded at the boy, grabbing a bowl and fork for herself. She was accustomed to the finest cuisine in the four kingdoms, expertly crafted by Klein and her cake butler. She appreciated the thought behind Izuku's gesture, and it was good that he was attempting to be productive with the extra time he'd accidentally gained, but she doubted it would provide anything beyond base nourishment. Of course, given Winter had informed her more than once about the abysmal field rations she'd had to make do with at school, so she probably shouldn't be too harsh on her new teammate. She would do her best to give him fair and honest critique. Maybe one day, with her guidance, he could become almost as skilled as Klein.
She made her way back to her bed and daintily lifted a portion of the hot meat, rice, and vegetables to her mouth. As soon as the food touched her tongue, her eyes widened. "This is… quite good."
"Are you kidding? It's great!" Ruby exclaimed, half a bite still in her mouth. "Are you some kind of super-chef?"
"Heh, no, I'm not that great a cook. I mean I can cook, but I'm not a super-chef," Izuku confessed, he and Blake taking a seat on their beds with their portions. "Katsudon is just my favorite dish, so I've gotten pretty good at making it."
"Hm, indeed," Blake noted, lifting a bit of hers. Unlike Weiss and Ruby's forks, Blake and Izuku had chosen a pair of thin wooden sticks as their utensils. The heiress recalled seeing them a few times in high-class Mistralian restaurants, but she'd never learned how to use them. Her father had always made clear, a Schnee did not conform to another kingdom's ridiculous customs. They made it clear that it was in the kingdom's best interest to accommodate the SDC.
Weiss bristled at the memory. Maybe she could ask her partner to teach her how to use them some other time.
"So, Katsudon? That's Mistralian, correct?" she said. "I didn't realize you were from Mistral, Izuku."
"Huh? Oh yeah. I mean, my parents were," Izuku replied, his smile just a bit awkward. "My name is actually old Mistralian for 'green valley'."
"Really? Cool!" Ruby said, her tongue lapping up a fleck of rice that had somehow gotten stuck on her nose. "I was kind of wondering why it didn't seem to follow the color rule."
"Not every name does. The rule is popular, but not everyone in the world can be bothered with such a tradition. Professor Ozpin's name doesn't fit," Blake pointed out. She nibbled on a chunk of pork before sighing. Weiss could have sworn she muttered, "If only it were fish."
"Oh sorry," Izuku said, evidently having heard as well. "I can add some fish next time if you'd like."
"No, it's okay. It's quite good."
"Oh. Alright."
"So why Beacon?" Weiss inquired. She might as well use this time to get to know her teammates a little better. After all, they couldn't all be as bad as the blond imbecile across the hall.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Because Beacon's the best!" Ruby proclaimed. "I mean, you're from Atlas, aren't you, Weiss? Why did you come to Beacon?"
The heiress scowled. "Personal reasons."
"That's not very descriptive."
"They're personal reasons! I keep them to myself."
"By that logic, Izuku doesn't have to tell you why he came either," Blake said, her own partner stabbing her in the back.
"Wait, what?" the green-haired boy exclaimed.
Weiss huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. "He doesn't have to tell me. I just thought to ask in case he was alright with doing so, it would be an opportunity to get to know each other a little better."
"No! No, I have no problem telling you guys why I came to Beacon! It's not personal at all!" Izuku scrambled. "My parents moved to Vale before I was born. We moved from settlement to settlement, trying to keep ahead of the Grimm. Eventually, we weren't fast enough. I was the only survivor."
He took in a big gulp of air, trying to reclaim the air he'd expended. After that, he shot his team a shaky, clearly unsure, smile.
An expression that was completely at odds with the wide eyes and gaping jaws the trio of girls were aiming towards him.
The green-haired boy blinked. "What?"
"What do you mean 'what'?" Weiss squealed. "That was completely personal! You didn't have to feel pressured to tell us if you weren't comfortable!"
"That does seem a bit much to tell people after knowing them for a day," Blake remarked.
"Oh," Izuku said, once again rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I'm just really comfortable around you guys."
A burst of rose petals and a blast of wind tossed Weiss' hair in front of her eyes. When she'd cleared them, Ruby had leapt into her partner's arms and enclosed him in a tight embrace.
"Oh, Izuku!" their team leader sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"
"Uh, no, don't worry, it's fine, Ruby," Izuku stammered, desperately trying to balance his Katsudon bowl while keeping his partner from tipping over. "It was a long time ago. You guys are fine."
Ruby pulled back, no tears coming down her face. Instead, she pulled back and gazed upon her partner with… not pity but… understanding? Almost maturity. Weiss wasn't quite sure what was glimmering in those silver eyes, but it wasn't just childish wallowing. Could it be a hint of that special quality that made the headmaster name her leader?
But then she'd rushed back in and tightened her grip around Izuku, unable to notice that by squeezing his arms, she had dislodged his hold on his breakfast. Weiss sighed, any rising opinion instantly lost.
The heiress reached out her hand and caught the Katsudon with a glyph before it could spill all over the floor. She growled, finally causing her team leader to glance over and notice she'd nearly ruined her partner's meal with her impulsive embrace. The child gave a sheepish grin and extradited herself back to her bed, allowing the Schnee to return Izuku's food.
However, the green-haired boy didn't seem to have any interest in his meal, his eyes widening as he leaned over her glyph. "Woah! This is your semblance, right? I only saw it a bit yesterday, but this! It held the tension of the slingshot with preparation, but instantly arresting an object's movement would require incredibly precise timing. Doing it all in a moment… you're amazing, Weiss!"
Oh… that was… positive reinforcement. From someone other than Winter or Klein. Who had in only a few seconds deduced just how careful she had to be in using her glyphs properly and didn't assume that just because she'd inherited her family's immensely powerful semblance everything was easy for her.
This was… new.
"I… of course, I am," she preened, her cheeks tinted with just a hint of red. "I am going to become a huntress that will bring honor to the Schnee name. I have trained my skills to the utmost in preparation for this sacred duty."
Blake cocked an eyebrow. "You literally just caught a bowl."
Weiss glared at her partner for a moment before coughing into her hand to reorient herself. She sat up straight and returned her gaze to Izuku. "I must admit, you also showed significant skill yesterday. And while I am sorry for your loss, the fact that you acquired first-rate huntsman equipment and earned your way into such a prestigious institution without a parent's support speaks well of your determination." She shot her teammate a respectful nod. "I look forward to working as your teammate."
"Oh! You too!" Izuku replied, giving her a polite bow.
"What do you mean first-rate huntsman gear?" Ruby queried. "His boots don't even have guns! We need to fix that!"
Weiss groaned, scooping another forkful of Katsudon into her mouth to keep from doing anything worse. No, Professor Ozpin might have been a wise and respectable huntsman, but there was no way he could have seen anything within this ridiculous child that made her more worthy of the leadership position than the Schnee Heiress. Her gambit against the Nevermore might have paid off, but that didn't change the fact that she was a reckless, immature, hyperactive… child!
It was madness. Sheer madness. To be cast aside and not even for someone she could stand to follow. If she was to be passed over, she wished it would have at least been for someone worthy of the position in their own way. Someone who had struggled and worked themselves to the bone as furiously as she had to make their way. Like Pyrrha or… well… like Izuku, she supposed.
Hm. She supposed it could be worse. She could be under the command of that buffoon who hadn't even known what aura was.
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"Oh, you made breakfast for us? Thanks, Katsuki—"
"Shut up, Noodle! I didn't make any of you jackshit. That was all Broccoli Hair."
Yang rolled her eyes, running a towel through her wet hair as she strode out of the bathroom. "Why am I not surprised? Did he not make one for you?"
Katsuki growled and glanced away. "Bastard would have if I hadn't eaten first."
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "He's a… that, because he was going to make you breakfast?"
"Of course!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "You know, there was a small part of me that held out hope that yesterday was just initiation nerves getting to you. But no, your personality really is just flaming crap mixed with garbage, isn't it?"
"What did you say, Poufy Hair!?"
"You heard what I said, Sparky!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"You first!"
"Okay, okay!" Jaune cut in, both his fellow blondes whirling on him. Pyrrha wisely inched in front of her partner, who nodded his thanks. "Look, yesterday was pretty stressful for all of us. But let's look on the bright side. We're all in Beacon, we're not Grimm food, and we've even got some piping hot breakfast."
Katsuki scoffed. "Made by a hack."
Yang smirked. "You're just mad you didn't get any. You know, Izuku's pretty nice. If you went over and asked, I'm sure he'd make you some."
Strangely, the wolf faunus didn't break out into another rant at her prodding. Instead, his brow furrowed, making him look almost pensive. He turned around and marched over to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Within a few moments, they heard a call of "Die germs!" from within.
Yang sighed, throwing down the towel around her chest and getting into her uniform. Well, she couldn't claim he did anything halfway. At least he hadn't complained about how much time she'd spent in the bathroom. He might have been the first up, but her hair was a bonafide national treasure and it required exquisite care. Sparky would just have to get used to that, just like she would have to get used to him being a rabid dog.
Shoot, was that racist? That was too mean. Hm… she would have to get used to him being a sack of flaming shit. Yeah, that was it.
She finished pulling up the skirt of her school uniform, bemused to find Jaune turned around with his hands covering his eyes. "All clear, Vomit Boy. Surprised you didn't try to sneak a peek."
"I grew up with seven sisters. I'm not that stupid," he replied. He turned around and snatched up a bowl of Katsudon. He plopped down on his bed and started gobbling up the Mistralian dish atop his baby blue onesie. "Ah man, breakfast in bed! Best first day of school ever!"
Yang chuckled and grabbed a bowl for herself, scooping a forkful of the warm meat and egg into her mouth. "Oh yes. Green Bean can cook. How about you, Pyrrha? You're the only one of us that's actually from Mistral. How's it stack up to the real deal?"
"Oh, I actually haven't had Katsudon that often," Pyrrha confessed, though she was using the chopsticks to eat. "It's more popular in the capital than where I'm from."
"Which is?" Yang gently inquired. She'd already seen her team in action, but aside from that, she didn't really know much about them as people. It'd be great to get to know the ones that wouldn't bite her head off for asking.
"Oh, Argus. It's a port city on the northern coast," Pyrrha said, a smile brightening her face. "My mother is the archivist for Sanctum Academy there."
"Sweet," Yang grinned. "I'm from Patch, born and raised. My dad teaches at Signal there, and I still graduated top of my class."
Jaune cocked an eyebrow, a loose bit of green onion sticking to his chin. "Why would your dad being your teacher make it harder for you to graduate?"
"He doesn't want to be accused of favoritism. Or at least, that's what he says," Yang parroted. "Pretty sure he just wants to make sure his 'little firecracker' can take care of herself."
There was the whole bit about her mom dying while away on a mission, and the spiral of depression he fell into before Uncle Qrow knocked some sense into him, but that was a tad too personal for her to share right off the bat.
"But it paid off," she continued with a grin, jutting her thumb towards herself. "Because this girl got first place on the practical exam!"
"Really? That's awesome!" Jaune said, picking the green onion off his chin. "But, uh, what practical exam?"
Yang raised an eyebrow. "The practical exam to get into the school."
"That thing we did yesterday? We got scored on that?"
"No, no, that was initiation," Pyrrha explained. "The practical exam is a combat test that regular prospective students have to take to get admitted for initiation. Students that are admitted via recommendation or other special circumstances are exempt."
"Oh. That makes sense."
"Wait," Yang said. "Jaune, did you get in on recommendation?"
Her team leader chuckled nervously, shoving more Katsudon into his mouth. "I mean, I guess. I just submitted my transcript and they let me in. How about you, Pyrrha? Regular admission or some other completely legal means?"
Pyrrha flinched. "Recommendations. Some of the huntsmen who trained me are close with Professor Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven. They expected me to go there, but when I told them I wanted to come to Beacon, they were still able to get him to pass on a good word to Professor Ozpin for me."
"Nice," Yang nodded. She glanced back to the bathroom, the shouts inside still unabated. "So, anyone want to take any bets about how mister personality got in?"
"It's got to be recommendations," Jaune proposed. "You saw him yesterday. He's a badass."
"And an asshole," Yang reminded him. "Though, I don't remember seeing him on the list of the practical's results."
Pyrrha tilted her head. "That doesn't seem like something they would publish."
"Oh, it isn't," Yang grinned, pulling out her scroll. "But, you're not the only one with connections. My Uncle Qrow is tight with Ozpin, so he was able to get it for me to see how well I did. And I nailed it."
She flicked through the screen, passing by her top-ranked score, and Weiss and Blake's stellar marks (Wasn't Weiss filthy rich? Why didn't she use her connections to get in through recommendations?). But no Katsuki Bell.
"Huh, perfect score. Guess you're not completely useless after all, Poufy Hair."
"What the—" Yang whirled around, eyes widening when she spotted her partner leaning over her shoulder. "When did you get out of the bathroom?"
Katsuki snarled, his spiky hair still dripping water onto the towel wrapped around his neck. "Just now. Unlike you, I don't take forever to get ready. Also, Nikos, it's your turn."
"Oh, wonderful."
The redheaded champion quickly scampered off into the bathroom, while Jaune scooted as far down his bed as possible. Understandable, given that Yang and Katsuki were glaring daggers at each other, the former's hair flickering with flames and the latter's palms peppering with sparks.
"So, Katsuki," Jaune muttered, setting his bowl of Katsudon on the bedside table. "Did you hear what we were talking about?"
"You want to know how I got into this place," Katsuki said. "Nothing much to it. The headmaster wanted to reach out to Menagerie, so he set up a Scholarship Tournament with Ghira Belladonna. I won."
"Oh, congratulations," Jaune replied, hefting two nervous thumbs up.
Katsuki didn't respond, keeping his eyes on Yang. More specifically, on her scroll.
"That thing's got the score of everyone who took the practical exam?" he inquired. "Where's Broccoli Hair on it?"
"Izuku?" Yang said. "Why do you want to know?"
Katsuki's eyes narrowed. "He's hiding something. His words… they aren't completely at odds with his eyes, but they aren't what they should be."
"You think Izuku is hiding something?" Yang parroted. "The same guy that made everybody breakfast in bed?"
"He does seem to be pretty on the level," Jaune noted.
"You've known him for a day and suddenly you're his groupies," Katsuki shouted. "He's lying about something and I aim to find out what!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "Look, Ozpin invited Izuku here the same night he did Ruby. He didn't take the practical any more than she did."
"Did he tell you that?"
"Well… yeah."
"Then check your damn list!"
"Ugh! Fine, if it'll shut you up!" Yang retorted. She scrolled down the list, ready to prove her ass of a partner wrong when… "What?"
Izuku's name was on the list. In the dead center of the list, just a bit above the average passing score.
Jaune scuttled over to get a look at the scroll while Katsuki's knuckles closed into fists. "Told you."
Yang passed the scroll to Jaune and hopped to her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her partner. "This doesn't prove that Izuku lied. Like I said, Ozpin knows my uncle, and he taught Ruby how to fight. He probably knew she could handle Beacon but had Izuku take the practical to make sure he could do it."
"Please," Katsuki snorted. "Even if that was the case, you saw him fight yesterday. You really think that he would have gotten an average score if he'd actually taken it?"
"People have off days."
"Not on a day that important."
"So what? You're saying he snuck into the academy somehow?"
"Okay, that's enough! It is way too early in the morning for this!" Jaune shouted. He stepped between the partners and returned Yang's scroll to her. "We can worry about wild conspiracy theories about people 'sneaking in' later. Classes start at… um…"
"Nine," Katsuki growled.
"Nine, right. And we've got a lot to sort out before then. So, just… table this."
Katsuki scoffed and made for the dresser he'd stuffed his clothes in the night before. "Don't give me orders, Noodle."
Jaune cringed, but there were no explosions. Probably the best he could hope for. Their team leader sighed and went back to his breakfast, his smile completely gone.
As for Yang, she kept her eyes glued to the list, Izuku's score staring back at her. Katsuki was a jerk, but he wasn't wrong. The huntsman-in-training she had seen in the Emerald Forest had been way above average, equal to her at the very least. If what Ruby had told her about the battle with the Nevermore was true, she might even need to bust out her semblance if she and the green-haired boy ever came to blows. So why was his practical score so low? Why did he even have a practical score if he was invited to come early like Ruby was? He didn't sneak in, the headmaster was obviously aware of who he was if he'd met with him that night at the police station.
Maybe… maybe Izuku had asked Ozpin to put in a fake score for him? He was a pretty awkward guy, in an endearing sort of way. Maybe he was like Ruby, and didn't want anyone to think he was special? That it'd be easier to make friends that way? No, that was way too convoluted. Besides, the practical's score was only seen by the faculty, not students. She only had a copy because of Uncle Qrow.
So, what was going on here? Izuku seemed like a nice guy, but he was Ruby's partner. For the next four years, he'd be guarding her back, even when Yang wasn't there. She couldn't be careless and leave a dagger there by mistake.
That said, she really hoped this was just the early morning grogginess and a pain in the ass partner making her paranoid. Because she liked Izuku. He had made everybody breakfast and didn't hold it against Ruby that she'd mistaken him for a criminal and tried to chop him in half. If he didn't have some dark secret, and really was as good as he seemed, she was sure he'd be able to help Ruby thrive in Beacon.
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Izuku was really worried about Ruby's chances at Beacon.
His partner was an amazing fighter, but she'd gotten so caught up in decorating their room (only his lack of personal belongings allowed them to fit all their beds in the space without cannibalizing them for bunk beds), that she hadn't been paying any attention to the time. If he hadn't pointed out that it was eight-forty-five when he did, they might have had to rush to their first class. Mr. Aizawa would have had their heads if they'd scrambled in at the last second on the first day!
Fortunately, Professor Port was far more outwardly affable than Eraserhead. Why hadn't Ozpin told him that the author of the Poledark Byron novellas was one of his teachers? They were his favorite of all the books he'd been given to acclimate to Remnant! And his classroom was decorated in Grimm trophies and diagrams of the various monsters! How cool was that?
"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names!" the man himself announced, just as inspiring in person as he'd been in prose. "But I merely refer to them as prey! Haha!"
So cool!
The lecture began soon after, detailing an encounter from the huntsman's younger days when he'd outsmarted and outmaneuvered an entire pack of Beowolves with nothing but a rope and a jar of week-old honey. It was absolutely thrilling stuff, Izuku couldn't keep the grin off his face as he jotted everything down.
But he also had a habit of observing others and so he was able to catch what the rest of his friends were doing. Kacchan and Pyrrha were dutifully taking notes, though for some reason they weren't as engrossed by the story as he was. Jaune had his pencils out, but his eyes were drooping while Yang was staring at him for some reason. His own team, however, was far more concerning. Blake was ignoring the professor entirely to read a book and she was the least troubling.
Ruby seemed to be doing everything she could to disrespect the lecture. She doodled a caricature of the professor over her notepaper and giggled about it with her sister (the only time Yang looked away from him). She balanced an apple on top of her binder which in turn she balanced on top of a pencil. She dozed off constantly and when she didn't, she continued goofing off. If she'd been in Mr. Aizawa's class, he would have shipped her off to detention in a second. Izuku could understand preferring the practical applications of their work to the theoretical, but both parts were crucial to hero work, as he was sure they were to huntsmen work. Neglecting one to the detriment of the other could land her in serious trouble.
And her actions, while they had not yet drawn Professor Port's attention, had not gone unnoticed. Weiss, who had been dutifully taking down the lecture word for word (which was amazing, even he couldn't write fast enough to do that), had started glaring at Ruby barely a quarter of the way through class. With every zany act, the kind that not even Mina would dare try in class, the Schnee heiress' gaze grew colder and colder, until at last her grip grew so tight that her pencil snapped in two.
"In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" Professor Port announced, taking a short bow. "The moral of this story? A true huntsman must be honorable! A true huntsman must be dependable! A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"
Ruby was picking her nose as this was said. Izuku couldn't help but cringe, careful to position his chair between his partner and Weiss, whose muscles were bunching as if she was going to pounce and strangle their team leader to death any second.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" the professor inquired to the class.
Weiss's hand was up before the words had even fully left his mouth. "I do, sir!"
"Well then, let's put that to the test, shall we?" Professor Port chuckled. He held out his arm gestured to the corner of the room where a large cage contained a black beast with red eyes. "Step forward and face your opponent."
He captured a Grimm? One of the monsters that hunted humans every moment they existed? Killing them was hard enough, but taking one alive, struggling all the way with no regard for its own wellbeing? Izuku's admiration for his new teacher grew to even greater heights.
It only took a few minutes for Weiss to return in her combat outfit, Myrtenaster loaded, drawn, and at the ready. The professor stood beside the rattling cage with a twin-headed ax that was also a blunderbuss, ready to intervene if things got out of hand. It was a brilliant method to teach about anti-Grimm tactics with a lecture, and then give them a chance to apply those tactics in a safe and controlled environment.
"Go Weiss!" Ruby cheered. "Win this one for Team RIBW! Come on, guys, we have to cheer her on."
"Oh, yeah," Izuku stammered, jumping to his feet. "You can do this!"
Blake sighed and set down her book, lazily pumping a fist in the air. "Fight well."
"Fight the best!" Ruby yelled.
Weiss' eyes narrowed at the last shout, but they remained focused on the rattling cage.
"Ready?" Professor Port checked. Upon receiving a nod, he chortled. "Begin!"
The cage door was flung open and a Grimm that looked like a warthog, a Boarbatusk if Izuku remembered correctly, charged out straight for Weiss. His teammate lunged for it head-on, but her rapier bounced off its bone armor and she was sent skittering across the floor.
There were a few more passes like that, Weiss' eyes locked on the beast and constantly charging it, trying to slip her rapier past its tusks into its vulnerable eyes. Her form was practiced, her swordsmanship precise, but it just wasn't a sizable target area. If Izuku was fighting in her place, he would try a different approach, but if Weiss was set on her own method, there wasn't anything he could do about it. This was training, he had to let her find her own way—
"Weiss! The armor's too thick!" Ruby shouted. "Stop charging!"
Izuku cringed. "Um, Ruby, maybe it would be best not to—"
"Aim for its underbelly! There's no armor there—"
"Ruby! Stop distracting me!" Weiss screeched. Though a charge from the Boarbatusk limited her outburst.
As Izuku's team leader pouted in confusion, he couldn't help but feel for her. Ruby was just trying to help. It was an instinct he knew all too well. But when he'd offered Uraraka a strategy during the Sports Festival, she turned him down for a reason. Sometimes, when lives weren't on the line, you had to let people fight their own battles. Otherwise, they'd never know what they were capable of.
Still, it wasn't didn't take long before Weiss took Ruby's advice, swiftly using her glyphs to turn over the Boarbatusk and spear the Grimm through its unguarded underside.
"Bravo!" Professor Port grinned. "We are indeed in the presence of a true huntress-in-training. Now then, that's all the time we have for the day. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and remember! Stay vigilant! Class dismissed."
Such a wise man. Maybe he could ask him to sign the novellas Ozpin had given him! No wait, he was his student, that'd be inappropriate. He hadn't asked All Might to sign any of his posters, action figures, or pillows—
Oh my goodness! Why had he never asked All Might to sign any of his stuff?!
"Weiss! Weiss!" Ruby called, their white-haired teammate stomping away through the throngs of students headed for their next class. The red hooded girl turned to Izuku and Blake. "You guys go on ahead. I'll go check on her."
"Huh?" Izuku murmured, roused from his stupor. "Ruby, wait—"
Too late. Their leader had already run off. Izuku sighed and made to follow the stream of rose petals fluttering down the back hall, but a voice from behind made him pause.
"She told us to go on ahead," Blake said, packing away her books without a care in the world. "We should let her handle it."
"But Weiss is mad at her," Izuku countered. "She keeps trying to help, but she doesn't realize how she should handle it."
"And you do? Know how to handle it?" Blake inquired.
"Maybe," Izuku said. "I've been where Ruby is, trying to help when I shouldn't. It's not something that's easy to gain perspective on by yourself."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "You really think this is just about that?"
Izuku paled. "Um… yes? Is it not?"
"It was Weiss' breaking point. But it's hardly the only part," Blake rolled her eyes. "You must have noticed. Ruby hasn't exactly been taking things super seriously."
"Well, no," Izuku admitted. "But we're not even halfway through the first day of classes. She's not going to be like this the whole semester."
"How do you know that? More importantly in this case, how does Weiss know that? She's a Schnee who's had private tutors all her life. Do you really think she's going to give a goofy girl from Patch a second chance?" Blake accused. "Especially one who's been put above her?"
"Oh," Izuku mumbled. "When you put it like that…"
There was often more to people than could be discerned from first appearances, hidden depths. But the problem with hidden depths was that they were hidden. If people didn't see any indication that there was something more beneath the surface or were so put off by the surface that they didn't want to look, those depths wouldn't matter to anyone else. There was a reason even All Might had told him not to become a hero until the incident with the sludge villain, and the rest of Class 1-A initially took Kacchan as nothing more than an angry, but talented, jerk.
He knew Ruby was an incredible fighter from the Emerald Forest, but Weiss had only seen her nearly get killed by the Deathstalker, not casually slice apart dozens of Beowolves and smaller Nevermores. Even the plan they'd concocted to take down the Nevermore could have gone horribly wrong if even one element hadn't worked. In Weiss's mind, a girl two years younger than her was having everything she'd worked for handed to her on a silver platter and not even taking it seriously. That wasn't something he'd be able to fix for them. Still…
"Ruby still doesn't know what problem is. If she confronts Weiss herself, it might just make things worse," he said. "If I'm there, at least I can act as a mediator, maybe keep things from getting out of hand."
Blake tilted her head to the side. "You aren't going to stay out of this no matter what I say, are you?"
Izuku shrugged. "If I see a chance to help someone, I have to take it."
"That's a noble idea. It'll get you into more trouble than it's worth," Blake frowned. "Go. I'll let Professor Goodwitch know you might be a bit late."
"Thanks, Blake," Izuku smiled. "Oh, right! Is everything okay with you?"
The black-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Um, yes? Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"Oh, it's just that I saw your bow twitch during class…"
Blake's body suddenly went rigid, her hands tightening around her bag. "What about it?"
Izuku cringed, that was clearly a nerve. "It's your semblance, isn't it?"
"What?" Blake's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"You can't turn your semblance off, can you? A shadow clone is constantly trying to escape from your body and it twitches your bow before it's pulled back in," Izuku rambled. "I'm sorry, it's probably personal, I shouldn't have pried, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright!"
"You think… that I…" All tension left Blake's form before she nodded. "Yes. That is exactly what was happening. Please don't tell anyone, I'm still working on getting it under control."
Izuku shot her a smile. "Your secret's safe with me. And don't worry. I used to break my bones when I used my semblance. You'll get yours under control in no time. After all, that's the kind of stuff we're here to learn."
"Yes, that is the duty of a huntress, controlling their power," Blake nodded. "And so is conflict resolution. You better go after Ruby and Weiss."
"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Izuku said, his eyebrows shooting up. He whirled around and dashed out the door Ruby and Weiss had left through. With any luck, he could catch up before anything went too badly wrong.
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Ruby didn't know what was going on. The day had been going so well! Izuku hadn't been devoured by Grimm in his sleep and made them all breakfast. He'd been through so much and yet he was so cool, even if he did shut down her bunk bed idea. She really shouldn't have put it to a vote.
But Weiss had won that vote! And she'd enjoyed the Katsudon just as much as the rest of them! Why was she so crabby now?
"Weiss!" she called, her teammate whirling on her in the empty hall. "What's wrong with you? You're acting—"
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" the other girl snarled. "You're supposed to be a leader, but all you've been so far is a nuisance!"
Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?"
"Nothing! That's just it! You've done nothing to earn your position," Weiss declared. "Back in the forest, you acted like a child and nearly got yourself killed. And since then, all you've done is goof off like you're on vacation or something."
"Goof off?" Ruby repeated, her hands closing into fists. "I'm not goofing off just because I didn't listen to Professor Port's boring lecture."
"That is the exact definition of goofing off! We are here to learn how to be the protectors of the world!"
"And how is taking notes on how he used honey to sic a bear on a Beowolf going to do that?!"
"He is our teacher! You can't just disrespect his lesson because you don't feel like taking things seriously. This isn't a game—"
"I know it's not a game!" Ruby shouted, a fluttering white cloak tearing to shreds in her mind's eye. She was well aware that being a huntress was not a game.
She took a deep breath and looked at Weiss' icy stare head-on. "I am here to become a huntress, but that doesn't mean I'm going to change who I am to do it. It just means that I'm going to get serious when I need to. Izuku and I came up with the plan to kill the Nevermore. And I tried to help you during your fight just now before you snapped at me. If anyone's ever in danger, I'll save them however I can."
Weiss sneered. "So you'll only do your best if someone's life is on the line? Do you think that's all there is to being a huntress?"
"What are you talking about? Of course that's the most important part!"
"But it's not the only part, you dunce! A huntress is a unique independent law enforcement entity that operates over kingdom lines outside but parallel with the jurisdiction of the police and military!"
"A… what?"
"Ergh!" Weiss screeched. "Exactly! You… you think we're these fairy tale characters, going out, killing Grimm, and dancing with elves at the end of the day. We are entrusted by all the kingdoms with more freedom and power than almost anyone else on Remnant, and that means we must follow the laws and regulations set for us. Which you can't do if you don't pay attention and learn them!"
"I will!" Ruby protested. "But Professor Port wasn't teaching them."
"How would you know? You were too busy ignoring him," Weiss said. "Everyone looks to huntsmen for protection, scrutinizing our every move to make sure we're actually defending them from the Grimm instead of abusing our power. And you're our leader! How can anyone trust us when we're led by a bumbling child? I've trained all my life, worked myself to the bone, and I will not have all that wasted because of your stupidity."
"Oh, you mean like charging a Boarbatusk head-on over and over and expecting different results?" Ruby shot back. "You want to whine about me not being the perfect team leader, fine. But don't act like you're perfect, princess."
"I'm not perfect! Not yet anyway," Weiss snarled, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I'm still leagues better than you. And quite frankly, I deserve better. We all deserve a better leader."
"You mean you," Ruby scowled.
"Guys!"
Ruby and Weiss both whirled around, Izuku dashing around the corner. Their green-haired teammate came up to them, panting.
"I could hear you guys from down the hall," Izuku said, stepping between the two girls. "I know you're both mad at each other, but we're all on the same team. If we just calm down, I'm sure we can work this out—"
"This is exactly what I mean," Weiss declared, gesturing towards Izuku.
The boy's eyes widened. "Huh?"
"What are you talking about?" Ruby demanded.
"Why isn't he leader?" Weiss replied. "If there is some preposterous reason why I am unfit to lead our team, why isn't Izuku the leader instead of you? You both killed the Nevermore. But unlike you, he is studious, sensible, and actually pays attention in class because that's why we are here. Even if he found the lecture as dull as the rest of us."
"Dull?" Izuku muttered. "You guys thought Professor Port's lecture was—"
"I don't need you to tell me how awesome my partner is!" Ruby responded.
"Evidently, the rest of the world does!" Weiss shouted. "I accepted that I might not be made team leader. But I refuse to accept anyone so unworthy as you! Juvenile fools like you and that blond ignoramus have no place being in command of people like me, or Izuku, or Pyrrha… ugh! Literally anyone else would have been a superior choice!"
The white-haired girl spun on her heel and strode away. "I respect Professor Ozpin. But in this… in this, he made a mistake."
She stomped down the hall and left the partners in the dust. Izuku reached out his hand aimlessly, but she turned the corner into the girls' changing room before he could do anything more than stammer. Ruby couldn't bring herself to do that much.
Her partner sighed and turned back to her. "I'm sorry. I came because I thought I could help."
"Don't worry about it," Ruby assured him. "You didn't do anything wrong."
But as she looked at him, she couldn't help but wonder if Weiss did either. Well, she was being a jerk about it, but was she wrong in her points? After all, Ruby knew better than most how amazing Izuku was, his coming to try to help them just being the latest example. She was just her, normal knees Ruby Rose. Why on Remnant was she the leader of someone like him?
"Do you think she was right?" she asked her partner. "Do you think you'd be a better team leader than me?"
"What? No!" Izuku assured her immediately. "Ruby, you're incredible."
"But you're way more incredible!" Ruby replied. "I had my dad and Yang behind me, and Uncle Qrow still needed to give me special training so that I wouldn't be utter garbage. You've done everything that I have but with no one to help you. Your weapons don't even have guns!"
"You really are fixated on that detail," Izuku noted. "But you're completely wrong! I've had loads of amazing people helping me every step of my journey. I never would have made it here without their help, especially All Might, the headmaster, and my mom… yeah. The point is, you and I have been through different things, but that doesn't mean I'm better than you, or you're better than me, or that anyone is better than anyone. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and we do our best to help each other where we're weak."
"Where we're weak…" Ruby murmured. "Who's All Might?"
"Oh, um, he's… remember that huntsman I told you about the night before initiation?"
"The one that always saves people with a smile? That's his name?"
"It's something that everybody calls him," Izuku explained.
"Oh, cool. Like a superhero name."
"Yeah, pretty much exactly that," Izuku nodded, a nervous chuckle on his lips. "As soon as he arrived somewhere in trouble, he'd always say that there was no reason to fear, because 'I am here'."
'That's why we are here!'
A small smile twitched on Ruby's lips. "If All Might was our age and here, do you think he would be a better team leader?"
Izuku froze. "Well… um… that's purely hypothetical… I mean that is completely impossible… and there would be no way of knowing if he'd even be on the same team at all…"
Ruby let out a resigned chuckle. Her partner was trying to get her spirits up, but he knew as well as she did that there was such a thing as a perfect leader.
And no matter how much either of them tried to disguise it, that wasn't her.
This was a nice thing to squeeze out between cramming research papers. Darn quarantine. Well, more like darn virus. I hope everyone is safe and healthy during these turbulent times.
So for the Ruby and Weiss argument at the end, keep in mind that they didn't have the fights in the Emerald Forest between each other that led them to initially bridge the gap before the team leader situation set Weiss off again. This is all their tension since their first meeting crashing down around them.
This chapter was a lot of fun to write, both having the new teams bounce off each other, showing Izuku's reaction to more Remnant stuff, and doing something that I've always enjoying My Hero proper, which is playing around with the paragon status and showing both its positive effects and its negative ones.
Remember to vote in the poll whether Jiro is added to those taken by Salem's spell!
An extra huge thank you to my patrons: Gregg Tracton, Annaya Chan, Keith Tracton, Nora Okonus, KefkaesqueXIII, Christian Howard, SanyaBane, Matthew Blevins, David Wayman, G-Unit91, Primordial Paper, Mark Skrzyniarz.
Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!
Go Forth and Conquer!
