Izuku would have liked to say he was getting used to the curiosity of the people around him. To the looks of admiration, to the whispering and the glances thrown at him. That, being an Intern for over two weeks by now, he was prepared to it.
But that would have been a lie. He still had trouble even looking at people he didn't know in the eye, why was everyone looking at him-
He felt someone's hand gently close around his, and he looked at Himiko. "Are you ok, Izuku?" She asked. He nodded dumbly.
"Just a bit worried. It will pass." He said back with a shaky smile, before breathing in. It would. And if it didn't, he had his girlfriend in his corner. Everything would be alright.
"Alright!" Thirteen stepped forward, holding a megaphone so she could be heard above the crowd. For the occasion she had even taken off her helmet… Or maybe it was because the megaphone wouldn't work with it. Probably the latter. "So, today we will break you up in teams of six. Two UA students, and a person from each class. The Class President from Class 1-A, Izuku Midori-"
The cheer was almost deafening.
"It's Valiant!"
"It's the man!"
"League Smasher!"
"… That sounds weird."
Izuku heard the last exchange and frowned. "I don't think I have done that yet." He said, and then noticed Himiko's grin. "I'm not even sure I can do it."
"They aren't as off as you think." Himiko whispered in his ear, "You will definitely smash someone in the League eventually." Izuku was really lucky he was already bright red, because the change would have been really noticeable otherwise.
"Hush now, everyone!" Thirteen shouted, "As I was saying, The Class President of 1-A and his partner will team up with the Class Presidents and vice-presidents of the other classes, while the rest will split up to join other UA teams. Once that's done, you will take turns trying the USJ facilities. Is that clear?"
There was a general nod, though the cheers from before seemed to have simmered down now that most students knew they wouldn't get to team-up with him.
"I wonder who decided this system." Izuku wondered.
"Probably the other schools, right?"
-x-
"Eheheheheheheh…" Saiko Intelli cackled maniacally, looking at Valiant as he walked down the stairs.
"Ma'am, you are drooling." Her vice-president asked.
"Just like a dog seeing a fine piece of meat." She replied.
"… Ma'am, are you calling yourself a b-" She stopped herself when Valiant walked up to them. Not that Saiko was even listening, she was too busy trying to figure out how to get from 'never met him before' to 'my mouth + your mouth = perfect match'.
"Hi! You are Saiko Intelli?" Valiant asked, and Saiko gasped.
"He knows my name!" She whispered in the vice-president's ear, the girl letting out a defeated sigh.
"Ma'am, I'm fairly sure they told him so he could find you."
"And that means he was looking for me!"
"N-No it doesn't... I mean, technically... But… Nevermind." The vice-president said as Saiko whipped back around and smiled. She would show him immediately that she was a confident, well-mannered and elegant woman.
"I-I'm Saiko Intelli, Valiant!" She managed to stutter while her eyes did their best to take in his toned pecs behind the costume at the same time as his deliciously cute face, and failed miserably at said task.
Goddammit, this was harder than expected. Maybe spending all that time simpi- admiring him had some effect on her after all.
"And I'm Nino Kokura." Her vice-president said, while Saiko moved slowly her eyes to 1-A's vice-president.
Himiko Shimura, the final boss of Operation Dual-Wielding. Her sworn enemy.
'Bring it on. I have powerful, focused allies.'
-x-
"Oh my gosh he is coming this way!" Kashiko said.
"… That is what usually happens when you get assigned to a team with someone." Dadan Tadan, her vice-president, commented, scratching his cheek. Kashiko pouted. He didn't get it. Look at him. Valiant was such a se- a brave Hero.
"Alright Tadan, do you know the drill?" She whispered.
"… No?"
"You promised to help me with the guy I have a crush on!" She hissed back.
"Oh. Oh! Ooooooh!" He slammed his fist on his other hand, "That's the guy?"
"That's the guy!" She said cheerfully.
"… That's the guy?" He asked after a moment.
"That's the guy." She confirmed.
"That's the guy." Tadan nodded, before clearing some sweat off his face with a handkerchief, "A bit short and not bulky enough for me, but if that's your type you have my support."
"Hello!" Valiant said, finally reaching them. Behind him walked two students in red and blue respectively, wearing the ninja-like outfit of Seijin High, Saiko and a girl with Seiai's uniform she assumed was her vice-president, and a tall guy covered in thick fur accompanied by a student with pitch black skin and a featureless face, that judging by the hat were Shiketsu students.
"H-Hi!" Kashiko squeaked, "I'm Ka-Kashiko Tadan and this is Sekigai Dadan- No, I mean, I'm Kashiko Sekigai and this is Dadan Tadan."
"Hello, Sekigai, nice to meet you." Valiant replied, chivalrously ignoring her slip up. Oh god, could he be any more dreamy? She had to keep her lips sealed together to stop herself from squealing hearing Valiant saying that. She glanced at Intelli, that returned a quick nod. Yeah, they had been in the same boat. Understandable. She shook Valiant's hand when he offered it, savoring every second of the contact and thus extending the handshake a few seconds more than necessary, before Valiant let her go and moved to Tadan.
Then she felt another hand squeeze her own. She looked up to see the black-haired, grey-eyed vice-president of 1-A. She shook her hand very energetically, a smile on her face, and then moved closer.
"Mine." She whispered as she passed by.
Kashiko gulped, as she shared a look with Intelli and received another nod.
Yup, definitely the final boss.
-x-
Izuku looked at his team. In total they were two pairs of first-years, two pair of second-years and currently a pair of third-years, though that would change…
"Izuku!" A voice shouted, and he turned around to see Shindo walk up to him, "How are you?"
Izuku made to reply. Then paused. He really shouldn't have, but Shindo was his cousin after all. He was supposed to tease him, right? Also, he still needed to fight another match with him, since the Sports Festival had kept him so busy-
Shindo blinked, "Izuku, are you-"
"Yo, Shindo." Izuku said.
-x-
In her living room, Konako Haizono suddenly burst into laughter.
"What is it?" Her husband asked from the kitchen.
"I'm not sure, I just know something funny just happened."
"… Dear, I love you, but that makes no sense."
"Oh, hush you."
-x-
Izuku and Shindo stared at each other for a long moment, before the black-haired teen sighed and passed a hand over his face.
Next to him, a girl with ash blonde hair started to laugh, holding her stomach as she doubled down. "Oh god…" She gasped for air, "He did it! He really did it!"
Shindo stared at Izuku, "You are dead to me." He said with a deadpan look.
"Worth it." Izuku replied.
Shindo didn't answer, instead looking at Himiko. "I'm only talking to you from now on, Shimura."
"Understandable." Himiko said, "Also not gonna lie, Izuku, the timing was pretty terrible."
"W-What?"
"You waited a bit too long." Tadan said, "Not that I get the joke."
"Yeah I don't get it either." Intelli said.
"My name is Yo Shindo." The teen replied. Several people in the group wheezed. He turned back to Izuku, "Dead to me." He whispered, as the blonde girl kept chuckling.
Izuku chuckled. "Uhm, alright, so, this is everyone I suppose? Four first-years, four second-years and four third-years. The Professor said our first turn is in the Ruins Zone. It's that way."
He pointed toward the broken buildings in the distance, then stepped forward, moving with the others. "This is going well, I think." He whispered to Himiko, who walked next to him.
"Kind of expected, you are really popular Izuku."
"You think?" He asked. She stared at him with a flat expression, and he coughed in his fist, "Right, Valiant is popular. Stupid question. I'm still not used to the idea. It's a bit terrifying, honestly."
"I mean, even Izuku Midoriya was the winner of the Sports Festival, most of them probably know you from back then."
"You won the Sports Festival too."
She rolled her eyes, "Izuku, I got carried through most of the final stage. For everyone watching, you were always the winner."
"But that's not…"
"Izuku, just accept it, you are the famous Hero-in-Training Midoriya, also known as Valiant."
Izuku sighed, "Fine… I just hope the older people aren't angry about that. I don't want to take charge if I don't need to." Himiko snorted, "What?"
"Izuku, have you noticed who is walking at the front of our group?"
He paused, turned around slowly to see the others following him, and looked back at Himiko. "They are following me?!" He whispered.
"Yup."
"But I'm not nearly as qualified as they are!"
"Who has the Provisional Hero License here?"
"That's not the point and you know i-" His argument was paused when she leaned in and without warning dragged him into a kiss. He heard a few gasps from the group behind them, but the rest of his brain had engaged the Kiss Protocol, that meant one, returning the kiss, and two, smile like a fool the moment the kiss ended, probably accompanied by some incoherent blabbering.
Himiko let him go. "So, are you calm?"
Izuku smiled like a fool, mouth opening and closing. "Ababababa…" Perfect execution of the Kiss Protocol, Izuku Midoriya, one hundred points.
"I'll take that as a yes." She whispered back.
"W-Was that necessary?"
"Well, first of all, I need you to calm down. And second," She smiled, and Izuku had the impression she was looking behind them, "I needed to make something clear."
-x-
"Oh she is gooood." Dadan Tadan whispered. There was no response, so he glanced at Kashiko. He passed a hand in front of her flustered face, sighed, and picked her up, starting to carry them.
He looked to his right, to a girl half his size that was trying to carry the periwinkle haired teen whose monocle seemed to have comedically fallen off her face the moment she had seen the kiss. She managed to finally pull her up, panting a bit, then locked eyes with him. They looked at each other.
A nod of understanding passed between the two.
"Straight people, am I right?" The brown-haired girl asked.
"Preaching to the choir sis." The boy returned, "Can I help you with that?"
"Sure, thank you." She smiled, "Not interested in the guy."
"I like my men…" Tadan's eyes wandered toward the Shiketsu Class President, the big guy covered in fur, "Bigger."
"Eh." The girl grinned, "I like your style." She replied, making to shake his hand when Intelli suddenly snapped back to her sense.
"Put me down this instant…" She hissed coldly. Tadan let her go, and she coughed, "This never happened. Am I clear?"
"What didn't happen?"
"Cancelled from the continuity ma'am."
Intelli huffed, walking away. Both Vice-Presidents sighed. It truly wasn't easy to be the vice-president of a horny teenager.
-x-
Masutaro wanted to sink in the ground right now. No, he wanted to vanish into thin air. No, he wanted to be invisible. Anything to escape the monster that was standing in front of him.
"The name is Camie, sup everyone! It's tots nice to meet you all, for real!"
He felt a shiver run down his spine.
"So, what's the plan for our team? Are we, like, rescuing people or something? That would be wicked cool."
Terrifying. He wanted to die this very instant.
His sister locked eyes with him. "Ah, and you are Masutaro Sako, aren't you? You were soooo cool at the Sports Festival, for realsies!" She leaned in closer, looking at him eye to eye like she used to back before he ran away, "You know, my little bro had a Quirk that was super like yours, almost identical. That's some scary coincidence, isn't it?"
"Ahah, yeah, very scary."
"Hiiii." Hagakure had leaned in the way, using her gloves to make it clear she was in the way, "I'm Tooru Hagakure." She said, clearly putting herself between him and Camie. Masutaro loved her even more now, and he was sure that wasn't possible five minutes earlier.
"Nice to meet you sis!" Camie replied without batting an eye.
"I… Nice to meet you too, Utsushimi." She managed to reply, "Either way, we will…"
"The professors said we are the second group for the Downpour Zone." One of the twins from Seijin, a pair of students dressed in yellow ninja suits with black face covers, said.
"Awww, downpour? But I didn't bring an umbrella…" The Shiketsu student next to her, a girl with short brown hair, leaned in to whisper something in Camie's hear, the girl's eyes going wide "Ooooh, that's the point? That's majorly uncool."
Masutaro said nothing, but he heard the blonde Seiai girl with glasses lean in to whisper to her white haired classmate. "Do you think it's too late to run for Class Rep and switch with Sekigai and Kokura?"
"I wish…"
Same girls. Same.
-x-
"Hello everyone!" Shishikura shouted, standing in front of the assembled group, "Let us show our best to the professors while we are guests at UA!"
No one was paying particular attention to him, Uraraka noticed, except for… "Oh no."
Todoroki was nodding along. He had a new costume, Uraraka noticed, doing away with the 'Two-Face meets Iceman and they add Cyborg in the mix' look in favor of a simpler dark blue jacket with short sleeves, baggy pants of the same color and a brown utility belt. It looked a lot better honestly. "I see." He was saying, "Do you think we should go all out?"
"Only so long as that's dignified!" Shishikura declared, "We are expected to show them our true best!"
"But wouldn't holding back mean we aren't showing our best?"
Shishikura froze. "That is a point I had never observed. Do you believe going all out is a way to show our true strength?"
"A friend of mine thinks so." Todoroki said, Uraraka trying to figure out who she meant and then paling.
"What wisdom, I hope I can meet him one day."
Uraraka's mind tried to imagine Shishikura's personality, from what she had glimpsed so far, coming anywhere near Bakugo's.
Yeah, no. She'd have to make sure Shishikura didn't…
"You probably can, he is in my class." Todoroki replied. Ochaco felt the need to strangle him.
"I see! I'm sure right now he is working hard to cooperate with the other students."
-x-
"Are all the students from UA so fucking arrogant?"
"I don't know, are all the students from Isamu some zombie losers?"
Romero Fujimi, a grey-haired teen whose face was very skull like, and Bakugo were growling at each other, visible sparks flying between them as they barely restrained themselves.
"You know, I'm not sure if they plan to punch one another or start kissing." Hakubo Mangoose, Tsuyu's middle school best friend, commented.
"Go fuck yourself!" Both teens shouted at once, pointing at her, before freezing and turning back to glare at each other, "What, you are parroting me now?! Very mature, loser! Shut the fuck up! Go to hell!" They kept going in unison.
"Is that really your guy?" Tsuyu asked.
"I could ask the same thing."
"At least mine has bigger muscles."
"At least mine didn't start shouting immediately." Tsuyu stared at her, "What? He waited ten seconds." Hakubo added defiantly, "Also, what happened to the black-haired girl? The Professor switched you two?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Tsuyu coughed in her fist.
-x-
"Professor Aizawa." Jiro said, marching forward to stand in front of their homeroom teacher, "I'd like to switch partner with Bakugo."
"Why should you?"
"I think we can cooperate better." Jiro said.
"This entire exercise is to make schools that have never worked together before do that. Experimenting with your team is what matters. Dismissed."
"Please Professor…" Jiro pulled something out of her pocket, "I think we can come to an agreement."
"Is that a bribe?" Aizawa asked, his eyebrow raising slightly.
"It's a gift, Professor." She said with a mischievous grin, "Just look at it."
Aizawa gave it a look, and his tired eyes shot open. "Is that an unlimited free coffee card for the Iwata franchise?"
"That it is, sir."
"… You know, thinking about it…"
-x-
"Nothing much." Tsuyu said, "We just made an offer he couldn't refuse."
-x-
Rationally, Bakugo knew he was supposed to be friendlier. He had managed to greet everyone else in their group without much issue, even the masked duo from Seiai that he was sure were mocking him behind their masks, but then.
This fucking bitch.
Bakugo knew at a glance that Romero Fujimi was a fucking asshole, and the moment Fujimi had opened his mouth, the first words out had been 'So, you are one of the Sports Festival losers, right?'
Yeah, that had kind of blown up any chances of him following Ashido and Kirishima's instruction, at least for what concerned Fujimi. This was the reason why the two of them were currently trying their best to strangle one another, by the way.
"Uhm, you two should probably stop…" The Snake Bitch said.
"Make us!" They both managed to shout despite currently being in the process of choking one another. Fuck that, Bakugo wasn't going to lose to a zombie moron.
"She is right Bakugo, you should stop." Tsuyu said, her arms crossed and the usual inexpressive appearance on her face.
'Well fuck.' He growled, letting go. "You got lucky, punk." He said, storming off and walking toward their assigned area. Anything to get this fucking exercise over.
-x-
Aizawa sighed. So much work to do… So many people that needed to be kept under control… So many naps he had to skip…
"Aizaaaaawa!"
Oh right, and Emi Fukukado was here too, accompanying her class. Fuck. "Joke." He said.
The woman that marched forward was shorter than him, with sea green hair and dark green eyes, shouted as she walked forward, waving happily. "Aizawa!" She said, "Let's get married!"
There it was. Every. Single. Fucking. Time. "No." Aizawa replied with a deadpan look.
Emi Fukukado started to laugh uproariously. "Oh man, shot down instantly! I love your instant responses."
'I don't even know what you want from me.' Aizawa thought. Was she teasing him, or was she serious and using the teasing as an easy way out? The Valentine's gifts she offered every year seemed to say the latter, but knowing Fukukado, those might have been just another part of the koke. He had even considered saying yes once, to see what she would say, but what if she took it seriously? Aizawa would be stuck marrying her.
Probably. He had no clue of how this stuff worked. He didn't really have a great experience in dating, let alone getting married.
"By the way, Eraser." Joke continued. "It seems some of your students have been making a ripple in the Hero community?"
"Midoriya is doing a good job, I suppose." Aizawa said. In truth, he was really angry. The HPSC was putting too much pressure on the kid.
"Uh? Midoriya? No, I mean…" She checked her phone, "Bakugo, Asui, Yaoyorozu and Jiro."
"Joke, what are you talking about?"
"… The Hero Shipping Wars?"
"…"
"The Bet That Will Break the Hero System?"
"… Joke, seriously, what the fuck are you talking about."
"… My god Eraser, come here." She grabbed him and showed him her phone.
Of course, Aizawa was aware that the Hero Network was a complex system that included also a series of chats that, while ostensibly used only for work, were really sort of unofficial chatrooms Heroes used to vent with their colleagues, away from journalists, HPSC and the public in general.
Aizawa, of course, avoided it like the plague. He lived under the belief that a good nap was better than the best chat.
Still, he stared at the chatroom in disbelief. "Joke, is this a chatroom entirely dedicated to discussing which pairing will win between Bakugo and Yaoyorozu, Bakugo and Asui and Jiro and Yaoyorozu?"
"Mostly. The Bombamakers and the Ribbiters are the strongest fronts. The Ribbiters of course are allied with the Musicians. Some people are rooting for the poly ending, either partial – BakuMomoTsuyu, or the Frog Makers – or complete – JiroBakuMomoTsuyu, the Full Orchestra - plus a handful of MomoTsuyuJiro, the Dry Bombers, but that's mostly Hawks rooting for every poly option at once… Aaaand he just started a chatroom for BakuJiroMomo. Musci Makers? Meh, the Momo faction really needs a more varied joke for their names. Either way, there is also a small BakuJiro front, the Sound of Explosions, but I think that's just Wash trolling everyone else. Although, if they do win that, they will win a lot of money."
Aizawa stared for a moment longer, then grabbed the phone, scrolling down to see the names of the various participants. Then he turned around and stormed off, marching straight toward Thirteen.
"Thirteen, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you cheer when I switched Yaoyorozu and Asui?" Aizawa asked.
"I…" She looked left and right, "You know…"
"You are a fellow Ribbiter!" Emi – who had followed Aizawa – shouted from behind him.
Thirteen looked left and right, then grinned. "Ribbit." She whispered.
"Kaboom!" Fukukado shouted back. Then they both gave each other a high five. Aizawa wanted to die. It sounded like a very easy way to end the pain. Alas, Shirakumo would find a way to send him back if he got to the other side too early, so instead he took a deep, deep breath and looked back and forth from Fukukado to Thirteen.
"How many people are into this bet?"
"Pretty much the entire Top 1000." Thirteen replied with a shrug.
Aizawa decided he needed to take another deep breath. No, it wasn't enough, he needed two. Fuck his life. "Are you telling me almost a thousand Heroes are so invested in the endgame of a relationship between high schoolers they are willing to spend hours a day discussing it."
"Well most people are memeing, but… Yes?"
"Why?!"
Joke chuckled. "I mean, can you blame us? Betting on the colleagues is fine and all, but the truth comes out fast. Just like the truth of our commitment is-"
"Not now, Joke."
She barked a laugh, "Ah! Always worth teasing. Well, anyway, betting on Hero Students relationships seems a far better hobby. And since the Shiketsu principal is a spoil sport that just put up a rule against dating, we are only left with UA among the big two."
"Can we switch principals? I want the Shiketsu rules in place right now." Aizawa said dryly.
"Don't say that, Eraser! Think about it! It means those four will have a lot of options for their future Internships." She grinned.
Aizawa sighed, leaving Fukukado and Thirteen behind to talk about the Ribbiters 'stonks' going up, whatever the fuck that meant, and looked around. Mic was getting ready for his entry speech, and he didn't want to talk with Nemuri. He was 90% sure it would result in her confirming she was on one of those fronts. Probably the Full Orchestra- 'Why do I remember what that ship is called?!'
He settled for Gran Torino. The old man was sour like a lemon, he probably would strangle anyone that dared talk to him about shipping. He sat down on a bench where the old man was sitting too.
"What's with the long face?" The old man asked. He seemed to be studying the students preparing to enter the Mountain Zone, the closest to the bench.
"I just spoke with Joke and Thirteen. Turns out they are involved in some sort of bet that involves Asui and Bakugo dating, of all things."
Gran Torino shook his head, "Youngsters these days should stop wasting their time." Aizawa sighed in relief. "I mean, Ribbiters are so dumb! It's obvious the right side of history are the Bomb Makers!"
"In your dreams old man!" A passing Ketsubutsu teacher shouted back, "Ribbit or death!"
Aizawa felt another small part of himself die.
Before he could do anything about it – most likely something that involved joining the Hero Killer in hunting down and killing every Hero in Japan above the Top 1000, because fuck them – he saw Mic rush forward, jumping on the small podium erected in the center of the plaza.
"Alright, little listeners, are you readyyyyy?!" Present Mic shouted, his voice thundering through the USJ thanks to a new speakers system installed after the attack, and his natural Quirk. "Each of you is a brave student, that is ready to brave the hardships of Heroism. But you won't be alone! All those people that stand around you today are going to stand next to you in the times to come. For this reason, you have to be ready to stand side by side. If each Hero is a sword sharpened to defend society, then the best way to do so is to stand together. The greatest swordsman of Japan's history, Miyamoto Musashi, wielded two swords, after all! And just like he knew how to make those swords work together, we will teach you how to cooperate!" He grinned, "Let us all begin Operation Dual-Wielding!"
The teens cheered.
Aizawa felt the dread mount.
(XX)
I'm fairly sure I just made Miyamoto Musashi spin in his grave by bringing him up in this context. Oh well, win some lose some.
Operation Dual Wielding begins! Our teams are ready, the couples are set, and I'm so committed to not using OCs I've reached the point of naming unnamed side-characters from the Fortnite Arc Provisional License Exam. Saiko and Kashiko are ready to make their move, but Himiko Shimura has already spotted the wannabe homewreckers and made clear who is in charge here. What that exactly means for her... Well, that's some more wait and see, innit?
Todoroki, my boy, don't encourage Shishikura. It's Iida but angrier.
Bakugo, of course, is as cooperative as an angry chihuahua. He might be trying to get better, but that takes time, and someone abrasive like Fujimi is definitely going to put a dent on it. Hang in there Bakugo, the future of Japan's Hero System hinges on your future romances!
Oh god, the future of Japan's Hero System hinges on Bakugo's future romances.