Aizawa Shouta has a headache
"Midoriya," Shouta mutters, rubbing his temple. Chiura-san had said that Midoriya was a bit of a wallflower in class. He neglected to mention the boy is persistent as hell when he's invested in something he cared about. Such as his brainwashing friend in 1-C. "I have enough trouble managing the students I'm paid to deal with."
"Please, Sensei just listen for a second," Midoriya pleads. "Shinsou has an amazing quirk for heroism, it's because of me that he wasn't able to advance and prove how capable he is."
"If he has so much potential then why wasn't he able to defeat you?" Shouta asks, looking at his coffee. It's far too low to be dealing with this sort of thing this early in the morning. Does this kid ever go home?
"I have over a year's worth of intensive martial arts training," Midoriya says with a stubborn set to his brow. "You transferred from General too; you should know how difficult it is for mental quirks to get noticed."
"Where did you hear I was transfer student?" Shouta asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Present Mic," of course, the bastard. "Look, I know Shinsou has a long way to go but just having a pro believe in him would really make a difference. I wouldn't be here if my master and others didn't support me."
"You're here because of your own dedication and hard work, don't ever forget that." Shouta sighs. "If I say I'll think about it will you leave me alone?"
"Yes!" the boy says with an obnoxiously large smile that reminds him too much of Yagi. "I appreciate it Sensei! I promise you, Shinsou is something else."
"You're something else," Shouta mutters under his breath. "Alright, a deal's a deal so scram. No, wait, hold on," he says, holding out his empty cup as Midoriya turns to go. "Make yourself useful and fill this up for me. I've got a long day of dealing with you hellions ahead of me."
"And thinking about looking into Shinsou?" Midoriya says hopefully as he grabs the cup.
"Your paperwork hasn't been filed yet, I can still send you back to your friend if you miss him so much," Shouta threatens.
"Right, how do you take your coffee?"
Yaoyorozu Momo gets appreciated
"Excuse me," Momo looks up to see the new transfer student, Midoriya, standing nervously in front of her desk. "You uh said earlier that you have a creation quirk? When we picked our hero names?"
"That is correct, do you need something?" Momo asks, giving him her full attention.
"No, but during my fight with Todoroki, you know uh, in the Sports Festival, I broke my bō staff. Before my match with Iida, Todoroki said he'd gotten a replacement from someone in his class. I was wondering, was that you?"
"Oh," Momo says, recalling that very strange sequence of events. "Yes, I made that staff."
Momo had given her phone number to everyone in the class following her election as assistant representative. She hadn't heard from Todoroki at all and she didn't expect to hear from him for the first time after watching him lose to a quirkless student. Can you come down to Recovery Girl's office? The message had read, Midoriya needs a new staff for his next match.
Her brain had been in a whirl as she walked down to the office. Midoriya had been the boy who'd beat him, right? And Todoroki wanted to help him for his upcoming fight? That had, in fact, been exactly what Todoroki wanted. He'd gone so far as to delay Recovery Girl's treatment to ensure the opponent who'd smacked him around on live television was fully equipped. So she'd dutifully created a usable staff as best she could and left it with Midoriya's friends who'd promised to pass it on to him.
"I uh just wanted to say thank you. A lot of my fighting style is dependent on my bō, I would have been severely disadvantaged without it. It really helped in my fights with Iida and Kacchan." Midoriya says shyly.
"Oh I was happy to help," she says. "I'm sorry it wasn't the best quality. I didn't know what the original was made of so I couldn't replicate it. It shattered quite badly against Bakugou." She continues with a bit of guilt. She really was a poor showing all round for the Sports Festival.
"It was actually really well made, there's not much that can withstand Kacchan's explosions up close." Midoriya says with a smile. "In a way, it's because of you that I can even stand here today."
"Well you're very welcome," Momo smiles, reassured. "If you ever need anything else let me know, we're classmates now."
"I appreciate that," Midoriya replies with a bright smile. "The same goes for you. I'm not as useless as I look, you can come to me for anything."
"I'll keep that in mind," she says with a light titter. Momo thinks she understands Todoroki's motives a little better. There's something about Midoriya that makes you want him to succeed. "Welcome to the class, we're happy to have you."
Iida Tenya doesn't know what to do
"I see, so Ingenium is your brother," Midoriya says thoughtfully, looking down at his lunch with a sad expression. "I'm sorry Iida, I can't imagine how awful this has been. How are you holding up?"
"I appreciate your concern but I am fine," Tenya lies as he fiddles with his lunch. "My brother is recovering as well as can be expected. His, well, his hero career is almost assuredly over but he's alive. It will be a long road ahead but at least we have that."
"We're here if you need us, Iida," Uraraka says, reaching over the table to touch his hand. "If you ever need to talk or anything at all, you can count on us."
"Ingenium is quite the amazing hero," Midoriya says softly. "I was always impressed by how he balanced kindness and efficiency. What's happened is terrible but this isn't an end; he can still continue to help people in other ways once he's healed."
"We'll see," Iida says tensely. Midoriya means well, he understands, but his classmate is new and a bit naïve in Tenya's opinion. Plus he's still too angry to really think that far ahead. Surely he's allowed to grieve for a little while? Midoriya nods uncomfortably and looks away.
"Well tell your bro that 1-A is thinking about him," Kirishima says from the other side. "Crimson Riot once said that strength isn't always about coming away the winner, but coming away with your life."
"Ah, I've watched that interview too!" Midoriya says, perking up a bit. "My master has said something similar during training." He glances over at Tenya shyly. "My homeroom teacher in 1-C used to be in the military but an accident took his left hand and a few fingers on his right. He had to quit but he found new work in hero support and as a Gen Ed teacher. I know it may seem hopeless now but there's always a way as long as you keep moving forward."
Tenya stops, for the first time in days, and thinks about the future. His brother once mentioned that he liked helping lost kids find their way back home. Maybe he would enjoy doing that, once he's out of the hospital. It might be a nice change of pace from the challenges of being a hero. And he could serve as an advisor, not just to Tenya, but to other young aspiring heroes. This didn't have to be the end of Ingenium.
He frowns. No but his brother should have had the option to make that choice himself, not have it forced upon him by a vicious murderer. Maybe one day in the future he and his brother will find peace, but that day wouldn't come until the Hero Killer was behind bars. Or dead.
"Thanks, Midoriya, I'll think about it," Tenya replies icily.
"Sure uh, glad I could help," Midoriya mutters as their table descends into silence.
Ojiro Mashirao holds a grudge
"You're good," Mashirao says as they spar. As an experienced martial artist, Mashirao has decided to take Midoriya under his wing and help work out some of the flaws in his technique. Still, he has to admit Midoriya's skill level is quite impressive for someone who's only been training for a year. "Where do you train?"
"I train with Rikimaru Daiki three days a week in Jeet Kune Do," Midoriya huffs, expending a lot of energy with his attacks and blocks. They'll have to work on that.
"You got Rikimaru Daiki to train you?" Mashirao gapes in surprise and Midoriya almost smacks him off his feet. Luckily, his tail helps him keep balance. "That man is a legend in close combat martial arts. He almost never takes on students."
"I kind of got down on my knees begged, it was pretty embarrassing," Midoriya laughs, red-faced. Mashirao grins and puts up his hands, temporarily stopping the fight to allow Midoriya to catch his breath. He's got a solid base but he has a long way to go before he becomes truly proficient.
"Thanks for agreeing to work with me," Midoriya says as he takes a swing of water. "I don't really work with anyone other than my master. I keep telling my friend, Shinsou, that he needs more than his quirk if he really wants to get into Heroics."
"Shinsou?" Mashirao asks darkly.
"Yeah," Midoriya grins, "he's one of my friends in 1-C. He's also aiming to be a hero but I ended up beating him in the Sports Festival."
"How can you admit to being friends with someone so dishonest?" Mashirao sneers, recalling the purple haired boy from the cavalry battle. "He violated me and the other students without care, used us as human meat puppets to advance. You say he wants to be a hero, he seems more suited for villainy if you-"
"Don't talk about him that way," Midoriya says as he lunges forward. Mashirao avoids the attack and goes to strike but Midoriya blocks it. "He's not a villain, he's a really good guy and people just don't understand him!" He executes an impressive roundhouse that Mashirao barely sidesteps
"I don't know what you see in him, but if you'd ever been mind-controlled by him-" Mashirao delivers a potent strike to Midoriya's shoulder that he knows has to hurt but the other boy doesn't even slow down.
"I have been! I'm sorry Shinsou's quirk scared you but that doesn't give you the right to call him a villain. We were all doing our best that day; he was doing everything he could to prove himself." An angry punch comes his way and Mashirao grabs it and uses it to force Midoriya to the ground.
"A sob story doesn't excuse what he did," Mashirao sneers as he keeps Midoriya pinned.
"No, it doesn't but that doesn't mean he can't improve," Midoriya glares. "We all grow at different rates. Just because I don't agree with his actions doesn't mean he still isn't my friend."
"I suppose I can respect that," Mashirao frowns as he lets go. "I can see how you two are friends. You remind me of him."
"I know you didn't mean that as a compliment," Midoriya grins roughly as he stands up, "but I'll take it as one."
Uraraka Ochako is going to get stronger
"Ready to go, Deku?" Ochako asks her new classmate, who is rapidly becoming one of her best friends, as afternoon classes end. He's hunched over his desk, talking quietly to himself as he scribbles something in a notebook. Still, despite how engrossed he is, he takes the time to gift her with a bright smile.
"Yeah, sure I'm almost done," he says before going back to his work, writing with quick, precise strokes. Ochako waves off Tsuyu and Kirishima, telling them to leave without her. She has no problem waiting a few minutes for Deku, especially since Iida already left. She peeks over his shoulder trying to see what he's working on so intently. She sees a full page of notes and a detailed drawing of what looks like Todoroki. Ochako is so busy snooping that she misses Bakugou getting increasingly more annoyed from the desk in front of Deku.
"Will you goddamn stop muttering you fucking-" it all happened so fast, Ochako had to replay the events in slow-motion in her head afterwards just to make sense of it all. She remembers Bakugou turning around, slamming his hand on Deku's desk and reaching to grab the notebook. She didn't see the quick dart of Deku's hand grabbing ahold of Bakugou's shirt collar but she did see him pull on it and slam Bakugou's face onto his desk. While Bakugou is dazed, Deku kicks him away, forcing Bakugou and his chair back.
Ochako takes a step back but by the time she did, it's all over and Bakugou is holding a hand to his bloody nose. The classroom is silent as Bakugou's face pulls into a harsh sneer while Deku holds up his arms defensively.
"You wanna fucking go?" Bakugou shouts, his hands lighting up in explosions before they fizzle out. Ochako turns to see Sensei glaring at them, his hair floating above his head.
"Midoriya! Bakugou!" He snaps, Deku drops out of his stance while Bakugou whirls to address their teacher.
"No! We are going to finish what we fucking started!" Bakugou screams, pointing at Deku.
"I don't care what issues the two of you have, I will not accept fighting outside of training. You two are staying after school to have a long, uncomfortable talk with me on what is acceptable classroom behavior." Sensei growls before he releases his quirk and pulls out some eye drops.
"Yes, Sensei, I'm sorry, I just reacted, sorry," Deku mutters, sinking uncomfortably into his chair as Sensei angrily waves everyone, save Bakugou and Midoriya, out of the classroom. Ochako waves Deku goodbye but her mind is a million miles away. She hadn't even really seen Deku move, he'd said himself that it had been more instinct than anything.
But he'd gotten Bakugou, which was more than Ochako could say.
She thinks of her friend, kind and shy but with such a strong drive that it carried him through the Sports Festival without a quirk. She balls her fists and holds up her head. Yeah, Deku's pretty strong but that doesn't mean she can't catch up. Gunhead Martial Arts nominated her for the internship, it's not much but if it gets her closer to the standard Deku has set then it can only be good.
Todoroki Shouto moves forward
"Midoriya," Shouto says quietly after the final bell has rung. "Can I talk to you in private?" He asks, away from the crowd of people that always seems to be around Midoriya's desk.
It's good that he's starting to settle in but Shouto has been trying for days to get the other boy alone. Midoriya looks up and smiles. The scar to his face, the one Shouto gave him, looks better. It cuts through his eyebrow in two places but otherwise is pretty much hidden by his unruly bangs.
"Where have I heard that one before?" Midoriya teases. "There's a quiet, little café across the street; we can talk there." Which is how Shouto found himself in a café he'd never really noticed before, staring into a warm cup of ginseng tea. Why is it that everything with Midoriya always ends up being confusing but also comforting?
"What did you want to talk about? I'm sorry I've been a bit hard to get ahold of, everyone still wants to gawk at the new kid," Midoriya says. He takes a large gulp of his hot chocolate before setting it down quickly. "Ah! hot hot hot!" Honestly, how Midoriya survived this long is beyond him.
"Allow me," Shouto says as he taps the side of Midoriya's mug with his right hand, coating it in a thin layer of frost.
"Wow, it's like a faster version of Korudo's quirk," Midoriya says with wide eyes and Shouto can tell he's itching to write things down in that notebook of his. But there was time for questions like that later, for now, Shouto needs to get something off of his chest.
"I have given your words at the Sports Festival serious thought," Shouto says as he discretely forms a small flame in his left hand. It's a pleasant warmth, so different from the feel of ice. "No one has ever told me that this power was mine the way you did. It made me re-evaluate my motives for not using it and I believe you were right in what you said. I've decided to develop my fire side more so I can be the best hero possible, for me and not for my old man."
"That's wonderful, Todoroki," Midoriya says with a wide smile. "I uh actually wanted to apologize for my comments that day." He looks away, "it wasn't my place to say those things but I'm glad if I was able to help." Midoriya glances at him shyly, "How did Endeavor take uh, well, you know?" Shouto averts his eyes and adjusts his sleeves so Midoriya can't see the half healed burns and bruises on his arms.
"While he seemed happy at I was 'finally embracing my power', he's still upset about my loss. He's convinced I threw our match in order to spite him." Midoriya freezes up. "I didn't," Shouto adds on quickly, holding back the 'not entirely' on his tongue. "But he refuses to believe a quirkless boy could have defeated me. He's been increasing my training as punishment."
"Todoroki, I'm so sorry," Midoriya says. "You shouldn't have to deal with that. Are you safe there? If you need to, you can stay with my mom and me. We only have two bedrooms but you can use mine and I'll stay on the couch." Shouto blinks at the outpouring of kindness, how it came to the other boy so effortlessly.
"I appreciate it," Shouto says after a moment. "But he won't harm me, not when I'm his method of achieving victory over All Might." Midoriya stares into his eyes a few moments longer, looking for some sort of truth before falling back in his chair.
"I respect your choices but I'm going to keep offering because, one day, you're going to realize that what Endeavor is doing isn't right. You're nobody's puppet Todoroki, your future and your power is your own. If your father can't accept that, then he's going to have to go through me."
It takes a lot to not choke on his tea at the image of Midoriya fighting off his father. Despite the ridiculousness of the match-up, he still thinks Midoriya could show his old man a thing or two. Midoriya really is insane but, then again, Shouto must be too to admire him so much. The others in 1-A might not believe in him yet but they'll see soon enough that Midoriya is more than worthy of the title hero.
Kaminari Denki doesn't think it's fair
"Sensei," Denki whispers to his teacher before the exercise starts. "Are you really sure it's a good idea pairing me with Midoriya? I mean I don't want to accidently hurt him." He eyes his opponent warily. He knows Midoriya is pretty much a badass after the Sports Festival but Denki can't help but think of how easy it'd be to fry the quirkless kid.
"Just start the match, Kaminari. Midoriya can take care of himself," Sensei says as he steps away. "Alright, you both know the rules so begin." Midoriya, predictably, rushes forward immediately. Denki grits his teeth, he's too nervous to really use his quirk so he'll try and lower the voltage and hope it's enough.
He throws a punch with a weak current but Midoriya swipes at his feet with that staff of his; it throws Denki off balance but he doesn't fall. Midoriya doesn't let up and alternates between his fists and his staff. It's tough work trying to dodge it all and he takes his fair share of lumps.
"So this is how Todoroki felt." Denki mouths off as he tries to avoid Midoriya's punches. Electricity is crackling at his fingers as he looks for an opening. His quirk is all he has and if he can't really use it... "This isn't fair, pitting me against the quirkless kid. I can't do anything or else risk hurting him."
"You need to learn to regulate your power against a variety of people," Aizawa-sensei says drolly as Denki is distracted enough that Midoriya smacks him in the face with his staff. "Also to not underestimate your opponent."
Denki growls and grabs Midoriya's staff as it comes toward him again, metal is a good conductor, right? He can use it as a lightning rod to get Midoriya to back off a little. His electricity sizzles through the staff and he hears Midoriya yelp slightly as he lets go of the staff a few seconds too late. That startles Denki out of his thoughts. What is he doing? He's always cautious using his quirk but Midoriya doesn't have anything to protect him.
"Oh man, I'm so sorry, are you okay?" Denki asks in a panic as Midoriya clears his head with a quick shake.
"Yeah, I'm fine, let's keep going." Midoriya says, falling back into position.
"I don't know, I don't feel right about this, maybe we should stop." Denki says, feeling uncomfortable. He's training to be a hero, right? He shouldn't be forced to use his quirk against someone like Midoriya. Isn't that bullying? No way is he gonna be like Bakugou.
"Kaminari, continue," Sensei answers sternly.
"No," Denki says crossing his arms. "Look I forfeit or whatever but I just don't feel right about this." Sensei looks annoyed but waves him out of the ring anyway. He'll probably have hell to pay for that later but at least he didn't sacrifice his principles.
"Good work, that staff of yours really hurts," Denki says giving Midoriya a thumbs up. He blinks at the look of anger on the usually passive face. "Hey man, it's nothing against you it's just..." he doesn't know how to nicely say that he thinks the other boy is too vulnerable. "We good?"
"Yeah," Midoriya says with a frustrated sigh, "we're good."
Asui Tsuyu tells it like it is
"Midoriya," Tsuyu says on their way back from lunch one day. The boy has his head buried in a notebook, Hero Notes for the Future vol 14 as the cover indicates, but Tsuyu can't contain her curiosity any longer. He looks up at her with an inviting smile. "Why did you decide to become a hero? You know it's going to be nearly impossible for you to succeed."
"Oh uh," he winces. She probably could have phrased it better but that's just how she is. If she's going to work with Midoriya, maybe even put her life in his hands one day, she needs to know what kind of person he is. "Well, I've admired heroes my whole life and I thought I could make a small difference, to someone."
"Hmm," Tsuyu hums, bringing her finger up to her face. "You heard about what happened at USJ, right?"
"Only what was on the news," Midoriya answers.
"There were villains everywhere. One had a warp quirk and he managed to separate the whole class," she begins. "Mineta and I were trapped in the shipwreck zone. He may be a creep but his quirk can be useful. Despite that, he panicked and was hardly any help. We only escaped because we were able to keep the villains away until help arrived."
"Your quirk is frog form, so the shipwreck zone was suited for you," Midoriya mutters. "Because they sent you there and not somewhere else, it's probably safe to assume that the villains didn't know everyone's quirks."
"That's what I thought too," Tsuyu chirps, he's clever at least. "It was scary. They were strong enough to hurt both All Might and their leader disintegrated part of Sensei's elbow. I want to know how you think you could stand up to villains like that without a quirk."
"I'm not here to be All Might," Midoriya says with a stern expression. He looks at her straight in the eye with not a hint of doubt. "You're right that it's difficult but it's not impossible. Aizawa-ensei's quirk isn't flashy, he relies mostly on martial arts and his wits. It's not glamorous but I'm not the kind of person who can sit on the sidelines. I need to be out there and if I save only one person then it will all be worth it."
"I see," Tsuyu says with a smile. "I can see why Sensei advocated for you."
"Ah he uh what? Really?" Midoriya blushes as he rubs the back of his neck. His shyness was kind of cute in a class full of confident heroes. They make light conversation as they walk back to the classroom. Ochako catches up to them and the three of them fall into step. It's still too early to tell but Midoriya might be someone worth believing in.
Bakugou Katsuki is a sore winner
"Let me go next," Katsuki demands of his annoying teacher when Lightning Idiot refuses to fight Deku. He turns his hand to look at the scars up and up his right arm and is rewarded with a slight twinge. He's been to Recovery Girl so many times trying to get her to fix his damn arm already. The old hag just keeps throwing him out saying that he needs to let it finish healing on its own.
But he's tired of waiting, he's still got a score to settle.
"No," Sensei says dully. "This exercise is meant practice hand to hand combat, not give you an excuse to indulge in your childhood frustrations." A few people snicker but Sensei continues. "Besides, Recovery Girl hasn't cleared you since you damaged your arm again in the Festival."
"I don't mind fighting Kacchan, Sensei," Deku says confidently as he leans on his staff. "I'm willing to spar once he'd better." Katsuki's vision goes red at Deku's dismissive comment as he stalks forward. He's going to burn that stupid fucking smile off that freak's face- he's stopped by his teacher's capture weapon.
"I said you're not fighting, Bakugou," Sensei growls. "Now get back in line before I make good on my threats." The weapon loosens and Katsuki glares heartily at Deku as he reluctantly falls back into place. "Sato, you're up against Midoriya."
"Stop being such a jerk, I don't know why you're so mad at him," Lightning Idiot frowns. "Midoriya's way nicer than he needs to be to you. You know he probably saved your life against the sludge monster last year." Katsuki barely restrains the urge to punch him right in the face.
"Ah we all know Bakugou's just mad that Midoriya gave him a tough time in the finals." Soy Sauce Face says with an annoying grin. "He still lost in the end but not before he rubbed Kacchan's face into the dirt a little bit." Katsuki grits his teeth and focuses on the new match instead of listening to the idiots around him. Deku's face is tight with concentration as he ducks gracefully around the sugar moron's punches.
Katsuki is angry and confused which only makes him angrier.
That final battle in the Sports Festival had been intense and he'd ended up having to work a lot harder than he'd intended. If it had been anyone else, Katsuki might almost be impressed but it was fucking Deku and that's what makes it so messed up. The freak isn't supposed to be in Yuuei much less the hero class. They've known each other since they were kids, he understands better than anyone that Deku doesn't have what it takes to be a hero.
And yet, despite all that, Deku is here, confident and holding his own against powerful quirks, and it infuriates Katsuki. The exercise ends in a draw when Deku manages to pin the sugar moron down to the ground but the lumbering idiot has a grip on Deku's leg.
"Good strategy using your opponent's size against him but don't get captured next time, Midoriya. Sato, I keep telling you to work on keeping your wits when using your quirk," Sensei says drolly. "Alright, Uraraka and Kirishima, you're up next." Deku grins and helps the sugar moron to his feet before walking out of the ring. Katsuki glares at him the whole time.
"Kacchan," Deku says as he passes him. "I promise I'll fight you once you're healed. At least I can count on you not to go easy on me." He says before falling back into line, missing the enraged expression on Katsuki's face.
That damn idiot thinks he's better than him now? Thinks he can challenge him after a decade of being a useless wimp? Despite how angry he is, Katsuki can't help but grin. Well fine, the next time they fight, he's going to show that Deku just how strong he is. He's almost looking forward to it.
Yagi Toshinori has a fan
Toshinori, currently buffed up as All Might, takes a bite of an apple as he walks to 1-A with a little spring in his step. He admits that today's class seems special for this will be his first time teaching Young Midoriya as a student. Toshinori is quite eager to see the boy at work again, both as an educator and for the part deep inside that remembers what it was like to be quirkless. He opens the door to 1-A and is greeted by hungry green eyes.
"Ah! Young Midoriya! You gave me a fright!" Toshinori says, putting his hand over his chest. "You do realize class doesn't begin for another 20 minutes, right?"
"Yes, but Iida mentioned that on the days you teach you usually like to get to class early." The boy says with a broad smile on his face as he mercilessly clicks his pen.
"Since I heard you were teaching here, I did everything I could to find you. I understand that someone of your popularity needed to be cautious but no one outside of 1-A has seen you at all I uh." Young Midoriya pauses to collect himself before looking up with a shy, star struck grin. "I mean now that I'm actually here, I thought maybe I could ask you a few questions? If that's okay."
Toshinori bursts into warm laughter. Young Midoriya had mentioned to him before the Sports Festival that he'd been trying to find All Might on campus. Once again, he's underestimated the boy's tenacity.
"I like your enthusiasm young man, I take it you're a fan?" Toshinori asks with a grin. Judging by Young Midoriya's face, that's probably something of an understatement.
"Y-yes," the boy stammers out, looking down at his notebook. "I've watched that video of your debut maybe a million times, it's been so inspiring to me. It's because of you that I wanted to be a hero, I mean, I know that's stupid considering how powerful you and I'm well..."
"Nonsense," Toshinori says. "Courage and brilliance aren't products of quirks, if my example had anything to do with your success today then I can be proud indeed." The boy looks like he's about to start sobbing again, Toshinori would like to avoid that if at all possible. "You said you had questions? I'd be happy to answer what I can."
"Yes!" the boy shouts flipping in an open spot in his notebook, "if I may, you're always so reticent about it during interviews but I was wondering about the nature of your quirk. It's been hotly debated on the internet but no can come to any definite conclusions. It's some sort of strength enhancing quirk but where does the power come from? Is your body enhanced to handle the output of power? What sort of training did you undergo to control it?"
"All very good questions, young man!" Toshinori says, hiding his wince. Young Midoriya certainly didn't mess around. Unfortunately for the boy, that's one of the topics that Toshinori can't disclose. "Quirks are a byproduct of genetics, of evolution being twisted to give individuals unique characteristics. There are a variety of quirks out there and though society proclaims that quirks like mine are more special, anyone with dedication and spirit can stand alongside me as a fellow hero."
"That's," the boy says as he stares down thoughtfully at his notebook. "You didn't actually say anything."
"You really are on top of things, my boy," Toshinori deflects with ease. "Would you like to hear about the time I defeated the Atomic Menace while preventing an orphanage from collapsing?" So Toshinori describes the tale with long practice, watching the boy furiously scribble things down in his notebook and ask clarifying questions.
The sharpness of his mind shouldn't surprise him but it makes Toshinori aware of how careful he needs to be. While the other students might not notice any inconsistencies in his behavior, Young Midoriya would probably be there with a clicking pen and a question or seven on his lips.
Still, the young man's enthusiasm is infectious and Toshinori almost regrets when they're interrupted by other students coming in. Dangerous though he may be, there's something about Midoriya Izuku that he likes.
No matter the circumstances that brought him here, it was clear to Toshinori that the boy is right where he needs to be.
Welcome to the interlude! This started with a frustration that I wasn't able to explain where Izuku got his second staff in the Sports Festival. I turned into a chance to explore the altered class dynamic before we head into the next arc. Originally this featured every 1-A student but my betas convinced me that it was a little too much so I picked the ones I felt were the most important. If you're interested, I'll be putting the others up on my tumblr (redrobin-detective, tagged as TLWA Interlude)