New Message from {Toshi-Sensei}

T: We need to talk.

You: Okay

You: The beach?

T: I'll be there in ten minutes.

You: Give me fifteen.

April 15th, 201X- Takoba Municpal Beach Park

Toshinori Yagi had another crisis on his hands.

So, good news, his successor didn't murder anyone.

Bad news, if he kept on the way he was keeping on, it was only a matter of time before he did.

The strength that One-For-All afforded its wielder was immense, it was not something to be toyed with.

Young Midoriya's creativity was laudable, but his brutality was something that would get him in trouble with the media or the HPSC one day.

That needed to be nipped in the bud.

He sat on the sand in his true form, watching the surf break upon the shoreline.

There weren't a ton of people on the beach, just a few couples basking the moonlight and some little families taking little walks.

Toshinori liked coming to Takoba.

It kept him closer to the ground, while the world saw fit to elevate him so much higher.

The Symbol of Peace smiled softly, reveling in the brief moment of respite.

He quickly schooled his features as he heard someone plop down on the sands next to him.

"Yo, Sensei."

He didn't even need to see who it was, he recognized the voice.

"Young Midoriya."

"You wanted to see me?"

"I did."

"Okay, I think I know why, but why don't you make your case first? Just so we're clear."

A reasonable response.

"Right. I don't want to spend the rest of the night here, so I'll come out and say it. You need to tone down your… viciousness when you fight."

There was a beat of silence.

Toshinori pressed on.

"It's for your own good. You can't go around snapping necks. Heroes are meant to be protectors- icons that give them hope. Make them feel secure. That the people in charge will protect them, no matter what. That's why we don't go around killing-" he swallowed to keep himself from choking on his hypocrisy "-any of the villains we capture. Because once you cross that line-"

"I'm just gonna stop you right there."

Nani?

For the first time since the young man had arrived, Toshinori looked at him.

Green eyes bore straight into him.

They were unimpressed.

It wasn't like the old pro was absolutely used to seeing the young man treat everything he said as gospel, that just wasn't how things worked in their relationship.

What he was used to was Izuku at least offering him the chance to finish his long explanations and then offering up his own perspective and when he did, it was with something of a bright and excitable gleam in his eye, almost like a small pup presented with a bright rubber ball.

This was not that Izuku.

This Izuku looked at him like Toshinori had just told him that the sky was pink and the grass was blue.

It was a look that he was certain the young Midoriya reserved only for those he deemed to be truly idiotic.

The young greenette opened his mouth and Toshinori prepared for the verbal lashing the boy was sure to heap upon him-

"I think I understand where you're coming from, but I also think you're being a bit unfair in your judgement."

- and was thusly stunned into silence by the young man coming at him with a statement completely out of left field.

"You're sending mixed signals. Despite me declining multiple times and offering you just as many times to help you find someone more suitable for it, you wanna trust me with an incredible power that, if it were discovered the population at large, could absolutely redefine the way people look at quirks and, on a purely physical level, would make me pseudo-capable of flight and allow me to change the weather with a single punch. Yet, on the flip side, you indicate that you don't trust me enough with my own strength to not kill one of my classmates during a training exercise. It's kinda fuckin' me up, Sensei."

The young man's tone was congenial, but it brooked no argument.

He was clear, and his points were certainly laid out to inform, yet the wording made Toshinori want to admonish himself more than anything.

"You don't owe me any trust, you only met me a little less than a year ago, but if we're going to be going forward from here, I just ask that you do me the courtesy of keeping the trust you do have in me consistent."

Toshinori didn't have anything to say to that.

Izuku pushed up off of the sands, dusting himself off as he did so.

"I think I'll let you sit with that a while. Aizawa-sensei saddled me with the paperwork for the field trip tomorrow and I might've left a couple of forms unfinished to come here. Honestly, he dumped all this crap on us yesterday and said to get it done by tonight. 'Delegating', he called it. The old hobo just didn't wanna do his job!"

He started to walk off then, having started to rant to himself halfway through his stride.

Toshinori was just left to try and piece together exactly where he screwed up what was meant to be an incredibly simple talk.

How could one boy be so incredibly unpredictable?

U.A. High School- Class 1-A- April 16th, 201X

12:50 P.M.

Kyouka Jirou didn't know how to feel about the Class Rep.

He seemed… chill.

Weird, but chill.

Like, he was smart.

His plan during the Battle Trial showed that off well enough.

He was easy enough to get along with.

That's why he got the Class Rep position.

So yeah, Izuku Midoriya was chill.

In some kind of a smart class clown kinda way.

Case-in-point, his demeanor as he stood at the front of the class and explained what they would be doing for the Hero Studies Period.

"So, today's the field trip, guys. We'll be going to Universal Studios Ja-"

"You know for a fact that that's not what USJ stands for, Midoriya."

"What are you talking about, Sensei? Before you interrupted me, I was clearly saying: Unforeseen Simulation Joint."

Everyone in the room knew that that was bullshit.

But who would have the heart to chime in with an objection while Midoriya offered his biggest shit-eating grin to their currently sleeping bag-bound teacher?

Not a single person with a heart, that's who.

"So yeah, anyway, we've got three teachers today for basic training. All Might, Hobo-sensei, and… someone I was told not to talk about before we get there."

A guy behind her, one with a really plain face, spoke up after that.

"So what are we actually supposed to be doing today, Class Rep? Or, can you not tell us that?"

The greenette looked at the yellow slug creature on the ground behind him, as if asking permission.

A moment later, "Nah, I can tell you guys. It's rescue training. You know, rockslides, avalanches, little old ladies stuck in trees. Shit like that."

Kyouka raised an eye at the third object on the list, trying to figure if Midoriya was just joking or if U.A. really was that weird.

She thought on that for less than ten seconds before deciding that it wasn't worth wasting brainpower.

Her classmates were buzzing with excitement.

Between their chattering, she heard the classroom door open and close.

"Anyway, hurry up and get changed, or don't. The paper says it's up to you since some costumes may make doing your jobs more difficult. Hobo-sensei-"

The Class Rep looked down at his feet, the yellow slug creature from before had disappeared.

"-will meet us at the bus stop. I'ma head out. Follow me when you're ready."

And with that, he grabbed his costume case and walked out of the classroom.

Everyone followed soon after.

Yup, definitely weird.

And now, he was sitting right next to her.

She didn't notice before, but he had some height on her.

A good 176cm compared to her 154, he was hardly a monolith, but he did hulk somewhat as he sat right next to her.

And while she might've said that he was amicable, she couldn't help but think of the horrid crack of Bakugou's neck after the boy had grabbed him from behind.

"What about you, Kyo-chan?"

"Huh?"

She jumped slightly as the boy next to her, why does his costume look like he just walked off the set for Yakuza Sunset 8?, looked at her expectantly.

"Whaddya mean?" She had totally spaced.

"That breach yesterday. I was over in the support building, so I missed the brunt of it, but according to Ii-chan and Occhan, it was just some reporters. But that's kinda weird, ain't it? Wouldn't takin' down the gate be like some kinda supervillain feat?"

She… honestly didn't think about that.

After lunch, she was just happy enough that there was no immediate danger to her that she chose not to focus on the implications behind the U.A. Barrier failing.

Right, just gonna file that away to the 'Night Terror' section of her brain.

"You- uh, you good?"

Oh right, Midoriya was waiting for an answer.

"Didn't think about it."

She was okay to keep her existential dread to herself, thank you very much.

"Fair enough."

And Midoriya was cool enough to respect that.

A man of boundaries, point in his favor.

Though, wait a minute-

"Kyo-chan?"

"Yeah, I'm not too big on formalities. You don't mind the nickname, do ya? I can think up a new one if you do."

Kind of aggressively friendly, she couldn't quite decide if that was a point for or against him.

"Nah, it's cool. You don't mind if I give you a nickname too then. Huh, Green?"

"Green? A bit basic, but I can dig it. Makes me feel dangerous."

"Heh, dork."

"Hey now, them's fightin' words, Kyo-Chan."

That got a genuine chuckle out of her. Point for.

She noticed him looking at her ear.

More specifically, her earlobe.

She was ready to add a point against him the minute he opened his mouth.

"So, you a fan of music?"

Oh, that was actually a pretty good misdirect. Two points.

"Yeah, mostly oldies though. Deep Dope, Yokomichi Silvers, Takaya Kuroda and Goodfellas."

"Shit, you listen to Goodfellas? I grew up with the riff to Judgement in my dreams when I was growin' up, man."

"For real? Oh wait, I almost completely forgot, that was MachineGun Kiss you were singing the other day, right?"

"Hell yeah, their cover for it came out the night before. It was stuck in my head."

"Man of culture, I like that."

The conversation became lively for pretty much the rest of the trip.

Kyouka Jirou knew what she thought of the Class Rep after that.

He had damn good taste in music.

Unforeseen Simulation Joint

Izuku was kind of excited.

A field trip early in the school was dope on its own.

A field trip in the first few weeks of school to do superhero shit, that was sublime.

A field trip in the first few weeks of school to do superhero shit within which he found a new friend with good musical taste, now that was amazing.

"You look pretty pleased, Dekkun."

"I'm always pretty pleased, Occhan. Especially when you're around."

He could see his friend's cheeks flush a slightly darker shade of pink.

Yuya-san was right. This is kinda fun.

He should try 'flirting' more. It was well worth the reward.

"R-right. Ahem- so, um."

She was fumbling. It was pretty great.

Even so, she was his friend, so he threw her a bone.

"Hey, look, it's the construction company's logo."

He pointed to a small spot on the right side of the entrance.

"Huh?"

As he had said, there was a little gold plaque marked with the emblem of Majima Construction.

Nishida-san had told him about it once, it was another reason why he was so excited for the trip.

He got to fight in a building one of his uncles helped build.

It was awesome.

Uraraka followed his finger to the point that he was pointing to and, for the briefest of moments, Izuku could've sworn he saw her expression darken.

But it was gone so quickly that Izuku almost thought that he imagined it.

That was probably something to follow up on at another time, Izuku thought as the third sensei that he was not allowed to mention introduced herself to the class.

It was shaping up to be a pretty good day.

Some time later…

Fuck…

He was sweating.

It was fucking hot.

"Mochi, Kyo-chan, you two okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." "I'm fine."

How did this happen?

Was this really happening?

Why was this happening?

How the fuck could it be happening?

How did villains end up at the USJ?

"Good, you both in fighting condition?"

There was no time to worry about why things were happening.

"Why?"

Kyo-chan answered for him.

"Because we've got company."

She musta heard them.

They were all around. Surrounding them.

'How many were there?', he wondered.

Twenty?

Maybe thirty?

He felt something thumping in his chest.

Was that his heart?

Was he afraid?

A bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead.

No.

He knew this feeling.

It wasn't fear.

He knew fear, this was not it.

He felt it when he fought his uncle on the Millennium Tower all those years ago.

He felt it when fought those creeps beneath Shangri-La, the year before.

When he fought Kacchan, days ago.

This wasn't fear.

This is-

"Mochi, ya got fighting experience?"

"Yes. I do, I practice Bukijutsu."

Weapons. Weapons are good here.

"Good, you eat lunch today?"

"Of course, what do you need?"

She caught on quick, as expected of his Vice Rep.

"A bat'll do for now."

With moments, there was an aluminum bat in his hands.

"'Preciate it. Kyo-chan."

"Yeah?"

"Fighting experience?"

"N-none."

Made sense. Not everyone was brought up punching out street punks.

"That's fine, you're about to get a lot here. Three tips, don't let anyone get behind you, make sure you stick close to Mochi-"

They were closing in. It was almost time. His tongue flicked out over his dry lips.

"What's the third tip?"

He gave her a little grin.

"Trust me, and I'll watch your back. Just like I'm trusting you to watch mine."

He looked forward and walked up slightly.

Time was up. They were surrounded.

On his side alone, he could see maybe fifteen, likely closer to twenty, of them.

The situation looked pretty dire.

Even so, Izuku couldn't help the big toothy smile that spread and spread and spread across his face.

He pointed his bat straight forward as if he was issuing a challenge.

The next words that left his mouth came to him on instinct.

"Anyone who wants to die first… step on up!"

Villains

Next chapter's the end of this arc. Then MDOS is going on break until late fall/early winter.