"Investigators have reportedly uncovered that this group has been plotting to kill UA teacher and popular hero All Might since the spring of this year."
Renji Himari bit her lip as the large new broadcast lit up the early morning street as she walked towards the train station with Izuku and Katsuki, the trio trying to ignore the reports on the USJ flying around the city. It had only been a few days since the attack, but the news outlets were scraping for any extra information they could collect on the subject. The girl shuddered as she recalled the swarm of reporters circling her home when Katsuki and Izuku walked her back from the school after the attack.
The two boys and her had to practically fight their way through the crowd until her father had burst open the front door and fried the cameras of every rabid journalist and photographers there. The crowd rushed away when the man chided them for hounding children for their precious story, his cold gaze sending an obvious message to the group 'Hands off these kids.' The trio awkwardly smiled at the man as he quickly shifted his attitude, smiling at the boys and thanking Bakugou for his phone call earlier. The ash-blonde scoffed as he brushed off the father's thanks, but gave Himari a soft look as he walked away to his own home. Midoriya promised to walk with his female friend to school the next morning and Tenzin watched the green-haired boy turn down the street towards his home before he shuffled his daughter inside.
"Police arrested 72 villains at the scene, but the League's leader escaped. His whereabouts are unknown," Bakugou grimaced as he watched Renji tense next to him at the reporter's words.
"Just ignore them, those extras don't know anything," Himari absently nodded at his rough voice.
"Yeah," Midoriya agreed. "I know for sure the pros will track them down. They know who they are and their quirks so it will be a lot easier now."
"Thanks, you guys," She whispered as they hopped onto the train with them.
Katsuki rolled his eyes as he plopped into the seat next to Mari, "Just need you to stop moping like a child, gets embarrassing after a while."
The girl flushed at his abrasive tone as the train pulled out of the station, moving them closer to the school. It was the first day they would be going back after the attack, Principal Nezu choosing to close the school directly after the incident. The trio from Musutafu had barely interacted during their days off, only a few sparing text messages, and even though both males acted like everything was fine they knew Renji was still off-kilter.
"You're right, Katsuki," She mumbled as the train slowed to a stop. "I have to stop focusing on what could have happened differently and look forward instead."
She gave her friends a soft smile as they made their way toward UA together, walking in silence as they passed through the entrance and inched closer to their class. Midoriya pulled open the classroom door and the three were greeted by Hagakure rushing around the room squealing.
"Did you guys watch the news last night?"
Ojiro nodded as he tried to lead her back into her seat, "Yeah."
"It was so cool that we got a few seconds of screen time!" She chimed as Himari slipped into her desk behind the invisible girl. "Though I bet nobody noticed me hanging out in the background."
Shoji shook his head, "Probably not."
"It is difficult to stand out when you're just gloves," Ojiro pointed out to the transparent girl.
"Ugh," The girl groaned as the students around her heard her head hit her desk. "You're right!"
"It's a good quirk for stealth missions though," Renji observed.
"Hey! You're right, Renji!" The girl twisted to see the white-haired teen behind her. "Thanks!"
"Those news channels love us," Kaminari smugly said from across the room. "We're basically celebrities."
Kirishima nodded, "Yeah, it's kinda crazy right?"
"Get over yourselves," Jiro scoffed. "The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked and that's all they care about."
"Who knows what would've happened to us if the teachers hadn't shown up," Sero added.
"WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!" Mineta wailed as he burst into tears. "I'm gonna pee myself just thinking about it."
"Oh, SHUT UP!" Bakugou snapped at the crying boy. "Grow a pair, loser!"
"Did you all see All Might fighting that bird villain?" Ashido wondered. "He was super strong, but our number one hero still destroyed him!"
"Yes," Tokoyami agreed. "His strength is truly a thing of wonder."
Iida suddenly appeared at the front of the rows of desks, "Attention! Homeroom class is about to begin! Everyone stop talking and take your seats."
Kirishima eyed the class rep oddly, "Uhh, we're all sitting."
"Yeah you're the only standing," Sero pointed out.
Iida tensed before he rushed to his own seat, "Dang it."
"Don't sweat it," Uraraka muttered to her tightly wound friend.
"Hey, Renji," The purple-eyed girl turned her gaze to Asui a few seats away. "Who do you think is going to teach the class today?"
"Probably Aizawa," She guessed as she eyed to door to the hallway. "He's persistent."
"No way!" Kaminari shot down her idea. "Mr. Aizawa's still in the hospital after he got totally wrecked."
The door suddenly opened and the class watched in shock as an extremely bandaged Eraserhead shuffled into the room, "Good morning."
"Mr. Aizawa, what are you doing here?"
"What a pro," Kirishima whispered. "He's so manly."
"Mr. Aizawa," Iida called. I'm glad you're okay."
"You call that okay?" Uraraka asked.
"My wellbeing is irrelevant," The teacher grumbled as he stood behind his podium at the front. "But I do have express permission to teach thanks to the skilled healing I received in the hospital, so suck it up. What's more important is that your fight isn't over yet."
"Our fight?"
"Don't tell me…"
"Not more bad guys!"
"The UA Sports Festival is about to begin," The teacher dryly explained.
"Yes!"
"Ugh! Why would you scare us like that?"
"Let's go kick some ass!" Kirishima declared as he jumped from his seat.
"Wait a second," Kaminari grunted as he shoved the redhead back down.
Jiro raised her hand, "Is it really a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after the villains sunk inside?"
"They could attack once we're all in the same place," Ojiro agreed.
Aizawa sighed, "Apparently the administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and our school is safer than ever. Plus they're beefing u[ security compared to past years."
"It would be good for morale," Renji reluctantly voiced her thoughts.
"This event is a huge opportunity for all students at UA," The pro continued to explain. "It's not something we can cancel because of a few villains."
"Uh, I'm sorry, but why not?" Mineta whimpered. "It's just a sports festival!"
Midoriya turned around to face his purple-haired classmate, "Huh? Mineta, don't you know how important this competition is?"
"Of course I do!" He hissed. "I just don't want to get murdered."
"Only have to worry about Katsuki then," Himari muttered as she liquified her body to avoid the pencil pouch Bakugou chucked at her back.
"Shut the hell up Mari!"
"Our sports festival is one of the most-watched events in the entire world," Aizawa spoke up to get the students back on track. "In the past, everyone obsessed over the Olympic games. But the quirks started appearing. Now, the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. For anyone who cares about competition, there's only one tournament that matters. The UA Sports Festival."
"That's right," Yaoyorozu nodded her head. "And top heroes everywhere will be watching. This is where you get scouted."
"Sure, unless you're dead," Mineta grumbled.
"She's right!" Kaminari chimed in. "After graduating, a lot of people join pro agencies as sidekicks."
"Yeah, but that's a far as some people go," Jiro mumbled. "They miss their chance to go indie and stay eternal sidekicks. Actually, that's probably where you're headed. You're kinda dumb."
The electric quirk user flushed at her jab, "Why so harsh!"
"It's true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity," The teacher added. "That's why the festival matters. If you wanna go pro one day, then this event could open the path for you. One chance a year. Three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring hero can afford to miss this festival. That means you better not slack off on your training."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Class is dismissed."
The bell for the next period rang and the students shuffled out of their homeroom to the hall for a five-minute break while the teachers rotated out, but Himari paused when she noticed Aizawa waving her down.
"Is there something you need, Aizawa-Sensei?" She asked as she walked up to the podium.
The pro rolled his shoulders, "Principal Nezu wanted to speak with you after classes end about what happened at the USJ."
The purple-eyed girl wrung her hands slightly, but nodded her head, "Of course. I will head to his office the moment the final bell rings."
"And thank you."
"Huh?"
Aizawa's eyes gleamed slightly as he looked down on his nervous student, "Recovery Girl told me and Thirteen about your impromptu visit to the hospital. That and your dad is a blabbermouth."
The teenager flushed, "Damn dad...I just wanted to make sure you both would be alright. And my quirk is good for healing, but Recovery Girl watched me the whole time. I swear!"
"You're not in trouble," Aizawa promised. "Don't make a big deal about it Renji. And don't forget about your meeting."
She gave her homeroom teacher a nod as he swept from the class, passing Midnight silently as she flounced into the class. The girl quickly returned to her seat as her classmates followed in after the female teacher, most of the missing Himari's absence from the break time. Minus Bakugou who eyed her nervous form oddly as she spaced out during Art History. She finally snapped out of her trance as Present Mic's dulcet tones replaced Midnight's, the man's screams ripping her from her daze.
She quickly settled back into her normal behavior around the classroom and by the time Cementoss' class ended and the lunch bell rang the white-haired girl was fully back to her bubbly self, slipping into the hall with the weird pink girl by her side. Katsuki stepped out of the class near Kirishima as the two males followed after the girls.
"That villain stuff sucked, sure," Kirishima admitted. "But I'm pumped for these games!"
"We put on a good show, and we're basically on the road to being pros!" Sero added as he walked up to the redhead.
Tokoyami chimed up from the back of the small group walking out of the class, "We get so few chances. We have to make the most of this."
"Aren't you so excited, Renji?!" Ashido beamed. "I am ready to fight to the top!"
"I am," The petite girl stated. "But we will all need to train a lot harder to push past our previous limits."
"Speak for yourself Mari," Bakugou scoffed. "My training is just fine, but you definitely need all the help you can get."
"No way!" Ashido defended her friend. "She's like one of the strongest girls in our class! She and Yaoyorozu are totally tied."
"I don't know," Himari rubbed the back of her head. "Yaoyorozu is so much better trained than I am."
"But you were so manly during the villain attack!" Kirishima cried as he swung his arm around the girl's shoulders. "The way you escaped was a definite skill."
"Her combat needs major help, shitty hair," Bakugou grunted. "Won't get far as a hero if you keep running away."
"Hey! What's wrong with my hair?!"
"It looks stupid!"
The two girls rolled their eyes at the boys' yelling as the small group entered into the lunchroom. They tossed their bookbags onto their usual table as Sero, Kirishima, and Bakugou jumped into the line. The girls offered for Tokoyami to join them, but their quiet classmate politely declined. Ashido and Renji slipped into the line behind Iida and Uraraka, making light conversation as they moved through and collected their food.
"Is it just me or do you feel a lot of eyes on you?" Himari whispered to Ashido as they walked back to their table.
"No, I feel it too," The pink girl assured. "I guess a lot of people are interested in 1-A since we fought real villains."
The white-haired girl scanned her eyes around the room and blushed when she caught sight of two purple-haired students sitting together and watching her closely, "It's kinda embarrassing." She looked away and when she glanced back the pair seemed to be in a deep conversation with each other, making the weight on the water user's shoulders a little lighter.
"Why's Renji all red?" Sero wondered as the two girls sat down at the table.
"She's embarrassed from all the people interested in 1-A after the attack," Ashido explained as she smirked at the other girl's cute pout.
"Just ignore those stupid extras," Katsuki grumbled as he pushed his spicy ramen around his bowl. "Just fucking jealous we're so much better than them."
"Ya know, you really shouldn't call people extras," Kirishima said as he picked at his onigiri.
"I'll call people whatever the hell I want to!"
Himari rolled her eyes and swatted the back of Bakugou's head, "Chill out blondie."
"Stop calling me that, ya damn puddle!"
The other three watched as the childhood friends shot stupid remarks back and forth, completely oblivious to their small audience to their antics.
"Why don't you two just kiss already?"
Renji jerked back from Bakugou and blushed even harder than before as she caught sight of Kaminari's shit-eating grin as he stood in front of the table.
"The fuck did you say Pikachu?!"
"Just kiss her," The blonde repeated as he calmly sat down next to Sero, smugly enjoying Bakugou's anger and Renji's awkwardness. "Kinda obvious to everyone here that you want to."
"I WANT TO KICK YOUR FUCKING TEETH IN, THAT'S WHAT I WANT!"
The ash-blonde leaped over the table and tackled Kaminari to the ground, sparks shooting from his hands as he started to strangle the teasing boy. The four others at the table jumped from their spots as Bakugou continued to apply pressure to his classmate's neck, seeming to not care that the electric user was gasping for air.
"KATSUKI! Get off of him right now!"
The explosion user suddenly jerked back as his body moved on its own and he was tossed off of Kaminari, the other blonde gratefully gasping for breath. Bakugou looked around frantically, small explosions popping from his hands as he searched for the asshole who pulled him off of the ass. His anger simmered when he noticed the white-haired girl stumble and her hand lower to her side, tired from her quirk use. Kirishima and Sero rushed to help Kaminari as Ashido moved to Renji's side to support her as she teetered in her spot.
"What the fuck! Why did you stop me?" Red eyes flashed to purple as he crawled to his feet.
"Fighting another student will get you a detention or suspension," She groaned. "Killing them will get your ass expelled and arrested, dumbass."
The teenager huffed but nodded at her logic, "Fine," He stormed back to the table and retook his seat. "Sit the hell down, dunce-face. Don't pull anymore bullshit."
Kaminari groaned as he rubbed his neck, but quietly sat back down with the other as Katsuki dug into his lunch, "Sorry guys."
"It's fine," Himari assured him. "Katsuki needs to work on his damn temper." She glared at the boy next to her seat as the other four decided to sit on the other side of the table.
The small group settled back into a light peace as they continued with their meals, everyone contributing to the conversations except for Bakugou who just steamed next to Renji as he scarfed down his food. The bell for afternoon classes rang and the six 1-A students discarded their lunch trays and wandered back to class for the rest of their lessons. The rest of the day flew by quietly after the lunch incident, much of the hero training of the afternoon centering around prep for the festival. The class returned from their exercises and settled into their seats as Aizawa waited for them to quiet down.
"Remember, the festival starts in two weeks," He began. "And your training today showed many of you have gaps in your knowledge. You must use this time to improve or you will surely fall behind. I won't go easy on any of you if you slack off and give up during the events."
"Yes, Sir!"
"We will do our very best," Iida chimed. "I can assure you Sensei!"
The teacher rolled his eyes, "Great. You all can leave at the bell. That's all."
The students conversed quietly until the final bell rang and Himari scooped up her bag a quickly as possible so she would not be late to the principal's office. She stood behind Uraraka as the shorter girl opened the room but they both froze at the vast amount of students swarming the hallway.
"U-um, why the heck are you all here?" The brunette wondered as the mob eyed her and Renji almost microscopically.
"Do you students have some sort of business with our class?" Iida asked.
Mineta peeked his head out of the class, "Why are you blocking the doorway? I won't let you hold us hostage!"
"They're scouting out the competition, idiots," Bakugou grunted as he walked up to Himari's side. "We're the class that survived a real villain attack. They want to see us with their own eyes."
"Let's just hope he doesn't explode anybody," Midoriya prayed.
Katsuki stopped and gazed idly at the crowd, "At least now you know what a future pro looks like. Now move it, extras."
"You can't walk around calling people extras just because you don't know who they are!" Iida chided the blonde as Uraraka and Izuku took a few steps away from the door to distance themselves from the hothead and the crowd.
"Katsuki…" The red-eyed teen huffed at Mari's disappointed whisper.
"So this is class 1-A."
Renji turned her gaze from her blonde friend back to the crowd and locked eyes on one of the purple-haired students from lunch. The teenager was rather tall and had sullen purple eyes that burned through her body, she also noticed how his hair seemed to float around his head as if he styled it to stay out of his eyes on purpose. He reminded her of a grumpy dandelion for some reason. The girl tucked into his side also caught her attention, being the other person from earlier who was gazing at her and Ashido in the lunchroom. She also had purple hair, but Himari now noticed a black streak through it, similar to Kaminari's own black lightning bolt through his blonde locks. The girl was more voluptuous than the other students around her, but she stood with confidence that the petite teenager could only dream of.
"We heard you guys were impressive," The boy muttered as he wrapped his arm softly around the girl's waist as he maneuvered to the front of the crowd. "But you just sound like an ass. Is everyone in the hero course as delusional, or is it just you?"
"Must be a class 1-A thing," The girl chimed in a soft voice laced with mirth. "Us in 1-B are pretty normal, not like him at all."
The guy smirked down at the girl on his arm, "How sad to come here and find a bunch of egomaniacs. I wanted to be in the hero course. But like many others here I was forced to choose a different track. Suck is life. I didn't cut it the first time around, but I have another chance. If any of us do well in the sports festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the hero course. And they'll have to transfer people out to make room."
The class tensed at his threat, worried now that their own hopes could be on the chopping block.
"Just stop scouting us and get out of our damn way," The ash-blonde grunted as he glared at the stoic male blocking his path.
"Scouting the competition?" The purple-haired girl asked rhetorically.
"Maybe some of my peers are, but I'm here to let you know that if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right from under you," He corrected. "Consider this a declaration of war."
"Hey, you!" A silver-haired boy squeezed to the front of the crowd. "I'm from class 1-B next door to you! We heard you fought some villains and I came to see if that was true. But you're just a bunch of brats who think you're better than us! Talk all you want, it'll just be more embarrassing when you're KO'd."
The other girl groaned, "Tetsutetsu, you should not be talking. All you do is try to pick fights."
"NO I DON'T! You take that back, Murasakino!"
Bakugou eyed both of the male students before he wrapped his arm around Himari's shoulders and started to drag her through the side of the crowd, making many of the onlookers jump out of the hothead's way.
"Dude, where are you going?!" Kirishima snapped. "You gotta say something. It's your fault they're all hating on us, Bakugou."
"These people don't matter."
"Katsuki!" He glanced down at Renji's annoyed tone. "You have to think before you open your damn mouth!"
"The only thing that's important is that I beat them," He muttered to the girl by his side.
He continued to move through the students with Himari begrudgingly following after him, "Hey! I'm coming for you!" The pair ignored the boy from class 1-B's threats as the successfully slipped away from the crowd.
Bakugou led Renji further down the hallway and she furrowed her brows when she noticed he was leading her deeper into the school instead of to the entrance like they normally would, "Where are you taking me?"
"You have to get your ass to that meeting Aizawa told you about right?" She dumbly nodded her head. "I'll wait for you outside, got nothing better to do."
A small smile grew on her face as Katsuki stopped in front of the principal's door, knocking on it lightly before he pushed her towards the door.
"Come in!"
Himari took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway, closing the door gently behind her as she caught Bakugou crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall. Purple eyes scanned the room and took in the simple interior design along with the small rodent principal perched in a small raised chair behind the large desk in the center of the room. She bowed to him before she sat down in the chair across from his own.
"I take it you understand why I've called you here, Miss Renji," Principal Nezu calmly said as he observed the nervous student in front of him.
"It has something to do with what I did with my quirk at the USJ, right?"
The principal nodded his head, "It leaves us teachers in a unique position, you see. We are happy you were able to protect the other students, but your sudden evolution has painted a dangerous target on yourself."
Himari sighed, "I'm sorry."
"It's nothing to be sorry about," The rodent assured. "Quirks can change and grow in extreme stress, so don't feel guilty about your actions. I've had a conversation with your father earlier today about this very issue, but I wanted your opinion as well." She glanced up as the principal shifted in his seat, "I have suggested you receive extra training for your quirk, due to its capabilities. Of course, this can be done after the Sports Festival is concluded so you don't need to worry about it immediately. And it can be done with either one of our staff or someone in the hero community you feel more comfortable working with."
"So you want me to master this new part of my quirk quickly so I don't put myself or others in danger?" Renji theorized as she bit her lip.
Nezu shook his head, "We want you to be prepared in case the League of Villains try to attack you when you are in a vulnerable position, either by yourself or surrounded by civilians. With having no training with that aspect of your quirk you were able to hold off two very powerful villains. We at the school want to assure your safety in all aspects."
"So you wish to set precautions to keep the League of Villains at a disadvantage?" Her shoulders sagged as the principal nodded his head. "I have no issue with this plan then. Would I need to pick a mentor now?"
"As I said, we can wait until after the Sports Festival. Perhaps a hero will wish for you to intern and you can learn better from them than the heroes employed here," Nezu pointed out.
Himari nodded her head in agreement, "That's a possibility, but I think I know who would have the best quirk to assist me."
The principal beamed, "Who do you have in mind, miss Renji?"
"Mr. Aizawa."
"A wise decision, due to his erasure quirk I assume?"
She smiled, "Yes. I don't know what I can do with this part of my quirk, so if something goes wrong he can make it stop."
"Wonderful!" The principal jumped from his seat and wandered around the desk, "I will inform your homeroom teacher and your training can start after your internship if you wish." The white-haired girl bowed towards her principal, "I'm glad we could get this sorted so quickly, thank you for coming in."
"Thank you for seeing me, Sir," Himari muttered as she walked towards the door. "Have a good evening."
As soon as she had shut the door she slumped towards Bakugou and he jumped from his spot on the wall to catch his drained friend, "What the hell did you talk about in there?"
"Extra training for my quirk," She grumbled as she tried to right herself. "I was so worried over nothing. I thought I was considered a danger or something."
"Course you were," He snorted. "The teachers would be idiots if they thought you were dangerous at all. Can barely throw a proper punch."
"HEY! I can punch just fine!" She rammed her fist into the side of the blonde's arm, but he just laughed at her hit.
"Sure you can, Mari. We'll go with that."