Their Hero Academia – Chapter Five: Toshi Midoriya and the First Heroics Class
The next morning found Toshi rising early, as he usually did. It was a habit he'd picked up from his dad years ago. They'd go for a jog or another workout and then make it back home in time for breakfast. He had always looked forward to it and intended to keep up his exercise program while he was at U.A. It was good for the mind and the body.
It was nearly seven by the time he returned to the dorms and most of the Class was already assembled in the common room, eating various combinations of breakfasts. They were still in the process of developing a chore wheel for the dorms, which would end up including some light cooking, but for now, it was a bit of a free-for-all.
Sitting at one of the tables with Asuka and Izumi, Shinso gave him a sleepy wave, then beckoned Haimawari over to join them. Good. That meant his efforts yesterday were being rewarded. Not that he'd have expected anything less of his friends.
He returned the wave and headed to the small kitchen, where Takiyo Aoyama was preparing complicated looking omelets with the help of Akaya Koda. He gave both of them a polite nod while he searched the cupboard for his power bars. "Smells good, guys," he told them.
"Of course it does," Aoyama said. "I'm the one making it."
The blonde boy's illumination was barely noticeable, but definitely growing as he spent more time in the light of both the lamps and the sunlight filtering in through the windows. Toshi understood that he kept his room totally blacked out while he slept, so that some of the light he absorbed throughout the day could bleed off. By the end of the day, he'd be nearly too dazzling to look at, unless he burned off some of the power.
He also understood that, like his adopted father, Aoyama's Quirk was not entirely under his control, requiring multiple support items to use the light he absorbed for much more than glowing brightly. Toshi couldn't imagine what that was like. Sure, he'd accidentally launched himself into the air when he was surprised on occassion, but to have that much trouble with a part of yourself…
Koda gave Aoyama a gentle nudge with her large hand. Despite her size (both the tallest and widest in the class), she was possessed of one of the gentlest demeanors of anyone Toshi had ever met. "Arrogance ill becomes anyone, Aoyama," she told him. Her voice was especially incongruous with her build and size, soft, like the wind whispering through the grass. "Especially after I convinced these peppers to grow, that they might enhance our meals. Do not dishonor their sacrifice with your pride."
The large girl had an interesting perspective on things sometimes. But to each their own. He supposed that, with her Quirk, she understood plants better than most.
The point seemed to be made with Aoyama, though, even if he didn't seem to completely buy the idea of dishonoring the peppers' sacrifice. "As you say, Mademoiselle Koda," he said, reluctantly. "I appreciate your help in these culinary matters."
Not exactly a thank you, not exactly an admission of fault. Of all the children of Class 1-A, Toshi knew Aoyama the least well. His family spent equal time in Japan and in France, so he hadn't been around the rest of them as much. Toshi hated to think badly of anyone, but he couldn't exactly say he liked what he had seen. Takiyo Aoyama struck him as especially arrogant and concerned only with his own achievements. Maybe he'd grow out of it? Especially once they all really started working together? Toshi could only hope.
Koda held Aoyama's gaze for a moment, then decided that was probably the best she was going to get. She helped him begin to plate the omelets. "Would you care for any, Midoriya?" she asked. There was clearly only enough for two, but he appreciated the gesture all the same, especially since Aoyama was making a rather unpleasant face behind her.
He shook his head, already biting off a piece of one of his power bars. "I'm good," he said. "You two enjoy."
Toshi walked out of the kitchen, taking in the rest of the room. The Iida twins were absent, probably at spending their pre-class hours in one of the workshops in the Support building. Sero was busy filming Sato with his phone, no doubt streaming his friend's eating of a small cactus for all the internet to see. Kimiko Ojiro was pointing out something in a magazine to Shoji, who appeared to be doing his best to feign polite interest in whatever celebrity gossip the invisible girl was sharing, and to Mineta, who was mostly drooling over the models on the cover. Chihiro absently munched on a breakfast sandwich, lost in whatever music she had streaming through her phone.
That only left Katsumi unaccounted for and she was likely still up in her room, getting in her morning workout. Where Toshi's leaned more towards running, Katsumi's involved more weight lifting and punching. Probably nothing to be worried about.
His phone buzzed, letting him know he had a text.
Dad: Hey, champ! Ready for your first real Heroics Class today?
I sure hope so! I can't imagine what Grandpa Might has planned!
Dad: Just so long as he doesn't have you fight Katsumi. I don't need to hear from Bakugo about that!
He wouldn't really do that, would he?
Dad: Probably not on purpose. But you know Grandpa Might!
Do I ever! He keeps following me around!
They had to kick him out of the classroom four times yesterday!
Dad: I'll talk to him. And if that doesn't work, we'll get Grandma.
Their lunch table of four looked like it was going to become a permanent table of five. When they'd gone to the cafeteria, he'd made sure Haimawari knew he was welcome to join them again. It was good having someone else around who clearly had the same kind of appreciation for Heroes that he and Shota did. Granted, it made more sense for someone like Haimawari to be into them, since he wasn't from a heroic family. Katsumi had frequently pointed out that being such fanboys when their families were already Heroes didn't make that much sense. But neither of Toshi nor Shota cared.
"Anything interesting in Pro Hero news, Shinso?" Izumi asked. Like Toshi, she had seen that their friend was practically vibrating with something to share. Izumi was polite enough to offer him an avenue to let it out.
"Only the coolest!" Shota bubbled. "Red Riot and Real Steel fought Diamondhead!" He pulled out his phone, showing them video of the two Heroes fighting against a Villain who could turn his skin to diamond in a very similar way to how their own Quirks worked. As they watched, they saw the two Heroes both land a punch against Diamonhead that caused a shockwave big enough to shatter all the nearby glass and knock loose objects over.
"The news report said you could feel the impact for miles away!" Shota added
"Oh, man," Haimawari said, "that was one hell of a punch!"
"Yeah," Shota said. "They're both so manly!"
"Shinso," Asuka began, "that was a lot of property damage… Maybe we shouldn't be cheering that."
"But it looked so awesome!"
Toshi shook his head. "Red Riot and Real Steel are good at what they do. They wouldn't have done that if they had another choice. Judging by his Quirk, I don't think anything else would have knocked Diamondhead out."
"Think Kirishima-Bakugo's seen it yet?" Shota asked. "Bet she'd love to see her dad in action! He's all, like, "Pow! Bam! Take that, evil doer, for my manly heart is pure!'"
Toshi had to laugh at that, catching Izumi politely chuckling and even Asuka trying to hide a laugh behind her hand. "Okay, yeah, Uncle Eijiro does kind of talk like that."
Haimawari frowned for a moment. "Keep forgetting you guys are all pretty much family. I can't imagine what it must have been like growing up around that many heroes."
"They're just people," he told him. "If you're only seeing them when they're being Heroes, you're not getting the full picture. That's part of who they are, sure. Some more than others. But that's not all of who they are either."
There were all kinds of things the public didn't get to see. Like the way Dad could cry at the drop of a hat or the way he still geeked out when he talked about working with other Pro Heroes (not that Toshi didn't join him in the geeking out, mind you) or the way Mom obsessively checked their bank account or had their shopping cart total figured out to the penny before they got to the check out, even though financial insecurity was a thing she'd long put behind her.
"Trust me," Asuka said, "my dad's "Darkness" speeches don't work nearly as well when he's telling you to pick up your room."
Toshi knew from experience that Asuka's mother could be far scarier with as single look of disappointment than her father could in full "warrior of the night" mode.
"What do your parents do, Haimawari?" Izumi asked.
Toshi could swear there was the tiniest moment of hesitation before Haimawari answered, but he had to be imagining it. No way this guy had any scary secrets or anything.
"Nothing as cool as yours," he says. "Dad owns a convenience store in Naruhata. Mom's a writer for a Pop!-Weekly."
"The music magazine?" Toshi asked. He'd seen Chihiro reading it from time to time. When Haimawari nodded, he added, "That's pretty cool!"
That got the skinny boy laughing a little. "Guess it all depends on your perspective. They're just my parents to me."
"Seriously though," Toshi said. "It is pretty cool. You should tell Chihiro. She'd big into music."
"Sorry," Haimawari replied, "still learning everybody's names. Chihiro is…?"
"The blonde girl with the ear-Quirk," Izumi told him. "Chihiro Kaminari."
"Mineta's friend," Asuka elaborated.
"Ooooh," Haimawari said. "Her. She's got, ah, interesting taste in friends."
"She's not as bad as Mineta," Toshi assured him. "Try and talk to her. Couldn't hurt."
"Yeah, maybe I will."
For their Heroics Class, Mr. Aizawa and his grandfather had taken them to Training Ground Epsilon. Unlike most of the Training Grounds, which were designed to replicate specific kinds of environments, Epsilon was essentially a long open sand field, with an observation bunker at one end. It was a warm day, the sun shining and the sky clear, though their gym uniforms were comfortable enough in it (apparently, the costume department was significantly behind this year). Toshi was honestly a little bit surprised that Mr. Aizawa could stand that much direct sunlight.
"Normally," Grandpa Might said, "we'd start Heroics off with the Battle Trials, pitting Hero against Villain in a death-defying race for control of a bomb which might very well destroy the entire world!"
He waited a moment for a reaction from the class. When no one other than Shinso (who cheered, of course) responded, he looked a little deflated, but he went on. "Unfortunately, due to a… ah, Quirk misfire with Class 1-B, the Training Grounds for that is currently unavailable and undergoing repairs. So we have prepared an alternative exercise."
Okay, Toshi was definitely going to have to pay more attention the other Hero Classes. If someone in 1-B had a Quirk powerful enough to do that kind of damage…!
Grandpa Might went on, "We'll be splitting you into teams of four. Your job will be to defend the Observation Bunker, where the rest of us will be. Your job will be to defend the bunker from waves of robot villains that will be attacking!"
"However," Mr. Aizawa said, "if even one villain makes it to the Bunker, then your team loses, no questions asked. Because it means everyone inside is dead."
Ojiro shot her hand up. "Do we get to pick teams?"
"No."
"As Heroes," Grandpa Might explained, "you'll often find yourself working with other Heroes you've never met before. You'll need to improvise working with a wide variety of Quirks on the fly. This will help with that and help you get acquainted with your classmates' Quirks!"
"And," Aizawa added, "I don't trust any of you to make good decisions about teams. The teams will be as follows. Team One: Midoriya, Aoyama, Sero, and Tensei Iida. Team Two: Kirishima-Bakugo, Shinso, Ojiro, and Mineta. Team Three: Todoroki, Haimawari, Sato, and Sora Iida. And Team Four: Tokoami, Koda, Shoji, and Kaminari."
Okay, he could work with that. Pretty good Quirk spread on his team. Pretty good spread on all four teams, actually. At least Aizawa and Grandpa Might were giving them a fighting chance.
"The hell? You losers better not make me lose!"
…He honestly hadn't expected anything else from Katsumi.
In general, Toshi thought he was pretty good with his Quirk. He could lower his personal gravity until he could bounce off the walls. And with split second timing, he could increase it until he turned into a cannon ball and then bounce back away. He'd sparred with his dad and trained more than a lot of people his age probably had. Being all second generation heroes, they definitely had some advantages going in, though they hadn't all worked together much. This would still be a real test.
He slowly adjusted his gravity, bringing himself back down to the ground.
"What did you see, Toshi?" Tensei asked. While he could actually fly rather than float like Toshi, he was more like a rocket, needing to keep moving, which was not always as ideal for observation.
"Three One-Pointers and two Two-Pointers," he said. "About 50 meters out, coming quick."
Aoyama was glowing in the afternoon son, difficult to even look at directly. Reflective jeweled wristbands likewise glittered in the sun. "Should go out after them? Show them what we're made of?"
"No," Toshi said. "Our mission is to protect the Bunker. We need to stay close to it, but not let them get too close. You and Sero need to hang back. You've both got long range Quirks."
"Aye, aye, Captain Midoriya!" Sero said, tossing off a little salute.
"Are you sure you and Iida don't just want to grab all the glory for yourselves?" Aoyama sneered. "Keeping me on the bench while you get to be the heroes?"
"I don't like your tone, Aoyama," Tensei said. "Toshi is no glory hog!"
"And perhaps I don't like yours!"
Toshi's bad feelings about Aoyama returned. But now was not the place to get into it. "Uh, maybe we should just…"
"They're here!" Sero shouted, interrupting any further argument.
And indeed they were, three One-Pointers rolling along on their treads, and a pair of walking Two-Pointers. According to the further explanation Grandpa Might and Mr. Aizawa had provided, the waves would only get stronger. They twenty minutes. Either they held the line that long, or one of the 'bots got through and they lost.
He didn't want to lose, especially not with his grandfather watching. He didn't want it to be this haphazard; he'd wanted some kind of plan. Dad had drilled into him how important having a plan was. Now…
"Let's get 'em, guys!"
Toshi concentrated, bringing his gravity to near zero and took a jump, bouncing up like he had springs under his shoes. It carried him up and over and then at the right moment he increased it three fold. He immediately fell like a stone, crashing into one of the One-Pointers, smashing in its head. Quickly, he switched back to low gravity again, bouncing off and landing on the sand.
Already, the blood was rushing in his head. He couldn't do that kind of rapid switching for too long, not without getting a killer headache.
Around him, the others were tearing into the rest. Tensei had flown through one of the other one pointers like a battering ram, propelled by his jet engines. "As suspected! They still have not fixed the structural flaw! Quite disappointing, but good for our Team!"
Sero was quickly wrapping up the remaining One-Pointer in his Acid Tape, making it as acidic as possible, easily cutting its way through the robot. It was a good combination of his parents' Quirks, really, the ability to create tape like his dad, but with all the different and variable properties of his mom's acid. "Die, evil robot, die! Hey, with a dry, cool wit like that, I could be an action hero!"
And Aoyama… was staring down both Two-Pointers. His glow intensified until it was blinding. "Let's see how these ruffians fair against my Dazzling Beam Blaster!" Both of his arms snapped up and his wrist bands flared, each unleashing a powerful golden beam of light that punched holes right through the Two-Pointers. His overall glow was diminished after that, still lending him a bit of a sparkle and getting brighter by the moment, but it was clear he had spent a lot of energy.
He gave himself a small clap. "That's how you do it, boys."
Okay, so Aoyama was powerful. But that didn't mean Toshi had to like working with him.
And then, just like that, a buzzer split the air, signaling failure.
"What? How? We got all of them!" Sero said.
"Probably something you lot did," Aoyama snapped.
"An unseen variable, perhaps?" Tensei mused. "Some x factor I did not anticipate?"
"Uh, guys?" Toshi said, pointing behind them. A One-Pointer was already at the bunker, and others were moving in from the sides.
Mr. Aizawa's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Perhaps next time you'll know to watch for all directions. I expect all the rest of you to have learned something from their failure."
"DO NOT WORRY, YOUNG GRANDSON! FAILURE IS BUT THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS VICTORY! I MEAN, AH, DO NOT WORRY, YOUNG HEROES! YES, I WAS TALKING TO ALL OF YOU!"
…Maybe he'd be better off just floating away. He could get a job as a parade balloon. Anything sounded better than being here right now.