The news that All Might was teaching at UA made the whole country get excited and disruptive; consequently, the mass media were pressing at the gates for days on end for a scoop. It made it quite difficult to try and get in the front doors for class.
The day after our combat training, we were back in our homeroom class with Mr. Aizawa.
"Hope you're rested from yesterday's battle trial. I took the liberty of looking at your marks and evaluation," he said, before launching into a speech telling each of us what we'd done wrong, about the same lecture All Might had given. Once he'd wrapped up that…
"Now, let's get on with the homeroom notices. I'm sorry to spring this on you all, but…"
What now? Another test?
"We need to pick a class president."
Finally, something school-like! It felt like everyone was thinking that together now.
Everyone collectively jumped to their feet to volunteer for the role. I was quick to add my vote, because this role, the Class Representative, this was a role built for me.
If this was just a normal school, then being class rep would just be a lot of paperwork. But here, in the Hero Course, it's more like guiding the group, a position that will build up your hero foundation all the faster. Of course everyone wanted to do it. But everyone in our class was jumping up and down and making lots of noise, instead of conducting the election in an orderly fashion.
"Be quiet, everyone!" said Iida. "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."
"It's still to early to have developed any trust in each other," said Asui.
"And everyone will just vote for themselves!" added Kirishima.
"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 Iida. He did make a good point there. "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.
After we'd all cast our votes, the results were displayed on the board. I'd received a mysterious vote besides my own, a total of two, and come in second, right after a shocked-looking Izuku Midoriya.
"How did I get three votes?" he stammered out.
"You gotta be kidding me! Who voted for Deku!?" yelled Bakugou.
"Well, guess we know it wasn't you," snarked Sero.
Iida was looking really upset. "Zero votes! I see how it is! Of course, since I insisted on the sacredness of the role…"
"You voted for somebody else?" I asked, baffled by whatever Iida was trying to do.
"Even though you wanted the job so badly? What are you doing, Iida?" asked Sato.
"So then," said Mr. Aizawa, coming out of his nap, "It's president Midoriya and Vice President Yaoyorozu.
We stood in front of the classroom; Midoriya looked really nervous and sweaty, like a terrified kicked mouse, and I couldn't fathom how I'd somehow received fewer votes than he had.
"Well," said Kirishima, "Midoriya was real fired up during our combat training!"
"And Yaoyorozu was real cool during the training analysis!" added Kaminari. "Maybe this won't be so bad." After all I'd done, to still end up as nothing but Deputy Class Representative…I couldn't help resenting him.
Lunch that day was interrupted by a security breach, which caused the whole cafeteria to stampede for the doorway. I almost got trampled, until Iida suddenly rose from the crowd, as if he was flying on an invisible string. Later on, we found out that he'd had Uraraka float him. Using his engines, he blasted himself to the doorway, standing on the emergency exit sign, and, glasses fallen away, addressed the crowd.
"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.
"All right, President," I said to Midoriya as we stood, preparing to start the lesson. "Start us off."
"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, like uncertain of his own words. "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."
"Yeah, he's got a point!" said Kirishima, grinning and looking real satisfied. "Iida made a great showing back there at the lunchroom. I wouldn't have minded Midoriya either, of course," he added, apologetically.
"He looked like the guy on the emergency exit sign," said Kaminari, and the two of them both grinned.
"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 Iida, "then I can't refuse."
"Do us proud, emergency exit!" cheered Kirishima. "Emergency exit Iida! Don't let us down!" said Kaminari. Everyone was pretty much on board, and just like that Iida became our class rep. Even though I had received two more votes than him, even though I had at least one other person's support and approval….well, he had Midoriya's, I supposed. Midoriya had certainly managed to win the classes hearts, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why.
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 Sero, "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 Kaminari.
"Totally!' gushed Ashido, fist-pumping.
"This is what a hero's whole job is!" said Kirishima, getting all pumped. "I'm chomping at the bit!"
"If it's a flood, then that environment's my speciality, kero-kero," added Asui.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," said Mr. Aizawa, killing the mood. "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."
Everyone got changed and headed out to the bus (except Midoriya, whose costume was still in repairs, since he'd destroyed it during combat training) with Iida giving us orders as our new rep. "In order to get everyone seated smoothly on the bus, file into two lines according to your numbers!" he yelled, blowing a whistle and swaying his hand back and forth.
Unfortunately for Iida…
"The bus's open layout ruined by boarding strategy," moaned Iida. I'd sat down in the back seat next to Uraraka, and could see the others sitting in the open part of the bus.
"So there was really no point, huh?" said Ashido patting Iida's shoulder.
"Hey, Midoriya" said Asui out of nowhere, and he jumped. "I always say what I think, no matter what's on my mind."
He was looking really nervous now. "Uh, hi, Asui."
"Call me Tsuyu. Your quirk reminds me of All Might's."
He looked seriously freaked out. "That so? Haha, but mine isn't like…"
"Wait up, Asui," said Kirishima, "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." He demonstrated a bit by hardening up his forearm.
Midoriya said, "Well, I think it's an awesome quirk! 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 Kirishima, looking down.
Opposite them, Aoyama said "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 Ashido.
"Well, if anyone in our class has pro quirks, it's Todoroki and Bakugou," said Kirishima, looking over at the back seat. Todoroki was asleep perpendicular to me, and Bakugou just looked annoyed as usual and turned away with an irritable scoff.
"Bakugou's always fuming, though," Asui corrected Kirishima, "So he won't be popular.
"You frog face!" yelled Bakugou, instantly mad and jumping out of his seat. "Come over here and say that to my face."
"See? said Asui, pointing at him.
Kaminari laid on "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."
Bakugou started yelling at him, "What kinda vocabulary is that? I'll fucking kill you!"
I was disgusted. "What a vulgar conversation," I said, putting my hand to my mouth to express it all.
"Yeah, but they make me laugh," smiled Uraraka. "Damn, Bakugou, you are one foul-mouthed dude." The argument continued for a few more minutes, until -
"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! Like USJ or something.
"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 Midoriya. "The chilvarous pro who does phenomenal work helping with disaster relief!"
"Wow, I've always liked 13!" cheered Uraraka.
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 Midoriya.
"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."
They're so cool! I thought, alongside the rest of the class.
"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 Kirishima, as he looked down as a cascade of strangers swept in through the mist. "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.