Chapter 05: Class Elections & Infiltration
It was a fresh new day at UA High and the students of Class 1-A were all left befuddled when they saw several news reporters hounding the front gates of UA. Akatani stepped forward and held up a finger for everyone as he concentrated super hard before releasing a strange field that made everyone invisible.
"Wow, that's cool, Mikumo-Kun! What Quirk is that?" Mina asked.
"It's called [Invisibility Field]. I made it from a Quirk used by a friend of mine named Tooru Hagakure who's currently attending Ketsubetsu and combined it with a guy's Quirk that let him create a passive field around himself."
"At least we'll be able to bypass these vultures. Let's go." Katsumi said as Class 1-A snuck into school without incident, Akatani dispelling the invisibility field as they all took their seats.
"I wonder what all those reporters were doing." Tenya mused.
"It's probably Uncle Might. Considering he's a teacher here now, it's only fair that the presses come to ask him why he chose to teach." Melissa said.
"Alright, you brats, settle down." Came Aizawa's voice as the teacher in question stepped into the classroom. "I hope you've rested from yesterday's combat trial. I looked through your scores and most of you did exceptionally well. Though I do have a few things to say."
Aizawa turned to Kouji first. "Kouda, while you did very well working with Sato, you need to work on your confidence but you don't need to worry about fighting unless you absolutely need to. After all, fighting isn't everything about a hero."
The shy rock-headed boy nodded silently as Aizawa turned to Shoto, his eyes narrowing at the heterochromatic boy.
"Todoroki, you went in against Midoriya and Ms. Shield completely confident you could just take them down with only half your Quirk. Yes, I know the truth about what your Quirk actually is and it's an insult to your peers who are giving it their all if you're merely half-assing everything. Shape up or you won't be in the Hero Course much longer."
Shoto silently clenched his fists as his eyes narrowed in anger while everyone else gave him a wide berth. Unperturbed, Aizawa proceeded to begin class in earnest.
"Now let's get on with Homeroom… I hate to spring this on you, but it's about that time..." Aizawa began, looking serious as the class held their breaths. "We need to pick our Class Council."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see it was only a normal school event for once, and immediately began excitedly raising their hands, hoping to be picked for Class President.
"Ohh! Ohh! I wanna be Class President! Pick me!" Eijirou yelled.
"The position exists for moi~!" Yuuga said confidently.
"I can be the leader!" Mina added.
"I wanna do it too," Kyouka said, more neutrally than the others.
"My manifesto as president; all girls must expose 30 centimeters of thigh!" Minoru shouted over the cacophony before being hit with a shoe created by Momo, who glared at the dwarfish boy disapprovingly.
Izumi was one of the few not raising her hand since she didn't feel like much of a leader-type despite her disposition as 'Mother Nature's Child'. The uproar was soon quelled when Tenya shot his hand up and yelled as loud as he could to get everyone's attention.
"BE QUIET! This is a task for only the most responsible where one must be able to carry everyone's weight, not just your own! Wanting to do it doesn't mean you can! It is a position of great esteem, broadcasting to others that you have the trust of your colleagues…the only true leader is one elected by the people! We must settle this with a democratic vote!"
"It's a good idea, but we've only known each other for three days. We haven't had a chance to get to know everyone or build that kind of trust." Tsuyu said.
"And won't everyone just vote for themselves in the end?" Akatani grumbled, digging his pinky in his ear uncaringly. Like Izumi, he also hadn't raised his hand since he didn't feel like being a leader either.
"Well, we could always make it so you can't vote for yourself." Izumi offered as Tenya nodded in agreement.
"A brilliant idea, Midoriya! Let's make it a public vote!" Tenya then turned to Aizawa, who was already tucking himself in his sleeping bag. "Is that agreeable, Sensei?"
"Whatever, as long as you get done by the end of Homeroom."
Tenya wrote everybody's name on the chalkboard and listened to their public opinions on who should be Class President. Much to Izumi's shock, she was appointed Class President with over 10 votes with Melissa and Momo tying behind her. each with five points.
"HOW DID I GET THE MOST VOTES?!" Izumi cried in genuine horror as Katsumi smirked at how pale her best friend had gotten. Ochako whistled innocently while Melissa and Momo smiled at each other, knowing exactly who they both agreed to vote for.
Tenya sighed as he conceded defeat. In truth, he was also one of the students who voted for Izumi, and considering he got 0 votes, he felt a sense of humbling at the results.
"I hope Izumi doesn't mind that I'm one of the guys who voted for her..." Akatani muttered to himself.
Everyone was now in the cafeteria, which was run by the Cooking Hero: Lunch Rush, whose Quirk, [Feed the Hungry], allowed him to study the preferences of everyone he made contact with so he could make dishes pertaining to their styles. Considering he was a master chef on top of that, he was arguably well-liked amongst the community.
"People from all years and courses are here… Heroics, Support, Management, and Gen Ed, all assembled in one place," Momo said as she looked around the expansive cafeteria room.
"It certainly is impressive. Even bigger than the cafeteria back at my Junior High in I-Island." Melissa concurred with a nod.
"This rice is so good~!" Ochako squealed as she was digging into a huge bowl of white rice. Katsumi perked up when she noticed Izumi absently picking at her food, lost in thought.
"Oy, Deku, what's up with you?"
"The whole Class President thing...I-I'm not sure I'm up to the task."
"Midoriya, I should let you know that I was one of the people who voted for you," Tenya spoke up as Izumi looked surprised.
"But I figured you'd want to be Class President more than anyone, Iida!"
"The desire to do something doesn't equal the ability to do it. I followed my own judgment on the matter."
"Ooh! You sound so sophisticated! Are you a Rich Kid like Momo?" Ochako chirped.
"Ochako, please don't word it like that..." Momo sighed as Tenya awkwardly cleared his throat.
"I don't like drawing attention to it… wealth and station shouldn't have any bearing on a Hero! However, I am proud of my family! The Iida Clan has been in the field of Heroics for generations; almost since the founding of the Age of Heroes! I'm the second son. Have you heard of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium?"
"Don't tell me you're related to him!" Izumi excitedly said as Tenya smiled proudly.
"Yes! He is my older brother! I aspire to be just like him. He is an upstanding Hero that prizes the rules and guides the people! When I think of a leader, that's the sort of person I imagine. Until I can match that image, I think it's fine that I don't take a leadership position."
"That's pretty sweet, Iida," Akatani said, interjecting into the conversation.
Before more could be said amongst everyone, a loud siren blared across campus, causing the entire student body to cover their ears in shock and reflex.
"Security Level 3 has been breached. All Students, please evacuate the premises."
"What the fuck does that mean?!" Katsumi asked angrily.
"It means someone managed to get past the gates and into the building!" An upperclassman said as he stood up urgently. "That's never happened for as long as I've been a student here!"
"Then that means it might be something dangerous!" Melissa said worriedly.
"I don't think we'll be able to evacuate properly with this stampede going on!" Akatani said as everyone got on top of their table to avoid getting pushed and trampled.
"Mikumo-Kun, can you see what might be on campus?" Izumi asked as Akatani nodded and activated [3D Map], his eyes glowing light blue as he observed a map of the entire campus and then noticed something.
"Hey, it's the press! How did they get past the gate security?"
"It's only the press?" Tenya asked in surprise. "We need to alert everyone!"
"Already on it!" Katsumi said as she unleashed a massive explosion in the air. "EVERYONE, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
This got the entire crowd's attention as they all looked at the table that Izumi and her friends were standing on as the verdette took charge next.
"Everyone, please calm down! No one can leave if you're trapping the doors shut! Back away from the doors, open them, and then evacuate calmly and if you please, try not to hurt any more of your classmates!"
"Midoriya is right!" Tenya added in. "Everything is fine; it's just the Press! There's nothing to panic about! You're all students of the best school in the country, and yet you are panicking and hurting each other! Act like you deserve to be here!"
Thanks to Katsumi's loud explosion, Izumi's stern and leader-like speaking, and Tenya's scolding explanation, the students were cowed and began to calmly evacuate, lifting the injured students up as they went and either helping them shake off their minor injuries or taking them to Recovery Girl.
"Well, that could have been a whole lot worse..." Melissa sighed.
"Not sure you're up to the task, huh?" Ochako teasingly said to Izumi, who blushed at the look her friend was giving her. "I'd swear you looked like a leader at that moment."
"Hey, Four Eyes deserves credit too." Katsumi huffed. "He helped out in getting everyone to listen to Deku."
Tenya awkwardly blushed and looked away. "I-I am touched by your words, Bakugou, but it was you who got everybody's attention in the first place."
"Oy! Stop selling yourself fucking short, you robot!" Katsumi barked as everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Outside of UA, after the press had been chased off, Principal Nedzu and the rest of the UA Staff were looking worriedly at the disintegrated gates that had allowed the press to get past the defenses in the first place.
"This is troubling...is this a display of power? Or could it be a declaration of war...?"