Chapter 02: No Pressure
It was early in the morning when a buzz from her phone woke Ruby from a relaxing slumber after the amazing dinner they had last night. She picked up her phone and winced at the light before seeing what had woken her.
It was another group message from the UA School app. However, instead of it being for class 1-A, this one was titled '1-A Class Officers.'
Below was a message from Tenya.
Iida: For our first class officer meeting, let's meet at the 1-A classroom at 7:00 am!
Ruby checks the time.
5:40 am
She groaned as she rises from the bed and climbed down to get ready.
After several minutes of drowsy dressing, Ruby leaves, but not before leaving texts to Tai, Yang, and Jaune in case they haven't seen her this morning.
On her way, she meets up with Ren. Even in her tired mind, Ruby noted the odd absence of Nora Valkyrie. The ginger was practically glued to the long-haired young man. Ruby figured Nora was still asleep. The trip to the usual meeting spot was silent as neither Ren nor Ruby were up for conversation, which probably wouldn't have mattered even if they weren't so tired.
They find Izuku at the meeting, looking just as drowsy as they.
"Morning…" Ruby yawned. Izuku made a low noise, not up for speaking, but wanted Ruby to know that he acknowledged what she said.
A few minutes later, the first bus of the day arrives. As the bus moved, they frequently dozed off during the ride from the sway of the moving vehicle. Izuku and Ruby eventually fell asleep on Ren's shoulders once they were on the train.
They arrive at the school, meeting with seemingly equally tired Weiss and Momo.
Weiss yawned. "And suddenly, I don't feel jealous about Iida being class rep anymore." She smiled.
And Ruby smiled back.
1-A Classroom
"Alright. Before we officially start this meeting, does anyone have any questions?" Tenya asked with a push of his glasses. At first, no one responded, still tired. Momo eventually raised her hand. "Yes, Yaoyorozu!"
"Who's our advisor?" Momo asked. In some places, an advisor would be assigned to the class officers, either a teacher or another faculty member.
The door slides open and Qrow Branwen enters the classroom.
"That be me."
Ruby suddenly perks up. "Morning, Uncle Qrow!"
"Mornin'. And it's Mr. Branwen while on school grounds."
"Whoops! My bad!"
"Thank you for volunteering, sir!" Tenya exclaimed.
"Yeah. Volunteer," Qrow said before taking a seat in the back of the class. Some of the kids wondered if they just had a whiff of alcohol when he walked past.
"Now, let's begin with the meeting. To be honest, I had a different meeting idea for the day because today's meeting was meant for yesterday, and really that had to be changed too, but…" Tenya trailed off. "Anyways, I'm sure everyone is rattled by what had transpired the day before. Thankfully, everyone who had been injured during the incident is alive and well. We should count our lucky stars that All Might made it in time."
"It was because of your quick speed that he made it in time, Iida," Ruby said. She remembered Ochako telling her what happened when they were waiting for Izuku the night before last.
"Yeah. If it wasn't for you, things probably would've gotten worse," Izuku said.
"They're right. You shouldn't leave yourself out," Weiss said.
"You were very brave," Momo praised. Ren nods his head.
Tenya pushed up his glasses again to mask his flustered face. "Your words of encouragement are most appreciated. And I am glad that we all came out alive. Although, I'm sure that some of us are still shaken from the experience. So, let's do everything we can to keep our fellow classmates' morale high and show the others that we are not deterred on our path to herodom!"
"Yeah!" the other class officer cheered. Ren was a little quieter.
"Whew. That is one eager kid," Qrow mused.
"Now, let's get ready for today!" Tenya declared. "We've got about an hour until homeroom starts! So let's use this time to prepare!"
"Yeah!" the group said again, this time on their feet and pumped their fists in the air.
That's when it occurred to Ruby.
"Wait. That was the meeting?!" she asked incredulously.
"I was short on time!" replied Tenya.
Ruby collapses in her seat before faceplanting on the desk. Izuku and Weiss giggled and Qrow chuckled.
"Toshinori…"
"…You've got your work cut out for ya…"
Deciding to just nap for the next hour, Ruby has her head in her arms as she slumbered. As the rest of class started to come in, Izuku gently shook her awake. Ruby yawns and stretches her arms out like she was a cat.
Jaune walks up to her desk. "Never took you for an early bird. Maybe you should come by to the farm and help out a little," he joked. Ruby sticks her tongue out at him. Jaune chuckled and headed for his desk, giving a small wave at Izuku as he did. Izuku does the same.
That moment of calm was cut short when Izuku saw Bakugo glaring at him. The blonde's heated gaze held on to Izuku as Bakugo silently went to his desk, only breaking away when he sat. The tension that held Izuku's shoulders lessened slightly. This silent treatment…it was like what happened last year, after Bakugo confronted Izuku about his attempted rescue during the Sludge Villain Incident.
"Hey, did anybody else get stopped on their way here?" Sero asked as he took his desk.
"Yeah! Who knew nearly dying from a villain attack could make us famous?" Kaminari said.
Jiro rolled her eyes. "Please. They were more interested in the fact that UA students were attacked."
Hagakure sighs. "I don't think anyone saw me though…"
"Kinda hard to be noticed when you're only a pair of gloves and sneakers…" Ojiro said.
Tenya speeds in. "Class will soon begin! Everyone, take your seats!"
"You're the only one standing, dude," Kirishima pointed out, referring to everyone sitting at their desks, except for Tenya, who promptly sat behind Weiss.
"Damn it…"
"Are you always this serious?" Nora asked.
"I wonder that too," Kaminari said.
Pyrrha comes in, dressed in her bronze armor and with her bandaged arm in a sling. "Good morning, everyone!"
"Good morning, Achillea!" Tenya greeted. "I see that you are doing well!"
"Thank you, Iida. Thanks to the doctors and a skin donor, I'm on my road to recovery!"
Jaune raises his hand. "Is it such a good idea for you to be here today?"
There was a glow in Pyrrha's eyes, and she put a hand to her chest. "It will be fine. We won't be doing much during hero class for the time being because of an important announcement by our substitute homeroom teacher."
Everyone turned quizzical at that. A substitute?
Ruby raised her hand. "Is Mr. Aizawa still in recovery?"
"Unfortunately, so. That Nomu put quite a number on him," Pyrrha answered, her tone temporarily grim.
Izuku remembered that moment all too well. The Nomu, a behemoth of a creature, bigger than even All Might, was ruthless with Aizawa. At Shigaraki's command, the Nomu was set to kill and by some miracle, Aizawa was still alive.
Pyrrha's grim face was changed to one of assurance. "But there is no need to worry any further. He's taking a much-needed rest as we speak and while he recovers, someone will take his place for the time being." The door fidgeted a bit. "Oh, that must be him now." The door slides open. "Hello, M—" Pyrrha lets out a startled gasp. "Mr Aizawa?!" To everyone's shock, there stood a heavily bandaged Aizawa, his face covered, and his arms shielded by thick casts.
Seemingly unbothered by Pyrrha's outburst, the man greeted a muffled, "Good morning."
"Mr. Aizawa, I am happy to see that you are okay!" Tenya exclaimed.
"What is your definition of okay?!" Weiss questioned.
"Mr. Aizawa, what are you doing?" Pyrrha asked as Aizawa strutted in. "You should be resting!"
"How I am is irrelevant."
"It is relevant! How were you even able to open the door?!"
"No comment."
Izuku hears running footsteps heading for their classroom. Someone skidded past the opened doorway before showing back up, revealing to be a winded Toshinori Yagi, dressed in a white, long-sleeved dress shirt, navy blue dress pants, dark brown shoes, a red striped tie, and black suspenders.
"Mr Aizawa!"
"It's Mr Yagi!" Ochako gasped.
"That guy…" Weiss said.
The tall man finally catches his breath, swallowing down a cough and walks up to his colleague. "Mr Aizawa, I thought we agreed that I'm going to be their homeroom teacher until you recovered!"
Ruby and Izuku gasp quietly.
"Uncle Toshi is our substitute teacher?!" Ruby thought.
"Is that a good idea?" Izuku wondered.
"I changed my mind. I've recovered enough," Aizawa said stubbornly.
"No, you're not!" Toshinori argued. At this point, Hizashi (Present Mic) and Nemuri (Midnight) arrive.
"Yo, Yagi! We came as soon as we got the message!" Hizashi smiled.
"We were surprised when you said he snuck out. Our little Shouta is quite talented," Nemuri mused.
"Don't call me that in front of the students," Aizawa said.
"Okay, okay. Now let's get you back to the lounge," Hizashi said as he tried to guide Aizawa out.
"I'm fine."
Nemuri puts her hands on Aizawa's shoulders and starts to gently pull him out with Hizashi's help. "Oh, I'm sure. But let's go see Principal Nezu."
"You kids go easy on Yagi here, 'kay?" Hizashi requested as they leave. Toshinori and Pyrrha sighed.
"The man practically thrives on rationality. Wouldn't this carelessness for his wellbeing count as irrational?" Toshinori wondered before turning to face the perplexed class. "Sorry about that, class." He moves over to the pedestal and puts a sheet of paper on it.
Pyrrha gives it a glance. "Is that…? Another script?!"
"I'm sure that some of you have some questions about me being here. As of today, I will be your homeroom teacher until Mr. Aizawa recovers. Some of you may recognize me but allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Toshinori Yagi, All Might's private secretary and the school's new secretary. Please, treat me well." He takes a bow before straightening back up. "Now, with that out of the way, I'll get to the main topic. At the end of this month in two weeks, the UA Sports Festival event happens."
By mentioning the event, Kirishima practically bounced out of his seat. "Oh, hell yeah!" Kaminari quickly quiets him by clasping a hand to the redhead's mouth.
"Is that a good idea, sir? After what happened at the USJ?" Kaminari asked, concerned.
"Wouldn't that make us easy targets?" Ojiro asked.
"I understand your concerns, but the HPSC felt that the Sports Festival will show the villains that UA is still strong as ever," Toshinori explained. "Security will be tighter this time around, courtesy of the General Hero."
Izuku reacted to the name.
The General Hero, more commonly called the General, was an alumnus of Shiketsu High School, graduating in the same year as All Might. Much like All Might, the General had taken part in many fights against villainy and disasters, tacking on a sweet well of knowledge and experience. The General is praised for his tactical abilities against countless threats and obstacles. He was also praised for innovation. He had always advocated for the safety of both civilians and heroes alike, wishing to lessen the burden of the shadows of this Hero Society.
"Um, Midoriya? You're muttering," Ruby whispered to him. Izuku breaks out of his muttering trance to see everyone staring at him.
Red blush heated around Izuku's freckled cheeks. "Ah!" He wraps his arms around himself to hide his face. "Sorry!"
Toshinori smiled, despite himself. The kid will forever be a hero fanboy. "Additionally, the Sports Festival is important if you kids want to get recognized by hero agencies. Everyone is going to be watching the event, including heroes. If you wish to go pro, then this event will help further open your path. One chance a year…Three chances in a lifetime…No aspiring hero should miss this. Take this moment to show them what you're made of! Show them what you can do!" He gives the class a flashy grin. "Go beyond…"
"Plus Ultra!" the class finished with a mighty cheer. Toshinori nods and goes to make his leave. As he did, Ruby notices a booklet in his back pocket.
Now out in the hall, Toshinori lets out a breath that he didn't know he was holding after closing the door behind him.
"That turned out a lot better than I thought…"
"That Yagi guy seems pretty cool," Kaminari said.
"He has a totally different feel from last time we saw him. Definitely a bit of fresh air from Aizawa, though," Nora said.
"You know, he kinda reminds me of All Might a bit," said Kirishima. His comment made Ruby and Izuku go stiff. Bakugo seems to have sensed this and felt agitated towards them for annoying him.
"Isn't that because he works for All Might?" Satou questioned. "I bet some of his charisma rubbed off on the people who worked under him."
"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, look at Achillea."
Pyrrha giggled, hiding her own rigidness. "No need for the flattery, Kirishima."
Izuku and Ruby breathe a sigh of relief.
"I bet it's cool, right, Ruby?" Ochako asked.
"Huh?"
"To be close to someone like that?"
"Uh, y-yeah! Totally cool!" Ruby said.
"Wait. Are you related to Mr Yagi?" asked Satou, looking at Ruby.
"Oh yeah! I remember you saying Uncle Toshi before!" Hagakura said.
"He's your uncle?" Sero asked Ruby.
Ruby wasn't sure of what to say. After learning of Toshinori's secret, Ruby felt it wasn't right to lie about it to other people. After some mental debate, Ruby wills herself to use her original story, prior to her learning. "…K-Kinda? It's a long story. He's close to my parents, so he wound up being my honorary uncle."
"Like Mr Branwen?" Momo asked, remembering the interaction from that morning.
"Yeah."
"You're so lucky, Rose, being related to and personally knowing so many heroes," Mina said.
Ruby was silent after hearing that and clasped her hands together. "…Yeah…I am lucky…" Izuku looks at her. He may not be able to see her face, but he could picture it.
Todoroki, Weiss, and Bakugo also look at Ruby with varying expressions.
UA High School: Administration Office – Later
"Geez, Aizawa has to go through this much paper as a homeroom teacher?" Toshinori wondered as he looked through some papers at his work desk. "I'm not great with paperwork. I used to leave it to Sir Nighteye and later Tsukauchi. How does Aizawa do it?" The hero glances over at Aizawa, who had taken residency on the couch in the office. Because of the bandages, Toshinori couldn't tell if Aizawa was sleeping, though his keen hearing might be picking up slow breathing. He sighs softly and returns to the papers. "Well, I'll just have to grin and bear it. We're still trying to figure things out with my new time limit. What I can do now is lessen the burden of an injured colleague."
*A phone call is here! A phone call is here!*
Toshinori answers without looking. "Hello?"
An older voice spoke.
/ About time you answered, Toshinori. /
Out of instinct, Toshinori scrambled to his feet and nearly knocked his chair back and startled everyone. Aizawa didn't seem bothered. "Good day, sir! How have you been?"
/ Could've been better. But nothing worse for wear. /
Qrow notices Toshinori's leg fidgeting and looks at Glynda. Glynda creates a 'G' with several dots with telekinetic energy.
"That's good to hear. Um…May I ask why you are calling me?" Toshinori asked, ignoring a bead of sweat running down his neck. It's not often Gran Torino calls. He's usually okay with letters. Is he calling about Izuku's progress?
/ I've heard about the USJ Incident from the news. Mind telling me what really happened? /
Lunch Time: 1-A Classroom
"Man! I'm still stoked for the Sports Fest!" Kirishima shouted.
"This is our chance to show them what we're made of, Ren!" Nora exclaimed, standing in front of her friend's desk.
"I'll do my best."
"Boy. Everyone is excited for the event," Ruby observed.
"Well, of course! It's only the most anticipated sports event in all of Japan. Perhaps in the world! Anybody would be eager!" Tenya said, doing some odd movements.
"You don't seem that excited, Rose," Izuku noticed. Out of everyone, even the calm students, Ruby seems to be the least enthused about participating in the festival.
"I guess it's because I plan to go underground. So, why stand out?" Ruby said.
"I guess that's understandable."
"Deku…Iida…Ruby!" The mentioned three turn to face a fierce Ochako, emanating an equally intense aura. "Let's do our best!"
"What's with the fierce look?!" Izuku exclaimed.
"That's actually intimidating!" Ruby said.
"I'm gonna do my best!" Ochako declared with a fist pumped in the air.
"Yeah!" Kaminari and Kirishima shouted.
"You go, girl!" Mina cheered.
"I said that I'm gonna do my best!" Ochako declared.
"Y-yeah…" Ojiro said meekly, somewhat unnerved by Ochako's intensity.
"Are you okay?" Jaune wondered.
"Ochako is excited, for sure," Ruby mused.
"I'm not sure if excited is the right word…" Tenya muttered.
Izuku stared at the rounded face girl, somewhat mystified by the amount of sheer, enthusiastic determination to participate in the games. He starts to wonder why Ochako wanted to become a hero…
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Pyrrha Nikos (Achillea)
Quirk: Polarity
"Control and manipulate magnetic metals."
— Affiliation: UA High School Hero Class 1-A Teacher Assistant
— Birthday: 02/26 (Pisces)
— Height: 181 cm
— Blood Type: A
— Likes: Homemade Granola Bars, Romance Novels, Olives
— Color: Precious Peony (C03C4A)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Toshinori Yagi (All Might)
Quirk: One for All
"Smashes villains with a superpower passed down from one generation to the next."
— Affiliation: UA High School 1st Year Hero Class Teacher
— Birthday: 06/10 (Gemini)
— Height: 220 cm
— Blood Type: A
— Likes: Yakushima Cedar, Tea, American movies
— Color: Gold (FFD700)
{~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* - Our Hero Academia - *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~}
Hallway Outside of the 1-A Classroom
And so, Izuku had asked Ochako and was surprised by the answer.
"For money?" he echoed Ochako's reply to his question.
Ochako starts to fidget with her hair. "I know it sounds selfish, but…it's not that I wanna get rich…well, kinda…but…" Izuku, Ruby, and Tenya stare at her, waiting for her to continue. "My family…owns a construction company and lately, they haven't been able to get business going."
Ruby tilts her head. "Construction? Like heavy lifting?" A smile lights up on her face. "That sounds perfect for your Quirk, Ochako!"
An idea struck Izuku. "Oh! With Zero Gravity, Uraraka could make the heavy things weightless and easy to move around once she gets her license."
"And they can sell the unneeded equipment for extra money!" Tenya added.
"That's what I said to my parents!" Ochako said, happy that someone thought the same as she did when she was a child. "I wanted to help them with the company, but…I will become a hero. I'll join a top agency and earn enough money so my parents could live in luxury." Ochako gazed at her feet solemnly. "You guys have such noble goals whereas mine is entirely monetary."
"But there's nothing wrong with that," Izuku said. "Everyone needs to make a living somehow."
"Still…"
"Ochako…" Ruby muttered.
"I'd say it's noble."
Ochako, Ruby, Tenya, and Izuku turn to see Weiss standing before them.
"Schnee?" Ochako voiced.
"I'm sorry for bumping into your conversation like this, but I couldn't help but overhear," Weiss said. "And…I wanted to say something."
"So, do you really think its noble?"
"I do."
"Why?"
"That's because my grandfather did something similar," Weiss answered.
"Grandfather? Oh! Edelweiss, right?" asked Izuku.
Weiss nodded. "Right. Before he became the next head of the family, he became a hero to assist his father and the Schnee Support Company. I'm sure you have some inkling about that, don't you, Rose?"
Ruby grinned at the opportunity.
"Yeah," Ruby nodded. "Klaus Schnee was the second founder of the Schnee Support Company, co-founded with Ludwig Schnee, Klaus' father, before they immigrated here, to Japan. In order to have Klaus' support gears to be recognized in Japan, Nicholas Schnee became the hero Edelweiss to spread awareness."
"That is correct. Even though he became a hero basically for advertising support gear, my grandfather did so his father's efforts could get acknowledgement." Weiss looks at Ochako. "So, your goal is just as noble, Uraraka."
"Schnee... Thank you! It was nice for you to say that," Ochako beamed.
Weiss blushed and averted her eyes to the side. "I-I was just telling the truth."
Tenya starts clapping with tears down his face. "Noble! Absolutely noble! Both of you! Bravo! Bravo!"
Weiss turns redder and turns away to hide her face. "I was just being polite. You don't need to act like that."
"Is Schnee a tsundere?" Ruby asked herself.
"When you get right down to it, Uraraka's goal is very noble," Izuku thought. "It's more complex, if anything. Iida, Rose, and I wanted to become heroes for little more simple reasons: To be like the people we look up to. And Schnee… Wait…"
"What about Schnee?" he asked out loud.
Weiss' blush shrinks to a minimum and faces Izuku. "What?"
Izuku flustered when Weiss' light blue eyes landed on him. He averted his gaze to avoid eye contact and put a shaky hand on his shaky arm. "Um…I-I was just wondering…why did you want to become a hero?" He dared to look at her, to see her response. Weiss stared at him, her face expressionless. Izuku couldn't help but have a random thought about how pretty Weiss is. Not that none of the girls in their class are pretty too. They are pretty! Even Hagakure! Granted, Izuku isn't a good judge on beauty and the like, which was indicative as he barely had any interactions with girls growing up…except for his mother…and Mistuki Bakugo. Really, his first genuine interaction with a girl who wasn't going to mock him was Ruby—
"…I'm a Schnee." Weiss' voice brings Izuku out of his erratic thought process. "I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized that I was capable of fighting, there was no doubt who I wanted to be." Her expression soured, though it wasn't towards Izuku or anyone else around them. "I'm not stupid. I know exactly what my father has done to the family and the Schnee Support Company. He wasn't the start of the company and I refuse to let him be the end of it. That's why I wish to become a hero. It was my duty."
Izuku looked at her with a fixed gaze. He then blinked and cupped an elbow with a hand as he cupped his chin with another, thinking deeply.
The action left Weiss somewhat perplexed. "…Midoriya?"
"Ha-ha-ha! I see that Young Midoriya and Young Rose are here!" All Might exclaimed bombastically as he appeared before the students.
"All Might!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Uuu-Dah! All Might!" Ruby covers her mouth.
"What are you doing here?" Izuku asked, ignoring a sense of panic from Ruby almost calling All Might 'Uncle Toshi.'
"Lunch!" The large man holds out a bento box wrapped in a bunny kerchief. "Wanna eat with me?"
Ochako gushed. "That's adorable! He's like a maiden! So precious!"
"That's his meal?" Weiss wondered, staring at the box, tiny compared to All Might's giant frame.
All Might turns his gaze at Ruby. "What about you, Young Rose? Wanna join us?" Ruby nodded vigorously, still covering her mouth. "Good to know! Now, let's mosey!
Lunchroom
"I wonder why All Might wanted to see Deku and Ruby?" Ochako wondered, standing in line with Tenya and Weiss. "Actually, I can get Ruby because of Mr Yagi, but why Deku?"
"I remember that Midoriya got himself hurt trying to help All Might," Weiss recalled how Izuku broke his legs to jump in to save the hero. "Maybe All Might wanted to see how he was doing."
"Yeah, maybe."
Tenya taps a fist in his hand. "Oh! I just remembered what Asui said back in the bus. Something about Midoriya's Quirk being similar to All Might's."
"Oh, yeah! You're right!" Ochako said.
"There have been studies of people gravitating to others with similar Quirks," Weiss informed.
"That's so cool!"
In another line, Todoroki had overheard this conversation. All of it.
"Similar Quirks, huh?"
And in another line, a ginger head freckled girl had also heard this.
"Hmmm…"
Teacher's Lounge
"50 minutes?" Ruby and Izuku questioned. Ozpin hands Toshinori some mugs so he could pour tea in them.
"That's right. Because I was overclocking, it shortened my time limit considerably and now we're trying to adjust the new limit for the hero classes," Toshinori explained. "For the time being, the story is that due to the recent attack, All Might is assisting with the investigation and his secretary will now act as his figurehead here."
"If that's the story, then why did you appear to us as All Might?" Ruby asked as she took her mug.
"That's just All Might 'checking in,'" Ozpin said as he sat down next to Toshinori on the sofa.
Toshinori lowers his head. "…It won't be long until the last embers of One for All inside of me disappears completely."
Izuku looks down at the mug of tea in his hands, looking into his reflection.
"I'll still have a long way to go…Using One for All at 100% still hurts me. I was able to use it at 100% without breaking bones thanks to Arc's Quirk, but I can't rely on it every time I use it. I need to hurry and get a better handle at it."
"Now, now, Mr Midoriya. Stressing over it won't make it easier," Ozpin advised.
"Hey, Uncle Toshi, how did you handle your Quirk?" Ruby asked.
"I had a pretty good handle of it right off the bat," Toshinori replied.
"Really?" Ruby and Izuku asked.
"Remember what I said about One for All? Its power increases with each user. I had it for over 3 decades," Toshinori revealed.
"Over 30 years?" Izuku questioned.
Toshinori nodded. "That's right."
Izuku leans back in his chair as he mulled it over. More than thirty years…that could explain how incredibly powerful One for All at full power is.
Toshinori rises up and heads over the window to look outside. "It won't be long. Soon, I'm going to have to hang up my cape and retire."
"Retire?" Ruby asked. All Might…retiring? Those aren't words that go together when thinking about the Symbol of Peace, even after learning the truth.
"As I said earlier, about the Sports Festival, everyone will be watching the event and it's not just the whole country. The entire world will be watching." Toshinori turns around to face the kids. "This was the main reason why I called you in here. Izuku Midoriya…the fledgling Symbol of Peace…the next All Might! I want you shout to the world 'I am here!'"
Ozpin smiled as he took a sip of his mug. "Ever theatrical."
"…I am…here?" Izuku echoed slowly.
"All Might's catchphrase?" Ruby wondered.
Toshinori sits back down next to Ozpin. "You two remember how the Sports Festival goes, right?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I do! The support, business, general studies, and hero courses come together and compete through preliminary games of different types by class year. The students who make it through face off in the finals and the last one is declared the winner.
"Correct, Ruby!" Toshinori exclaimed before pointing at Izuku. "In other words, Young Midoriya, you're going to have to sell yourself out there if you want to make it big!"
"…I guess," was Izuku's response.
Not a second later when Ozpin gets up on his feet before Toshinori flips over the sofa with a blood spurting cough.
"Uncle Toshi?!"
"Ah! Sorry! I mean, what you say is absolutely correct! But honestly, it's kind of hard to get completely into it right after what just happened…" Izuku rambled. "Besides, All Might is already teaching me, so I'm not as motivated to stand out at the sports festival…" Ruby stared at him with a mix of perplexed and perturbed. All the while, Toshinori was still down with the flip backed sofa, motionless as Izuku muttered. "In the first place, I don't think I can stand out in my current state, and I did terribly in the fitness tests and I still don't have a good grasp of One for All yet…"
"Nobody can spout nonsense better than you, kid. Well, Ruby maybe…" Toshinori said.
"Nonsense?" Izuku questioned as he looked over his mentor.
Ruby looks over too. "Hey, are you okay?"
Toshinori looks over at the two. "Those who are always aiming for the top, and those who aren't. That slight difference in attitudes will have a big impact once you go out into society." Ruby tilted her head at that. What did he mean?
"Do you need a hand?" Ozpin asked neutrally, not in the least bit frazzled by what had happened moments ago.
"Huh? Oh, sure!"
Izuku stood silently, still processing what Toshinori said. The man noticed this as he and Ozpin and put the sofa up right and sighs.
"I understand how you feel, and this is more for me than for you. I won't force you. However, I hope you won't forget how you felt back at the beach park. That amazing drive you had."
Of course, Izuku remembered. He was so determined to get into UA, he went to the beach very early in the morning on the day of the exam. Despite the time crunch, he did it. He cleared the beach.
And he felt so proud of himself.
Ruby darts her eyes back and forth at Izuku and Toshinori. "…Sooo, no pressure?"
"Thank you for having us," Ruby said as she and Izuku walked out of the teacher's lounge.
"You're welcome," Ozpin said. He stood while Toshinori remained sitting, looking downwards. "You two better hurry to class now. Your afternoon classes may be cut short for the day, but it would be unwise to not attend."
"Yessir!" Ruby looks over at Toshinori. "See you later, Uncle Toshi?"
Toshinori finally looks over, his blue eyes hidden from view. "…Of course."
Ruby closes the door and looks at Izuku, who was staring at his hands.
"I didn't realize there was so much pressure on this," Izuku thought, curling his fingers a little. "Can I do it? Do I have what it takes?"
"Midoriya?" Ruby spoke up.
Izuku looks at her. "Hm?"
"Whatever happens, I've got your back!" she smiled.
Izuku smiled back. "Thanks, Rose."
Ozpin stood quietly as he heard them walking away. Once their footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, he turned to Toshinori.
"That was quite the heavy load you've put on Midoriya," Ozpin commented.
"Despite the glitz and glamor, the hero world is a cutthroat place. You know it just as well as I do. If not more," Toshinori said.
"Hm…Well, at least he isn't alone in this."
"…Yeah…"
1-A Classroom
Because of current events, hero classes are cut short for the day, so Class 1-A prepared to leave, either to head home or train for the Sports Festival. However, before they could step out of their classroom, the doorway was blocked by students from other classes.
"Um, what's going on?" Ochako asked.
"Hey, you guys are blocking our way!" Mineta exclaimed.
Bakugo sauntered by. "They're here to scope out the competition." The students backed up when he got close. "We've got a reputation because we survived a villain attack. There's no point in doing stuff like that. Out of our way, extras."
"What the what, Bakugo?!" Ruby cried.
"Is that necessary?!" Jaune shouted.
"You can't call people 'extras' just because you don't know who they are!" exclaimed Tenya, moving his arm in a chopping move frantically.
"I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant," a purple hair young man emerged from the crowd. He looked tired, almost like Aizawa. "Are all the students in the hero course like this?" Jaune, Tenya, Ochako, Ruby, and Izuku shook their heads rapidly. Bakugo, though, remained stoic. "Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned. There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?"
"Did he attempt to get into the hero course? What's his Quirk?" Ruby wondered.
"And interestingly enough," the lavender haired teen continued. "…this year's hero bunch got increased, and yet we still didn't get a chance."
"What are you trying to say?" Bakugo challenged, getting aggravated from all the talking.
The guy grinned. "Luckily, there is a chance for those who still haven't made the cut. Depending on the results of the sports festival, people in the higher ups may consider our transfer to the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out." Izuku and Ruby gasped. "Scoping the competition? These guys maybe. I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."
Nearly everyone in Class 1-A thought the same thing. "What's up with this guy?"
"Hey, 1-A!" another unknown male pops up from the crowd, hair colored a light gray. "I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear about it! Don't get full of yourself or else you'll get pummeled!"
"Another crazy guy!"
Then, a young woman moved from the crowd and stood in front of them, in front of the purple haired student. "Everyone! Please, calm down! We really shouldn't be treating each other like this!" she pleaded urgently.
Ruby feels that she sees her somewhere. "Is that…" Short and curled ginger hair, bright green eyes, freckles on her face, and a bow nestled askew behind her head.
'I am Penny Polendina!'
"That girl…from the entrance exam!"
Another student joins Penny, this time a young man with bright blonde hair and a monkey tail in the same color. "Yeah, guys! Cool it! At least save it for the tournament!" Bakugo starts to walk away. "Huh?"
"Wait a minute, Bakugou! Shouldn't you say something? It's your fault that everyone is hating on us now!" Kirishima said.
"Like it matters in the long run," Bakugo said.
"What?"
"It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top," Bakugo said before walking down the hall.
"Hey! Hey! Don't ignore me!" the light gray haired young man shouted.
"Tetsutetsu, behave!" Penny scolded.
"Ngh, yes ma'am…"
Monkey boy looks at the crowd. "You guys should leave too. Shows over. Come on! Get going! Shoo!"
Weiss sighs.
"What's the matter, Schnee?" Tsuyu asked.
"I hate to say it, but Bakugo is right," Weiss admitted. "We shouldn't worry how people feel about us and what they are saying. It would only hinder our progress."
"I mean, yeah, but it's because of Bakugo that everyone hates our guts!" Kaminari said, visibly worried.
Mineta bounces up. "Yeah! Now everyone's out for blood! Our blood!"
"Um." Penny stood before Class 1-A and bowed. "I would like to apologize for everyone bothering you guys."
"Oh, no. It's okay. Thanks for sticking up for us though," Ochako thanked.
"Of course. That's what heroes do after all, right?" Penny said.
"Are you in the hero course too?"
Penny nodded. "Mmm-hmm. My name is Penny Polendina! I'm from 1-B. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Hey! I'm Ochako Uraraka."
"Izuku Midoriya."
"Weiss Schnee."
"I'm Minoru Mineta!"
Penny smiled politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"You've already said that, Polendina," Monkey boy pointed out.
Penny blinked. "Oh! So, I did. I'm so happy you guys are okay after the villain attack. Especially you three: Kirishima, Rose, and Tenya."
"You remember me?" Kirishima asked.
"Of course. I try to remember every friendly face I come across," Penny said. She looks over at Ruby. "Same can be said to you too, Rose."
"Oh. Well, thanks!" Ruby thanked.
"Yeah!" Kirishima said.
"Wait a minute. You've met Iida before?" Ruby asked.
"Why, yes. He and I went to the same middle school, Somei Academy!" Penny revealed. Izuku thought back on the day of the entrance exam. After the written test, Hizashi Yamada, also known as the Voice Hero: Present Mic, was giving a speech. During said speech, Tenya made a bold move when he thought there was an error. And Penny was there with him. If Izuku had recalled correctly, the pair were wearing similar uniforms.
"She's right. I'm happy to see you once more, Polendina!" Tenya smiled, hold up a straightened arm and hand.
Penny mimics the move. "And I you, Tenya!"
"Is it just me or are those two a lot alike?" Sero observed.
"I wonder if all of Somei's students are like this," Satou pondered.
A Class 1-A goes to exit the classroom, the monkey boy walks over to Ruby. "Hey, the name's Sun Wukong. You're Ruby Rose, right?"
"Um, yeah. That's me. Why?"
Before Sun could answer, a blue-haired young man with goggles appeared behind him, grabbing him by the shoulders.
"Come on, Sun. We have to go."
"Okay, okay. Geez! Later, 1-A! Talk to ya later, Rose!" Sun said before following his friend and leaving Ruby confused.
As they begin to walk away, Blue-Hair winks at Weiss, who blushes in response.
"I know that soon we will be up against each other, I still want to wish everyone good luck at the Sports Festival," Penny said. "Have a fantastic day, 1-A!" She leaves.
Kaminari sighs. "Finally, someone who doesn't hate our guts."
"And pretty cute to boot!" Mineta gushed.
Izuku stood silently, still pondering over what that purple haired guy said earlier. It made Izuku have flashbacks of the Quirk Apprehension Test just earlier this week. And that same dread threatened to seep over his body.
Ruby looks at him, noticing his distress. Just earlier that day, Ruby wasn't at all interested in the event, but now...her - and everyone else's - position in the hero course is being threatened again. She gives him a determined look and holds up a fist. Izuku looked at it before looking at Ruby.
"Let's do our best!" she declared.
Izuku smiled and nodded. "Yeah!"
They bump their fists.
Next Chapter: Brace Yourself
"I'm fine! Totally fine!"
"From this point on, we are rivals!"
"Sometimes, I wonder if I'm still worthy of it…"
"Re…inspired?"
"Still…it seems rather…impractical."
I'm debating whether to make Penny either 1-B's class rep or vice rep. What do you guys think? I know that Kendo is 1-B's canon class rep, but I don't remember the vice rep well. I just know it's the chubby one who later got brainwashed by Shinsou during the Cavalry Battle. In fact, I don't remember half of 1-B well. Of course, I'm aware Kendo (doi), Awase, Tetsutetsu, Ibara, and Monoma (kinda hard to forget him). So…should I make her class rep or vice rep?