UA High School
"So, how do we break this news to the rest of your faculty?"
Nezu watched in amusement as All Might, in his skinny form, paced back and forth in front of him. Left then right, burning a trail into the sparkling clean floor of the conference room, located in a secluded section of the school.
"Well, aside from the sensitive information that must remain a secret, there isn't much to say, All Might. Bardock will be introduced as you were, someone hired to fill in our newly vacant Hero Studies position."
All Might paused for a moment, raising his eyebrow. "Filling in a position that is now full? Isn't that a cause for suspicion?"
"Not when you consider the history of the hero course. There have been plenty of years where two teachers split the hero course, well within the teaching careers of Eraserhead and Vlad King. They won't mind. Especially considering you have no experience with teaching teenagers."
"But this is different!" All Might resumed his worried pacing. "Even with my fame and status, I was still looked into and chosen among a variety of other applicants. Your staff was included in that process! How are we going to pardon Bardock? No one but us two know him, and you are skipping the screening process!"
"I wouldn't worry so much, All Might. Don't forget who you are speaking to; I always have a plan and today will be no different."
A shudder ran down the hero's skeleton-like body. "Why do I feel as though keeping me in the dark is essential to your plan?"
"It's not." Nezu replied nonchalantly, flipping through a few pages of notes in front of him. "But your genuine surprise will be more beneficial than if you were fully informed."
Kerchak
The crack of the heavy metal door being opened shut All Might up before he could retort. Shooting one last desperate look at Nezu, which was ignored, the number one hero gave up and moved towards the door.
"All Might." A gentle, respectful voice rang out as a very angular and square figure moved through the open door. It was Cementoss, the soft spoken literature teacher whose quirk let him control concrete with a flick of his hand.
"Cementoss." All Might bowed his head in response. As two teachers moved into the room, one left.
"Eh, where you goin? The meeting is about to start!" The muffled voice of Snipe called at the retreating back of All Might. Snipe was the science teacher and always wore a headpiece when on duty. His quirk gave him control of projectiles, which lent him the role of fire support during his hero duties.
"He has his own work to do gentlemen, don't worry about him." At Nezu's word the two heroes shrugged and took their seats at the circular table in the meeting room, bringing out their own papers.
Ectoplasm was next, the mathematics teacher with the ability to create clones of himself through his mouth. He shuffled in, greeting those in the room, on his pegs that replaced his legs, lost in a nasty fight.
N. 13 filled the doorway, her puffy astronaut costume making her much wider than she actually was. Her quirk gave her black hole properties to suck in nearly all kinds of matter. Hence, the full body suit that rarely left her body.
An eruption of sound gave away the next arrival, or two in this case. Present Mic strode into the room with confidence and energy, a stark contrast to the sullen and hunched over figure of Eraserhead. The former has a voice amplification quirk, and the latter could erase the quirk of whomever he looked at. You couldn't find two more different individuals, yet the two were good friends.
Midnight followed close behind in a rush, her glasses tilted. She had forgotten something and rushed to grab it. Her skintight costume sealed her quirk that let her emit a gas that put people to sleep. She took a seat beside Present Mic, nudging him in the process. Eraserhead tiredly prepared some files as the two beside him bickered.
Hound Dog and Vlad King took up the rear, escorted Recovery Girl into the room. As her name implies, Recovery Girl can push any body she kisses to accelerate their natural recovery, useful in a hero institution. Hound Dog has the body and powers of a dog, including proportional strength, enducance, and senses, while Vlad King can manipulate his blood once it has left his body.
The last three took their seats, and Nezu clapped his paws to catch the room's attention.
"It looks like everyone of relevance is here! Now, this meeting has two parts, with the first being the meeting's original purpose, and the second being a surprise!"
"Does it have to do with heroic studies?" Eraserhead spoke in his usual drained voice. Despite his tired appearance, his mind was like a steel trap, and his eyes quickly picked up that All Might was not in the room. And that there were two open seats on either side of Nezu. Were they expecting someone else?
"You are correct, but we can discuss that when the time comes. Now, let us iron out the academic calendar for the first semester."
The room broke out into discussion of test dates, quiz content and general academic goals.
Mount Paozu
Bardock woke to rays shining into his open eye, which activates the rest of his senses. The night was pleasantly warm, and no one or thing attempted something in his sleep. The Saiyan moved to get up, only to be interrupted by a warm body laying on him.
Gine snuggled tighter to Bardock's warmth, resting on top of him. Deciding to let her sleep, Bardock grabbed her in his arms and picked her up in a bridal carry. Letting her rest her head against the crook of his neck, Bardock took to the skies in a tiny burst of ki and flew towards the Gohan residence.
There was no movement outside of the small hut. Day was just breaking after all, Raditz wouldn't be up for at least an hour, and Kakarot would take a few more. Bardock was careful to land carefully, his feet barely making a sound as he touched down. The heavy footsteps of an approaching person made Bardock crane his head back.
Gohan was walking up the slope, a massive bear balanced on his back. The animal was large, covered with patches of old, tough fur and scars riddled its body.
"Hunting?" Bardock questioned as he opened the hut door to set Gine down beside Kakarot, on the soft blankets in the corner where his sons slept.
"Yes. I've had my eye on this old one here for a while now." Gohan slung the bear off his shoulders and onto the ground. "He's old, barely hanging on. If I didn't hunt him, another predator would have. He wouldn't have lasted another winter at his age. I ended him swiftly and painlessly, better than what one of the dinosaurs would have done."
"A mercy." Bardock agreed. Gohan turned his attention from the bear to the Saiyan.
"Would you humor an old man's curiosity for a moment, Bardock?"
Well, Gohan had earned that much from Bardock. "Shoot."
"Why did you deal with Nezu?" The question came out bounty, without much fluff, to which Bardock was thankful. "You don't strike me as someone who wants anyone to have an obvious advantage over him. Yet, yesterday you agreed to just that."
Bardock chuckled at that. "Yes, I don't like being in a binding contract. Just one of the reasons I butted heads with my superiors in the Frieza Force. However, I know what Nezu is. He's a schemer, someone who has a plan within a plan within another plan. Those people, they have minds like a maze. You never know when they're going to lead you to a dead end."
Memories flashed through Bardock's head. "I've encountered my fair share of schemers, and they always follow the same strategy in these situations. The first offer they make is reasonable, something that meets the bare minimum of what either party wants. Satisfactory, and if you're smart you'll take it. The problems occur if you refuse and try to get greedy. You'll break off, only to later realize that this is your only option. So you crawl back, meek and weak. If I did that, Nezu could confirm what he already knew; he has the upper hand. He could then alter the original deal to benefit him more, seeing as I would be the one coming back to him."
"So you fully believe that without Nezu you won't be able to get off-world?" Gohan asked.
"Within a reasonable amount of time, yes. Nezu approached this situation with an even head, something few other beings could. I would know, seeing as how I've conquered many worlds, I have seen all sorts of reactions to hostile aliens landing on your planet. Raditz is smart, but still young. It would take him many years, probably decades, before he found a way to fix the pods with Earth materials and technology. This way, the pods can be fixed within the decade rather than taking multiple. Staying hidden from the Frieza Force is a major benefit as well."
"Hmm. Wise." Gohan nodded, but then jolted up, as if he just remembered something. "Ah, when I walked the trio out the door yesterday, Nezu told me the specifics of the meeting you will go to today."
"Oh?"
"Transportation will be sent out at sunrise. In the meantime Nezu will gather his staff. The location is UA High School, so familiarize yourself when you get there. No matter if you decide to teach or not, they will be close to you and your family for at least 3 years. So, at least try not to antagonize them, will you?" Gohan's voice took on a pleading tone at the end.
"No promises." Bardock then looked skyward, seeing the sun well over the horizon. "So, when should I get there?"
"Nezu said the car will park on the outskirts of the forest. Look for it there." Gohan suggested.
"No, I mean the meeting." Bardock sighed impatiently.
"Well, it has been a few hours since daybreak, so I think Nezu should be prepared." Gohan began.
"Good." Bardock interrupted, rolling his shoulders. "I want to get this over with."
"Wait!" Gohan blurted out as Bardock levitated. "Nezu said a car would be sent out for you? And how do you even know where to go?"
"You taught me how, remember?" Bardock tapped his head with a smirk. "All Might has a unique ki, especially when in that skeleton form. I just need to find that. Also, I refuse to imprison myself in those tin cans you call cars."
"You fly in pods!" Gohan smacked his head. "Cars have much more leg room in comparison!"
"Well, I hate pods. I only came to Earth in one because it was quite literally that or die." Bardock snorted. "I refuse to willingly go into something similar. I've observed these cars and trucks from afar during my morning patrols. Why would I use one when I can fly, which is faster and easier?"
"Well, flying would be seen as your quirk, which in turn makes it illegal. Ki is no-!"
Fwoosh!
"-and there he goes." Gohan closed his eyes, trying to ignore the many, many situations where Barock causes trouble. Well, it was out of his control now.
"Better go and find that poor driver and inform him that his early morning drive is for nothing." Gohan proceeded to bound down the mountain.
UA High School
"Very good. I think that wraps up our academic plans for the upcoming semester?" Nezu asked his teachers, and received a round of nods and agreements.
"I will send the request for the test forms after this meeting Sir." Midnight spoke as she neatly stacked her papers into a clear folder.
"Well over a thousand middle schoolers have sent requests to take our entrance exam this year. Definitely more than usual." Cementoss tapped his fingers on the table in thought.
"It's a waste of paper, considering hundreds will not make it. We should switch to an electronic-based format for the academic test. Like Shiketsu." Eraserhead grumbled, his chin resting against his chest as he slouched.
"Always complaining, Eraserhead, aren't you?" Snipe shook his head at his coworker. "Don't think that we haven't heard your gripes with the practical exam."
"Our practical isn't logical and everyone in this room knows it." Eraserhead's eyelids raised so that he could glare across the table.
Nezu quickly intervened before the situation escalated out of control. "We have already discussed this Eraserhead. We are moving the hero course away from our established curriculum in no small part due to your criticisms. However, switching the entrance exam would shift the entire structure of how we admit students into the hero course. That will take time. So, let us deal with it at a later date."
Snipe eased up, resting back in his seat. Eraserhead gave a tired nod before doing the same. Nezu didn't show it, but he was getting increasingly nervous. The driver he sent out to Mount Paozu Forest hadn't called in, meaning Bardock's location was unknown. Probably heading to UA as he spoke. The last thing Nezu wanted was for Bardock to walk in on his staff squabbling amongst each other.
"Hey, shouldn't Powerloader be here?" Present Mic suddenly piped up, louder than needed as usual. "Now that the boring stuff is over and the important part is rolling in?"
"I'm right here." The door opened and the muffled voice's owner stepped in. Shirtless, but clad in a massive helmet and wearing modified gloves, the support course teacher marched in. His quirk gave him durable claws with which to dig and build.
"Sorry for the delay, I've been busy. The support course entrance exams are right around the corner. Been making sure everything is ready to roll." Powerloader took his seat beside N. 13, and rested his large hands on the table.
"Now that he's here, all we're missing is All Might himself." Mic said.
"Snipe and I caught him before entering the room. He was leaving for some business, as Nezu told us." Snipe's remark led Nezu to gaining the room's attention.
Well, no point in trying to delay a meeting he had set up. His most trusted staff was here, people he could rely on to understand the delicate situation they were now in without explicitly telling them of the danger.
Nezu sucked in a breath.
"My valued staff, I have gathered you all here today because I have made a decision. Yesterday, after a series of events, I have decided to hire a new heroics teacher."
As expected, the room broke out into mutters of shock, sharp intakes of surprise and narrowed eyes of suspicion.
"That is... most unexpected." Cementoss clenched and unclenched his hands.
"Not everyday Nezu makes use of his executive powers like this." Midnight agreed.
"And for a position we hired an esteemed figure to fill." Eraserhead gave his fellow heroics homeroom teacher a sideways glance.
Vlad King shook his head. "First time I've heard of this. I thought All Might was supposed to take over heroics."
"As did I." Eraserhead frowned and turned his gaze towards his boss, as did everyone else.
'Well, they are still listening. That's good.' Nezu cleared his throat, but then his phone buzzed. Only a handful of people sending him a message would trigger his phone to do so, and all but one were in the room with him. There was only one that was outside.
He is here!
All Might's message read. Nezu sighed. Of course he wouldn't take his offered transportation.
Nezu's gears switched to immediate damage control.
Pounding footsteps could be heard down the hall, along with someone protesting. Bardock and All Might no doubt.
Kerchak
The door opened and Nezu braced himself.
The Sky Above Musutafu, A Few Minutes Prior
The wind buffeted Bardock's hair, the cool morning chill rushing down the bare skin not covered by his armor. Per Nezu's request, there was no blood leftover on the armor. It was clean, but due to years of battle damage along with wear and tear, it could not shine. Dents and scrapes were clearly visible.
Just as Bardock wanted. He wouldn't antagonize these new humans, but Bardock wanted to send a clear message on who he was and how he operated.
With any luck, these humans would vehemently protest his potential status as teacher. Then, per their agreement, Nezu would not force Bardock to teach.
Good. There was little that annoyed Bardock more than the thought of teaching a class of humans how to be a hero. Prancing around in ridiculous costumes, pretending to be strong in front of the public, ha! Like they would know the first thing of being strong.
In Bardock's mind, Earth's 'heroes' were really more like 'enforcers.' They enforced the law, like police, but with less restriction. It made Bardock wonder why police still even existed. Were there crimes that heroes considered below them, that they left the police to deal with?
Bardock's thoughts were broken by the sensation of a strange level of ki. Both strong and weak, it pulsed like a heartbeat. Most human's ki were like the sun. They constantly emitted ki that Gohan's sensing technique picked up, like the sun. This one was more like a heart. It had beats, sending waves of strength before ebbing to nothing. Only All Might had a ki signature like that.
With a burst of pale energy, Bardock flew through the air, ducking below the cloud cover. He flew straight down, wisps of the cloud he broke through whipping around him. He would only be exposed for a few seconds.
UA was instantly recognizable, even for an alien. The massive, towering center building loomed over the entire city, the largest they had. The entire campus was surrounded by a wall, and many smaller facilities dotted the ground. Bardock spotted a walkway, starting from a gate and leading to steps that led to the main building. So, that's where the Saiyan aimed for.
Boom!
Not bothering with subtlety, Bardock landed with a harsh bang, loud but not hard enough to crack the concrete. All Might's ki was on the move. He had been expecting Bardock.
His long, narrow head poked out from the double doors. The hero peeked out, and then his eyes widened in alarm as he saw Bardock just standing there, arms crossed.
"Come inside! Before anyone sees you!" He called out, beckoning the Saiyan to enter.
Bardock silently complied, strolling into the main building of UA High School. Bardock looked around. Just as impressive on the inside as on the outside. Large spacious halls. A crystal clean floor without a single spec of dust. Pleasant cool air flowed through the building, making sure the air stayed fresh. Large windows gave plenty of sunlight. The color palette wasn't so dark as to contrast with the outside, but not so light as to hurt the eyes. No doubt about it, a lot of time, money and effort went into making this school as impressive as possible.
Bardock already hated it.
"Err, Nezu said he sent out a driver. What happened to her?" All Might sounded so pathetic, it made Bardock want to vomit.
Where was the other All Might? The towering figure of muscle and power, whose power, speed and endurance almost reached Saiyan levels? The human who could make him bleed, knock him around? That All Might had Bardock's full respect. This one only had his scorn.
"I made sure I wasn't followed." Bardock started walking, forcing All Might to follow.
"That's not the point, we want as few people to know about you as possible! The exception being the teachers of UA, but they know not to talk." All Might rambled, his worries spilling out. Then he noticed that Bardock was leading him through the building. Shouldn't their roles be swapped?
"How are-"
"I learned how to sense energy from Gohan." Bardock knew what was coming, so he decided to just answer it immediately. "You and Nezu are unique, with you having two forms and Nezu not being a human. I am following Nezu, and assuming you humans have a basic understanding of how to construct buildings."
'He is going the right way.' All Might begrudgingly thought and let the Saiyan take the lead.
But that wouldn't stop All Might from talking.
"I ask that you refrain from free flying from this point. We do have a sort of cover story for you, but we would not be able to fit everything you do under a single quirk."
Bardock rolled his eyes. "That wasn't a part of our agreement."
"But it is necessary!" The hero protested as they went up a flight of stairs.
Nezu's ki was close. Bardock shrugged off All Might's plea. "If you beat me in a spar, I'll do what you say. Doesn't have to just be you. I'll take All Might or All Might's successor. Either will do."
All Might clammed up. "As I said, Mido- *cough* he isn't ready."
"Then that leaves you." Bardock rolled his shoulder and flexed his muscles. He was ready to go at any time, and All Might knew it.
"This is a matter of public safety..."
Bardock approached the door that led to the room Nezu was in. He could sense around ten individuals in the room. Some were weak, others were strong, and some were unquantifiable. Bardock ignored Skinny All Might's yapping and yanked the door open.
UA Conference Room
The conference room door was pulled open with an unnecessary amount of force. The heroes tore their gazes from Nezu to stare at this newcomer. What they saw was not what they expected.
The new hire was a man, and a well-built one at that. He was incredibly muscular, far more than any civilian needed to be. Wild spiky black hair jutted out from his head, ignoring gravity. Sharp eyes swiftly evaluate the room, looking at each hero in turn. As he turned his head, a cross-shaped scar was revealed on his left cheek.
He was not wearing typical clothing either. He wore dark blue and green battle armor that exposed his powerful arms. Two flaps extended down to protect his thighs. He had dark blue combat pants and had bright red armbands and leg warmers. On his feet were black boots with green tips. Around his waist was a tail with short brown fur. It was secured quite tightly, like a belt. His quirk, perhaps?
Each hero in the room had their own feelings regarding this newcomer, but all of them immediately put up their guards. There was a sense of danger that accompanied this man, a sort of warning that told them that they best tread lightly, lest he run them down. It may have come from the stern eyes, or the powerful body, or the tail, but everyone couldn't put their feelings of nervousness away.
The heroes started getting antsy. Cementoss was still as a boulder, unmoving and unflinching. Snipe's hand started inching towards his holster. Ectoplasm opened his mouth slightly, and sucked in a deep breath. N. 13 played with the finger caps of her suit. Present Mic cleared his throat. Eraserhead sat up straight, his capture weapon clutched in a tight grip. Hound Dog's hackles were raised. Vlad King clenched the fist of the arm that was resting on the table. Powerloader flexed his fingers.
The heroes were gearing up for a fight.
Well, all except one.
"Oh, aren't you something else?" Purred Midnight, resting her chin on interlocked fingers. She ran her gaze up and down this newcomer's body. "Where has Nezu been hiding you all my life?"
"Not the time, Nemuri!" Mic hissed.
"Oh come now Hizashi! Don't you think you all are overreacting? This man was invited here by our boss. He obviously doesn't have hostile intentions. Well, maybe he didn't originally, but if he does now I can't blame him. First thing he sees walking into a new prospective job are his potential new coworkers treating him like a villain."
Midnight's surprising analysis broke the tension of the room, but didn't eliminate it all. Most of the heroes composed themselves, but some kept a close hand on their weapons and an eye on the Saiyan. Snipe kept a hand resting on his holster. Eraserhead let go of his capture weapon, but kept a glare on the man. Hound Dog calmed his fur down, but didn't bother hiding his fangs and claws.
As for the newcomer, he didn't change at all. In fact, in the face of multiple heroes gearing up for battle, he never so much as flinched. As soon as the room settled down he proceeded forward with confidence, taking long, slow strides to the other side of the room. He ignored the open seat and chose to lean against the wall.
Perhaps he didn't trust the people in the room enough to leave his back exposed.
All Might crept in afterwards, shaking his head. Muttering about how this was a bad idea, he made his way to the other open seat beside Nezu.
For a moment, there was silence.
Nezu broke through it with his normal, cheerful tone. "Well then, shall we get started?"
Shock rolled through the room. If the meeting was to continue, then that meant all necessary people were present. That meant that!
"This guy is your newest hire?" Gasped N. 13. "As in, the second heroics teacher?"
"He doesn't look like anyone I know. And I know a lot of heroes." Present Mic shot a glance at his neighbor. "Is he an underground hero or something?"
"I don't recognize him. He's a new face." Eraserhead kept his glare on the new hire.
"Is this wise?" Questioned Cementoss. "UA has always made sure their primary instructors have origins as heroes. This is an unusual exception."
Suddenly, a voice broke through the din of the conference room. "My name is Bardock."
"Is that your code name? Are you even a hero?" Vlad King crossed his arms.
"Not ringing any bells." Mic scratched his head.
Clap
"Enough!" All Might cried out with as much force as his skinny form could muster. The number one hero successfully quieted the room and restored order. "This is no way to contact ourselves! We must have order!"
"Thank you Toshinori." Nezu knew he was walking a fine line here. Some heroes here were experts at interrogation, or knew their principal boss so well they could tell when he was lying. Eraserhead was already suspicious. Recovery Girl had been silent this whole time, but was looking at Nezu with incredible focus.
"There must be a lot of questions, so I'll let Bardock himself answer most of them, so you all can hear it from him."
The first question was obvious.
"Who are you?" Eraserhead demanded as soon as Nezu stopped talking.
"Bardock. I'm from the military." Came Bardock's brisk reply.
Eraserhead tightened his fists as Bardock made no motion to elaborate.
Nezu knew this was a risk, letting Bardock do the talking. But this was according to plan. Nezu would be suspect of some ploy if he were to give a fabricated story. A story that Nezu had no doubt that someone like Eraserhead could see through. No, he needed his staff to trust, or at least accept, Bardock on their own terms. And hopefully agree to let him teach heroics as well.
Nezu would keep his word to Bardock; if his staff didn't want the Saiyan, he would not be obligated to teach, or interact with UA High School in any way. But Nezu so desperately wanted Bardock! If the Saiyan could pass down even a fraction of his abilities to the students of UA, Japan and Earth itself would become that much stronger.
Of course, this little mock interview would decide if that future would come to pass or not. At least Bardock was smart enough to not talk about the agreed upon classified information.
Present Mic tried to intervene between the increasingly frustrated Erasrterhead and the indifferent Bardock. "Alright, let's move on! How did you and Nezu meet?"
"Met him and All Might over there yesterday. We came to an agreement of sorts. That's why I'm here." Bardock replied in his same tone, but what he said caused the whole room to spin.
All Might's injury is one of the best kept secrets in the world. Not even the Japanese government is fully aware of what happened, only that All Might's public appearances and hero activities had taken a slight dip in the past few years.
They had all trained themselves not to say All Might in the presence of other faculty, just the primary educators and elite support staff, aka everyone present in the room. How did Bardock know?
"Uh, All Might ain't here. He's hired, but we got his secretary, Toshinori, sitting in for him." Powerloader carefully crafted a reply.
"Did you idiot forget that I walked in with him just a minute ago?" Snarked Bardock. "I knew about his two forms since yesterday."
There was stunned silence.
Bardock scoffed. "This is ridiculous. I'm not wasting any more breath on this."
He turned his head away from the table. "All Might can fill you in."
The table turned to the hero in question.
"Well, as he said, we met yesterday in the late afternoon." All Might ventured, speaking slowly and carefully. "My true form was revealed after a... physical altercation with Bardock."
"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait! Hold on just a damn second." Mic interrupted, a look of pure concern on his face. "We aren't stupid enough to not know what you're implicating with a 'physical altercation.' You got into a fight. And we know that you only revert back to your skinny form when your time is up. So, what really happened?"
Nezu and All Might shared a look. Nezu's eye twitched. All Might cast his gaze downwards.
"There was a physical altercation." All Might softly echoed.
Vlad King's eyes shot open and his jaw hit the floor. "Holy shit. You... you lost?!"
"Unprecedented." Ectoplasm rasped in shock.
"Impossible." Eraserhead's eyes flashed red. "Even in a weakened state, All Might is still the most powerful being on Earth by a large margin. You mean to tell me that out of nowhere, someone just appears that is able to beat him in combat? If such a person existed the world would have found you out decades ago!"
"There is a lot you all don't know." Bardock chuckled from his corner.
"Well, could you tell us how you won? Like, what's your quirk?" Snipe broke out of his shock to tentatively speak up.
In response, Bardock's tail unfurled itself from his waist and flicked around. "My quirk is Ōzaru. It gives me the abilities of the Great Ape, such as things like strength, speed and durability."
"Never heard of such a quirk before." Eraserhead pointed out. He had never even heard that word before. Ōzaru? Was that some ancient Japanese dialect lost long ago? Some other language entirely?
"Oh, I didn't realize you have knowledge of every single quirk humanity has ever had, currently has and will have." Sneered Bardock, surprising Nezu with his ability to keep with their story even if it was through an insult. "I didn't realize I had to explain something as basic as a quirk to you."
"Hmph." Eraserhead conceded and sat down.
"As for how I beat him, well, let's just say I'm not surprised someone managed to reduce him to such a state. All Might is physically incredible, I'll give him that. Powerful and swift, but that's all he has. He has no sense of technique or skill. He just hits things hard and fast and hopes that's enough. I guess until encountering me and whoever gave him that wound that was sufficient." Bardock tilted his head, remembering just how he had won. "Also he has no sense of subtlety. As our fight dragged on, he obviously favored one side over the other. Didn't take a genius to figure out a weakness. I hit him hard once where he was protecting once he let his guard down, and he crumpled."
"Right in his wound?" Recovery Girl sat up in alarm. "All Might, did anything happen to your injury?"
All Might gave her a sad smile. "Nothing I couldn't deal with at the time. What hurts more is my pride."
"It seems to me that you have only yourself to blame." Bardock glared at the hero. "Your first defeat should have taught you to become stronger. You haven't learned or changed anything."
'And He is still out there.' All Might sighed in resignation. Bardock spoke the harsh truth. While that fateful battle had left both himself and his greatest nemesis on the verge of death, if All Might survived then He most certainly did as well.
"Let's talk about the circumstances regarding your employment here at UA." N. 13's soothing voice attempted to placate the rising tensions. "I understand you don't want to talk about yourself right now, and that's fine. There will be plenty of time for you to tell us in the future. What we need to know now is what Nezu promised you and what you promised him."
"Easy enough." Bardock agreed. The Saiyan wrapped his tail around his waist again. "I wanted assistance in... disappearing. A series of unfortunate events forced my presence back into the public sphere, and I want to change that. Nezu offered his services in helping me disappear back into obscurity again."
"You mean like going off the grid?" Ectoplasm raised a concern. "Does this mean you lack basic credentials? Like a birth certificate?"
"So that's why we've never heard of you." Hound Dog noted.
"And what reasons do you have for being so elusive?" Eraserhead's suspicion was only rising. "What will you do when you have gotten what you want?"
Bardock ignored the comments.
"In exchange for Nezu's work, I will temporarily work under him. As a bodyguard, hired muscle, whatever he needs I'll help provide. And, as he mentioned before..." Bardock's face screwed up in displeasure. "...potentially as a teacher. However, there are additional restrictions for that position."
Nezu took this opportunity to jump in. "Someone of Bardock's caliber can not just be tossed away or ignored. He not only has the strength, but also the skill, to beat someone like All Might in battle. He will be close to me as I work on his request, it would be foolish not to make use of his talents in his downtime. But, I wouldn't force my staff into a situation they do not want. Bardock will only teach a heroics class if a homeroom teacher of the program is willing to take him."
"How long are we talking?" Vlad King leaned in close. "5 years? A decade?"
"3 years." Nezu stressed. "This deal will only last for 3 years."
"Then I'll go back to where I was before all this." Bardock called out. "Out of your sight forever."
3 years. Significantly shorter than anyone in the room had estimated. 3 years were short for a teacher. But, it was an eternity for students. 3 years was the time it took for a student to enter UA, and graduate. Eraserhead and Vlad King knew what this meant. If Bardock was accepted, a class would spend their entire time at UA learning under him.
"Gentlemen." Nezu directly addressed Eraserhead and Vlad King with folded paws. "I know this is a major decision for a class you haven't even met yet."
"That's putting it lightly." Eraserhead grumbled.
"Before we make a decision I would like to hear your side sir." Vlad King turned his eyes towards All Might. "You wouldn't hire someone like Bardock just because of his supposed abilities. After all, All Might is going to be a heroics teacher. The only reason you'd hire someone for a position that is already full is if you doubted the new hire's abilities."
All Might then realized what Nezu had been keeping from him.
Nezu's giggle successfully eased some of the tense emotions in the room, at least for everyone but the number one hero.
"Right you are! See, All Might may be the greatest hero ever seen since the age of quirks began, but it would be a folly to see him as a god. He's human, just like you all before me. He has his skills, but also his faults. I had him perform some basic trials after it was agreed he would be hired. This is the lesson plan he submitted." In Nezu's right paw was a single piece of paper with a suspiciously small amount of text.
"Oh, it can't be that bad, can it?" Midnight sauntered over and plucked the paper to read it for herself. "Everyone starts somewhere!"
So she read. It took five whole seconds. Midnight's smile turned into a frown. She adjusted her glasses and read the paper over again.
"All Might." Midnight gave him an unamused stare that made the hero shift uncomfortably. "This is less than 10 words."
"But it contains all the necessary information!" All Might defended his work.
"'1. Morning Greeting 2. Attendance 3. Introduce Me 4. Hero Activity 5. Ending Questions'" Midnight read off. She shook her head. "Even I did better my first year here."
"No foolin?" Snipe grabbed the paper from Midnight who let it go without resistance. The masked hero slightly crumpled the paper in a tight grip. "Come on All Might, this ain't enough!"
"Introductions won't be needed. I doubt anyone in the heroics class will not recognize you at first glance." Hound Dog said.
"You can't just say 'Hero Activity' you gotta explain it to them! Their roles, the objective, what they should be learning from the experience!" Vlad King added.
"Alright, you've all made your points!" All Might's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. "Teaching is new to me, so I guess it is good that I work out my weaknesses before the school year begins."
"And that is why I had you do this. So that you could better yourself before classes begin." Nezu smiled, noticing the room was much less tense. But, he had to bring back the elephant in the room. "All Might would easily be overwhelmed taking on both heroics classes in his first ever year teaching, so I kept my eyes and ear open to any other potential candidates. Bardock will be here for 3 years, enough time for All Might to get a good amount of teaching experience under his belt."
"What about the other candidates that applied alongside All Might?" Countered Eraserhead.
"You were their biggest critic." Nezu reminded him. "Because of your high standards, only All Might made it to the interview stage."
"Still better than him." Eraserhead dug his feet and drew a line in the sand, Nezu could see that he would not be changing his mind. Still, it needed to be said aloud.
"So you oppose Bardock being hired as a heroics teacher?" Nezu asked for confirmation.
"It is absurd to even consider him!" Eraserhead vented. "An unknown variable, who refuses to tell us his past, who he is and his motivations, being hired to teach? This is not like you at all sir! I don't know what exactly happened yesterday between you, him and All Might, and I'm damn sure you aren't going to tell us, but the only thing that is confirmed is that Bardock is dangerous. You are offering a man who beat the number one hero a role that has him shaping a future generation of heroes. All the while he reveals nothing about himself, or how he'll even teach! For all we know he could use the power he used to beat All Might against the students, maiming or even killing them!"
Eraserhead's chest was heaving, and he fixed his red eyes on the indifferent Saiyan. "It is not logical. I oppose this. I am fully against hiring a potential threat in such an important position. I am against him being hired as a part of the UA staff at all. Bardock will never teach my class."
Nezu expected as much. "Very well. If Vlad King will not accept Bardock, then he will not be hired as a teacher. He will work under me and be kept far away from the school's daily functions."
All eyes were now on the blood hero.
Vlad tapped his fingers on his thighs and chewed his lip
"Bardock." He called out, getting the Saiyans attention. "Eraserhead has a point. How would you even teach, if you were hired?"
"It would be hell for the students." Bardock did not blunt his words. He was being purely honest. "3 years is not enough time to mold these children into proper law enforcers. They have no official training, and likely haven't worked on their bodies and minds. 3 years will not be enough time to prepare them, physically or mentally, for the potential risks they will face in their future, should they graduate. I will not coddle them. I will not be their friend. They will likely curse my name and hate every minute they spend in my presence."
"But what I can say is this: under my tutelage they will learn the skills needed to succeed. They will learn everything they need to fight, to perform rescue operations, to defend those who need defending. I will smash those skills into their skulls. It will be up to them on how, when and where to use those skills, but they will know them. 3 years will force me to push them far beyond their limits, but I can say with certainty I can do it."
Vlad King leaned back, craning his neck back and forth, popping sore joints in his neck. He pondered over what Bardock said. Over what he knew about the current situation Japan found itself in. Over what he just learned in this meeting. There really was only one option.
"All right." Vlad huffed. "I'll work with Bardock."
"Oh you've got to be shitting me." Bardock moaned. They actually did it.
Slam!
"Are you kidding Vlad?" Eraserhead pounded his hands against the table and he stood with murderous intent.
The rest of the room wasn't faring much better. Mouths were hanging open, eyes wide with shock and bodies paralyzed with surprise.
"Everyone, before you crucify me, hear me out!" Vlad held up his hands to placate his coworkers. Eraserhead barely got himself back under control, with Mic gently pulling him into his seat. With everyone quiet, Vlad spoke.
"First of all, Bardock is dangerous. I know it, you all know it, hell, even he knows it. Do we really want him out of our sights now that we know he exists? We may not like sharing our work space with him but I know that we'll all be looking over our shoulders knowing he's out there." Vlad reasoned.
Some in the room nodded along, seeing his reasoning.
"As for teaching, well, we gotta admit that Bardock is strong. From what we can infer, he can beat All Might in combat. While All Might is injured, that is still not something we can just ignore. Nezu is right; someone of that caliber has something to teach, no matter his methods. And while his methods and teaching style may be brutal, it may just be what we need. What Japan needs."
"Vlad, what are you trying to say?" Hound Dog demanded.
"I'm trying to say that Japan's hero culture is crumbling!" Vlad exploded in his own burst of emotion.
"Look at the data, the facts!" Vlad waved the papers in front of him at everyone else in the room. "Japan is the home of the greatest hero schools in the world, the home of UA and Shiketsu! We have some of the best heroes of the current age: Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist! We have freaking All Might! Japan has the highest hero density of any nation in the world! We have a surplus of heroes, a problem no other nation faces! Our culture, economy, everything revolves around heroes these days! And what do we have to show for it?"
"Our crime rate hasn't gone down in the past few decades despite having All Might! Sure, wherever he goes crime rates dip to less than a percent, but that's just in one area. Everywhere where All Might has crime rates rise to compensate! Our crime rate is among the highest of developed countries, and it has been that way since the age of quirks began! We have dozens of agencies in every city, but petty crime still exists, in unacceptably high numbers! And don't even get me started on true villains, it seems that they don't see our heroes as a true threat. For every All Might or Endeavor, there are 50 subpar heroes that should never have gotten their licenses. Remember the sludge villain incident, only a month or so ago?"
Everyone but Bardock winced at that. The sludge villain incident had circulated in the media for a month, a shocking length of time for a single incident, and only just recently had died down. But there was a good reason for it lasting so long. It showed a nasty side of Japan's heroes.
While a child was suffocating within the mass of slime that was the villain's body, heroes just stood by, asking if anyone had a proper quirk to deal with the problem. No one tried to intervene, think of a strategy or even try to help the child. They just stood there, thinking that they couldn't do anything, so they didn't do anything. These were heroes that were paid with taxpayer money, and they just stood by and let a child almost die. If it wasn't for All Might, the situation would have been bloody.
"Who is really to blame for that? It is us!" Vlad gripped his head in his hands. "All of those heroes were taught in Japanese hero schools, and one of the heroes present at the sludge incident was a UA alumni! We have the numbers, but numbers don't mean squat when all they want to do is prance around in a costume every other day, stopping petty purse snatchers that police could easily handle. We need to change. We can't keep relying on the golden child of a generation, like the way we parade All Might, Endeavor and Best Jeanist. They look good on camera and have public approval, but they are just a few individuals in a sea of mediocrity."
"Aizawa." Vlad turned to his fellow heroics homeroom teacher, who had gone silent. "You are right. UA isn't logical. Our entrance exam uses robots, not at all a good measure of success. Criminals and villains are our issue, not robots. But we have gotten complacent. All of us. Nezu, you and I, everyone in this room. With All Might at the helm, we have sailed with ease these past years. But times are changing. Right now, Bardock can help weather that change. Maybe we really do just need a wildcard like him to bring the change we need."
"You don't know me." Bardock walked out of the corner. He stopped in front of the table, and stood in front of Vlad King. "How are you so sure you can trust me?"
"I don't know if I can trust you." Vlad admitted. He looked back at Bardock, and smirked. "But you haven't tried to kill us yet. I'd like to think there is some good in you that I can work with."
'Just like what Gohan said.' Bardock looked over this Vlad King again. What is with these humans? So strange...
Well, he unfortunately gave Nezu his word. The rat was keeping his side of the bargain, so Bardock would have to uphold his.
"We can look for that part in me together." Bardock nodded.
"I'm putting my faith in you Bardock. Don't let me down." Vlad warned the Saiyan.
'He's not intimidated by me despite what he has heard about me.' Bardock saw the icy cold determination in this hero's eyes. Good.
"So it is decided." Nezu proclaimed as he wrote on some official documents. "All Might will teach hero class A, and Bardock will teach hero class B."
"This will certainly be a fun year" Whispered Powerloader, heavy sarcasm in his voice.
"I look forward to seeing the results of your teachings, Bardock." Welcomed Cementoss, ever serene.
"If we survive to see the end of the year." Muttered Hound Dog, pushing his chair out. "Are we done? I'd like to be alone to process what just happened."
"Yes, this meeting is over." Nezu responded. "Just one small issue, but it doesn't require everyone. I understand a lot was just revealed and decided, so take some time to digest it all."
Despite Hound Dog being the one out of his seat, he wasn't the first to move. Midnight was already on the prowl, her eyes locked onto her target. Those moving to leave paused. Bardock had not shown much emotion, actually he hadn't so much as flinched. Not even during Eraserhead's intense scrutiny did his face so much as twitch. An impressive poker face. However, if there was anyone who could break through a man's shell, it was the infamous 18+ heroine, Midnight.
Midnight approached Bardock, who was standing beside Nezu, that last paperwork her boss mentioned in his paws. She could faintly hear Nezu stop talking and his beady eyes looking amusingly on as Midnight made her advance. Midnight wasn't concerned with what her boss was doing at the moment though. Her attention was all on this new man that was going to be a part of her life in the next 3 years. Might as well make the most of the circumstances she found herself in.
Bardock's eyes flicked over to her, acknowledging her approach. Midnight put on a sultry smile and an extra sway in her hips. An overflowing amount of feminine charm, from a well-practiced routine that Midnight used often to make any man putty in her hands.
Bardock's eyes didn't so much as waver. His gaze remained resolute. That may have warded off others, but not Midnight.
'Playing hard to get now, are we?' Midnight tilted her head, showing off her glossy, well-kept hair. 'Let's play big boy.'
Midnight walked right up to Bardock, and left only an inch between their bodies. She jutted out her hip and rested a hand on it. She let her gaze wander over his body armor, before slowly crawling up to his unwavering gaze. Bardock wasn't an over muscled wall of meat like All Might or Endeavor. But he was far more built than someone slim like Hawks. He was definitely the ruggedly handsome type.
Midnight began her attack. She traced a finger over his armor, slowly moving towards his exposed arm. "So, Bardock, I hear-"
In a flash, Bardock's hand was around her wrist in a tight grip. Not tight enough to hurt, but enough to wear Midnight couldn't' move her hand. The sudden sensation made her gasp.
"I'm going to stop you right there." Bardock's deep voice rumbled.
"Pardon?" Midnight's eyes flicked quickly between her hand and Bardock's face.
"I'm a lot of things. Most of them are bad." Bardock's eyes looked down on Midnight. "But, there is one good thing I can say with certainty about myself."
"And that is?"
"I am a loyal husband." Bardock released his grip on her wrist and turned away. "So I would appreciate it if you ceased your advances on me."
Midnight was floored. Out of anything she expected Bardock to say, a proclamation on his marital status was not one of them.
It seemed that many others had that same reaction.
"Ahahahahahaha!"
Then there was Hizashi. The DJ hero was clutching his stomach with one hand and pounding the table with the other. Nezu's giggling could be heard alongside him.
Midnight acted to save some face. "B-but I didn't see a ring?"
"Hmm?" Bardock raised an eyebrow.
"The rings married couples exchange during their ceremony." Midnight waggled her ring-less fingers.
"If a thin band of metal is the only thing validating a marriage." Bardock cooly responded. "Then the marriage was never meant to last."
"Ahhh! He got you good Nemuri!" Midnight's cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment, and she turned to rip into Present Mic, only to see him out of his chair. He maneuvered around her and jabbed an elbow good-naturedly into Bardock's side. "You know? I think this can work out Bardock!"
"Hold on." Eraserhead spoke up, but there was no venom in his voice. This was a genuine question. "If you are married, does that mean that your partner will be working with you?"
"Not unless Gine wants to and Nezu has work lined up for her." Bardock grunted.
"Oh, there is no shortage of work to be done at UA High School. If she wants to, there is no end of small tasks she can do." Nezu worked his pen up and down a requisition form.
"Wait, yesterday evening, when you had me and Powerloader renovate that old storage unit behind the greenhouse." Cementoss shared a glance with the support course teacher. "The floor plan you had me create was more like a house than a storage unit. Are Bardock and his partner living on campus?"
"Thought it was strange that there were multiple bathrooms." Recalled Powerloader. "A bit big for just two people though. Unless...?"
Welp, that cat was out of the bag. "Nezu offered housing for my wife and children."
"You have kids?" Midnight gasped.
"Two sons." Bardock said.
"They will be arriving in a few hours!" Nezu cheerfully added.
The heroes stood in shock. All Might rolled his head and groaned.
"What!?"
Things are getting spicy! Exposition is mostly out of the way, now the main meat and potatoes of the fic can come out and play!
Thanks for all the supportive comments and messages you guys have left. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy this story!