"What do you think of All M -…wait, aren't you the kid from the sludge incident?"
A year later, these losers are still bringing that up. "Drop it."
The news that All Might was teaching at UA made the whole country get all excited, and the mass media were pressing at the gates for days on end for a scoop. It made it really annoying to try and get in the front doors for class.
"Hope you're rested from yesterday's battle trial. I took the liberty of looking at your marks and evaluation," said Sensei. Then all of a sudden, he turned to me. "Bakugou, stop acting like a child. You're wasting your talent."
I sat there for a moment, then said, "I know." I didn't want to look Sensei in the eyes.
"And you," he said, looking right behind me, "Are you always planning on destroying your arm, Midoriya? If you keep going 'I can't adjust my quirk so I have no choice', you'll never get far. I've said it before. Don't make me say it a third time. Once you've cleared that hurdle, you'll be much more flexible, so I need to see some sweat out of you, Midoriya."
"Yes, sir!" he yapped behind me. At least both of us screwed up…
"Now, let's get on with the homeroom notices. I'm sorry to spring this on you all, but…"
What now? Another pop test?
"We need to pick a class president."
Finally, something school-like! It felt like everyone was thinking that together now. All the extras were shouting about how they wanted it, but I knew it was meant to be mine. If this was just some normal old school, being Class Rep would just involve a bunch of boring paperwork. But here, in the Hero Department, it's a sign that you can be a real leader.
"Be quiet, everyone!" said Glasses. "This is a task laden with responsibility, where you must carry and pull everyone else's weight. It's a holy office that requires the esteem and trust of everyone else in class. The only truly worthy leader will emerge from a democratic choice, reflecting the will of the people…which is why this must be settled by a vote."
Pretentious idiot, I thought.
"It's still to early to have developed any trust in each other," said Frogface.
"And everyone will just vote for themselves!" added Weird Hair.
"And that's precisely why the person who does manage to earn multiple votes will be the truly appropriate person for the job, no?" said Glasses. "Is that all right, Sensei?" he said, turning to Mr. Aizawa. "As long as you all decide by the deadline, anything's fine," said Mr. Aizawa, going to sleep in his old sleeping bag.
The votes were cast and collected. 2nd place with two votes was Ponytail girl, with everyone else having one…first place, with three votes…
"How did I get three votes?" he stammered. My question exactly.
"You gotta be kidding me! Who voted for Deku!?" I demanded.
"Well, guess we know it wasn't you," snarked Soy-sauce face.
Glasses was pouting in the corner. "Zero votes! I see how it is! Of course, since I insisted on the sacredness of the role…"
"You voted for somebody else?" said Ponytail.
"Even though you wanted the job so badly? What are you doing, Iida?" asked Sugar guy.
"So then," said Mr. Aizawa, coming out of his nap, "It's president Midoriya and Vice President Yaoyorozu.
Deku and Ponytail were standing up in front of the classroom, him looking as baffled as I ways that he'd ended up rep.
"Well," said Weird Hair, "Midoriya was real fired up during our combat training!"
"And Yaoyorozu was real cool during the training analysis!" added Dunce face. "Maybe this won't be so bad."
Won't be so bad? Dammit, what was happening? Deku was voted as Class Rep? It was like everything that had once made sense was flipping on it's head.
Lunch that day was interrupted by a security breach, which caused the whole cafeteria to stampede for the doorway. The idiots almost caused a stampede, until Glasses suddenly rose up from the crowd, flipped onto the emergency exit sign. Later, we found out he'd had Round Face float him. Standing in front of us, he yapped,
"Everybody, calm down! it's OK! It's just the press, there's nothing to panic about! It's OK! You're at UA. Let's conduct ourselves in the manner of those enrolled at the highest academia."
Everyone calmed down, and the crowd dispersed. The police arrived, and the reporters withdrew, and we all returned to Class 1-A.
Deku and Ponytail were starting us up, and he still looked like he had no idea what he was even doing there.
"All right, President," said Ponytail, "Start us off."
Deku as Class Rep?
"Uh, we're supposed to decide who our other class officers will be, but first…I need to say something," he said, still shaking a bit. "I've thought a lot about this, and I think that Tenya Iida should be our class Rep! He was able to get the whole crowd to calm down, and I think that that makes him the right choice for the job."
Suddenly things seemed to make even less sense. You got the job, and now you're just giving it up? What the hell is wrong with you?
"Yeah, he's got a point!" said Weird Hair, jumping right on the bandwagon to agree with whatever Deku said. "Iida made a great showing back there at the lunchroom. I wouldn't have minded Midoriya either, of course."
Kiss-ass.
"He looked like the guy on the emergency exit sign," said dunce-face.
"Whatever, just get on with it already," growled Mr. Aizawa from inside his sleeping bag. "Time is wasting."
"If it's the wish of the class rep," said Glasses, "then I can't refuse."
"Do us proud, emergency exit!" cheered Weird hair. "Emergency exit Iida! Don't let us down!" said Dunce face. So just like that, our class rep was Glasses instead of Deku.
12:50 PM, the next day. With all that decided, Mr. Aizawa was ready to begin our hero studies.
"For the foundational heroics skills we'll study today, it was decided you'll be supervised by a three man team, consisting of me, All Might, and one other teacher."
"Sensei!" asked Soy sauce face, , "what'll we be doing?"
Mr. Aizawa raised up a small card labeled 'RESCUE'. "Rescue training. To be the hero everyone needs, whether for a flood or any other disaster.
"Rescue training, sounds right up my alley!" said Dunce Face.
"Totally!' gushed Raccoon Eyes.
"This is what a hero's whole job is!" said Weird Hair. "I'm chomping at the bit!"
"If it's a flood, then that environment's my speciality, kero-kero," added Frogface.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," said Mr. Aizawa. "As I was saying, this time it's entirely up to each of you whether or not you wear your costume. Some of your costumes probably aren't adapted to the task at hand, after all. The training area is fairly far away, so we'll get there by bus. That's all. Go get prepared."
Rescue training. Boring procedural stuff, really. The kinda stuff heroes do when they're just backup. I wasn't exactly looking forward to a long lecture and dummy training. Everyone got changed and headed out to the bus. Except for…
"How come you're in your gym clothes, Deku?" asked Round Face.
"My costume got tattered during the Battle Training. The repairs are already being handled by the support company, so I'm just waiting for them."
That wasn't my fault. Not at all. You messed it up yourself. Wasn't my fault.
"In order to get everyone seated smoothly on the bus, file into two lines according to your numbers!" yelled Glasses, blowing a whistle and swaying his hand back and forth. Fortunately, it was the wrong kinda bus for that nonsense, so I was sitting in the back seat next to Headphone Jack Girl, while Deku was in the open part of the bus.
Glasses was pouting. "The bus's open layout ruined by boarding strategy."
"So there was really no point, huh?" said Raccoon eyes.
"Hey, Midoriya" said Frogface, "I always say what I think, no matter what's on my mind."
"Uh, hi, Asui," stammered out Deku.
"Call me Tsuyu. Your quirk reminds me of All Might's." Oh, come on. All Might's? That bone breaker power? I mean…I remembered something, that as we were fighting, Deku had been yelling out some of All Might's usual attack move names, like 'Detroit smash'.
He was looking real nervous now, still stammering. "That so? Haha, but mine isn't like…"
"Wait up, Asui," said Weird Hair. "All Might doesn't hurt himself. That's where the likeness ends. "I'm kinda jealous of that simple, enhancer type quirk. There's a lot you can do with one, and flashily too! My hardening power isn't bad for a fight, but I hate that it's just not that flashy."
"Well, I think it's an awesome quirk!" said Deku. "Definitely useful for a pro."
"Huh…but you know, heroics has a lot about it that can be more like a popularity contest, too," said Weird Hair.
Naval Laser neighed "My naval laser is both flashy and strong enough for the pro level."
"But it's way lame if it gives you a stomachache, honey," said Raccoon eyes.
"Well, if anyone in our class has pro quirks, it's Todoroki and Bakugou," said Weird Hair, pointing back at me. IcyHot was asleep in the seat behind me.
"Bakugou's always fuming, though," said Frogface, "So he won't be popular.
"You frog face!" I yelled, offended and hurt. "Come over here and say that to my face."
"See? said Frogface, pointing my way.
Dunce Face laid in "It's only been a little while since we met you, but we've already been made apodictically cognizant of your personality, redolent as it is of a tired getting steamed in a sewer."
"What kinda vocabulary is that? I'll fucking kill you!"
In the seat opposite me, Ponytail was looking grossed out. "What a vulgar conversation."
Round Face was grinning. "Yeah, but they make me laugh! Damn, Bakugou, you are one foul-mouthed dude."
"Almost there, settle down already," came Mr. Aizawa's reprimand from the front seat. "Yes, sir!" we chorused back at him.
Only a few minutes later and the bus stopped outside a big circular building with reflective panels all over. Inside, we found…
A huge theme set of mock areas, like a theme park attraction.
"A ship wreck, a landslide, a fire, etc.," said a mic-fide voice I remembered hearing dozens of times on TV. "This is a practical training area I created to simulate all kinds of accidents and disasters, and it's name is The Unforeseen Simulation joint!"
So it really is USJ, was the first thought, but the second was about the tall Pro Hero in a spacesuit standing in front of us, who we all knew as -
"The space hero 13!" said Deku. "The chilvarous pro who does phenomenal work helping with disaster relief!"
"Wow, I've always liked 13!" cheered Round Face.
Mr. Aizawa mumbled something to 13, as we all gathered around and got ready for the day ahead. "OK, well, shall we?" he said, apparently satisfied with 13's reply.
"Before we begin," said 13, holding up fingers as they spoke, "Just one thing, or two…or three…or four…"
We get it.
"I'm certain you're all already quite aware, but my quirk is called 'Black Hole'. No matter what material gets sucked into its vortex, it will turn to dust."
"That's a quirk that's perfect for removing wreckage, and saving people injured by disasters!" cheered Deku.
"Yes," said 13, and a sinister note suddenly came into their voice. "However, it is a power that could also easily be used to kill people. And in that way, it's no different from the quirks of everyone here. Naturally, in this society of superhumans, quirks are strictly regulated, and the requirements for their lawful use enforced. We can tell at a glance that that is the makeup of this world. That being said, please don't forget that each of you possesses a quirk that can go awry. One wrong step is all it takes to kill someone else by accident. During Mr. Aizawa's strength test, you learned your power's true potential, and during All Might's battle training, I think you took away a true sense of the danger of brandishing those powers against each other. This lesson will serve as a fresh start! Let's get to studying about how to wield our quirks for the sake of human life. Your quirks do not exist to hurt others. Please leave this exercise having fully understood that your quirks exist to help people. That is all. You have my gratitude for listening so intently and patiently!" 13 concluded with a bow.
"All right, first things first," said Mr. Aizawa - but before he could finish what he was saying, something seemed to catch his eye. Far away, by the fountain near USJ's play, some kinda of black, swirling mist had appeared out of nowhere, growing larger and larger. Suddenly, a hand came through the mist, as if it were a portal, and a face appeared within…or not a face…a guy with scraggly hair and a severed hand, covering most of his face and exposing a single, scarlet, bloodshot eye.
"Huddle together and don't move!" said Mr. Aizawa. "13! Protect the students!"
"What is that?" said Weird Hair. "Is this like that training pattern at the entrance exam?"
"Don't move!" said Mr. Aizawa. His tone was dead serious. "This are villains!"
There they were, right in the midst of our rescue training. The villains who pros did battle with. The giant mist guy who'd brought them inside was saying "Eraserhead and #13…according to the teacher's curriculum we proceed yesterday, All Might was supposed to be here, and yet…"
"I knew it. That was you yesterday," said Mr. Aizawa.
"Where is he…we went through all this trouble, and rustled up so many of us to bring along…you can't tell me All Might, the symbol of peace, isn't here…" the hand guy was hissing. "I wonder if he'll show up, if we kill some of these her kids?"
What we faced that day was an evil we could never have suspected.
