CHAPTER 10: THERE'S A STORM COMING…

My POV

"HIYAH!" Fists collided as I squared off against Kendo. Her small smile was not lost on me as we threw punch after punch at each other, trying to land a meaningful hit as we kept a conversation, blocking and talking.

"So your teacher- oof, threatened to expel you to- ugh, push you to your limits? Sounds harsh."

She threw a right hook, which I deflected and responded to with a backwards kick. She blocked and tried to flip me over, which I used to fall into a handspring and leap back at her for a fist aimed at her jaw.

"Yeah. It sounds like- hup, the worst your teacher- kya, did was act scary."

After a few more attempted attacks, we backed off, each of us allowing the other to catch our breath. Kendo smiled wider.

"Perhaps, but he was a lot scarier. Have you ever met Vlad King in person? I can guarantee he'll frighten you."

I cocked my head, raising a brow at her statement. "Really? He sounds like a louder, more focused version of my mom. Intensity is something I have experience with."

"I'll hold you to that when you meet Mr. Vlad King. Still, it sucks that we weren't placed in the same class. Instead of you, I got an old… acquaintance. Neito Monoma."

Something about the way she said that didn't sound like she was on friendly terms with him. Good. That means I'll feel no remorse when I pound him into the ground in the Sports Festival. "This was the guy you wanted to employ my pranking services for, I presume?"

She nodded. "You bet. I try to at least be fair with him, but he's so irritating. He's even harassed me outside of class a couple of times, but nothing beyond that."

I held up a finger, a grin playing across my face. "I think I may have an idea."

Walking over to my backpack where it lay against a tree, I rummaged through before I pulled out a blue notebook with the words "Prank Plans and Other Miscellaneous Mischief" scrawled on the front cover. Opening it, I began to flip through as I motioned for Kendo to come over. The red-haired brawler peered over my shoulder at the book's filled pages.

It was time for the planning phase to begin.

The Next Day…

Deku and I were walking towards the gates when we saw something unusual. A large crowd of reporters stood in front of UA, attempting to grill any student that walked by. Deku turned to look at me.

"Why are there reporters at school? Did something happen?"

"I can tell you exactly what happened. All Might became a teacher here." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. I never trusted the media prior to my first death, and it seems in this world they're still overly nosy.

The green-haired boy scratched his head. "I guess it makes some level of sense, but why now? Why wouldn't they show up at school the day it was announced?"

I put a finger and thumb to my chin. "Who's to say they didn't? want to? Maybe they were spending a little while collaborating their schedules to all come out at once? Maybe they were waiting for disgruntled students to grill? Who knows?"

As we continued to the gate, one of the reporters rushed up to us. "Hey! You there! Are you students in All Might's class?"

Deku got a little flustered, not used to being the target of a reporter. "Well, um, I-"

"Keep moving buddy, nothing to see but vultures out here." I grabbed his shoulders and began pushing him towards the gate, much to the reporters dismay.

"Wait a sec, aren't you the sludge villain kid?" I froze for a moment, my fingers playing a mismatched rhythm on Deku's shoulders as I continued to push, just a little bit mad at them bringing it up again. Just keep going, just ignore them, leave them to people like Aoyama.

After we got close enough to the doors, I stopped and walked beside him. The green-haired boy raised a brow at me.

"I haven't seen you act like that before, Kacchan."

"I haven't been spoken to by a reporter before. But I have seen what they do and act like. Nosy bunch."

"Fair enough. Still, you could have handled that better."

"Fair enough." We reached the classroom and took our seats. After everyone else showed up, Mr Aizawa entered, giving his standard bored greeting.

"Good morning class. Before we get started today, we need to take care of something that will decide your future."

Okay, I get that picking a class rep here is important, but is it really a 'decide the future' type of deal? I mean, Iida does lead the class when Mr. Aizawa isn't there reasonably well, which does show some leadership skills… I think I just answered my own question.

I wouldn't say no to the position, but I saw just about everyone in the class jump at the opportunity.

"Pick me guys! I wanna be class rep!"

"Nah, it should be me!"

"I'm totally the right pick!"

"Everyone settle down!" Iida brought the outbursts to a screech halt, as he tends to do, and began to try and sort things out.

"The class representative's duty is to lead others. That's not something just anyone can do. You must first have the trust of every student in the classroom. Therefore, the most logical way to fill this position is democratically. We will hold an election to choose our leader!"

Kaminari laughed. "It's pretty obvious you want us to vote for you."

Asui, ever the blunt one, laid bare the weakness of this approach. "Is this really the best idea? We've only known each other a few days, how do we know who we can trust? Besides, everyone'll just vote for themselves."

The speedster had but a sliver of doubt cross his face before his resolve tightened. "Most people will. But that means whoever does receive multiple votes must truly be the most suitable person for the job!"

Both sides make valid points… hmm… I raised my hand.

"What if we made a rule that no one could vote for themselves? That way, we would have to see who we could trust besides ourselves."

The blue-haired Engine-user chopped his arms robotically, a smile on his face. "A well-conceived rule, Bakugo. If there are no objections, we can start the election!"

Aizawa slowly zipped up his sleeping bag, resembling an apathetic cocoon.

"Do what you want, just decide before my nap's over."

And so, the votes were cast.

Midoriya: 8 votes

Yaoyorozu: 7 votes

Bakugo: 4 votes

Iida: 1 vote

I raised a brow. How did I get four votes? Probably Deku, but then… Kirishima and Sero? Maybe. But who was my final voter? I dunno. All I know is I was the only one who voted for Iida. It seems like more people trusted Deku than I thought. Or at least tentatively trusted him. As I speculated, my best friend walked up to the front of the room as Aizawa conveniently woke up from his nap.

"All right, Midoriya is Class Representative. Now, on to this morning's lesson…"

A few hours later...

SLAM! My head made contact with my desk as the bell rang. Class may be important, and I was absorbing it, but it was so boring.

I dragged myself to my feet, walking in the direction of the cafeteria, my stomach growling at me. After I got there and got my food, I took a seat with Deku, Uraraka, and Iida.

"It's always so crowded in here." The zero-gravity user was glancing around, looking at all the students in the crowded cafeteria.

The blue-haired boy followed Uraraks's gaze momentarily before settling on the girl herself. "That's because students from general studies, the support course, and the business course all use the same cafeteria. For as big of a budget as the school seems to have, spending it on multiple cafeterias does not seem high up on their list of priorities, not that they would need another."

She nodded before digging into her food. "Mm, this rice is delicious."

I looked over at Deku, who had been oddly quiet through this whole exchange, not touching a bite of his katsudon.

"Hey Deku, you okay? Usually, you eat pretty fast. The class rep thing got you worried?"

He looked over, his expression confirming my suspicions. "Yeah. I'm worried, and I don't think I'm qualified."

Iida spoke up. "You'll be great. Your courage and quick thinking under stress make you a worthy leader. Not to mention the strength that you demonstrated. That's why I voted for you at least."

Deku's head swiveled as if on a hinge. He wasn't used to anyone aside from me or his mom saying anything positive about him. "You were one of the eight?"

Uraraka turned to Iida as well. "Didn't you want the job too, Iida? I mean, you do look the part 'cause of your glasses."

My forehead made contact with the table for the second time that day. "That's not really how we should be choosing our rep."

The speedster gained a semi-solemn look. "Wanting a job and being suited for it are two very different things. Watching the Iida family run their Hero Agency has taught me that much."

Time to play along. "Your family has an agency… and that armour of yours, isn't that familiar, Deku? I could swear I've seen it before."

The green-haired boy's brow furrowed for a moment before he snapped his fingers. "The hero Ingenium! That's who your armor reminds me of. Does he work at your agency?"

Iida smiled. "You're a sharp observer, Midoriya. And yes, he does work there, but he's far more than that. He also happens to be my older brother. I strive to be just like him."

I smiled. I had a brother too, a younger one. He and I weren't always the closest, but we cared for each other. Iida and Tensei seemed to be a lot closer from what I remembered. "Well, if you're anything like Ingenium, you would make a fine leader. You're decisive, quick on the draw, and intelligent. Not to mention you took charge, and everyone at least considered what you said. That was why I voted for you."

Everyone at the table seemed to do a double take at me as I took a sip of water. Deku was the first to say anything. "You were the only vote for Iida? I didn't really expect that."

Uraraka piped up next. "Yeah. I thought you would vote for Deku, with him being your best friend and all."

"Yeah, I totally considered that. But after a second or two, I got to thinking. You do possess many good qualities for a leader, but there's also personality to consider. You're generally timid, which is a poor trait for a leader. You also freak out easily."

The green-haired boy shot me a look. "Do you have to be so… honest? Feel free to dial it back a little."

"Hey, you wanted to kno-"

*BBRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNG* An alarm bell sounded, causing everyone to look around in confusion. What was going on?...oh, crap.

I forgot about this. This is the league's first appearance, though almost no one knew it yet. They let the media into the campus to either gather intel… or rendezvous with the traitor, whoever that is. Being perfectly honest, I think it's-

"Alert! Level 3 security breach!"

I turned to face the others. "I've heard about this. That means that the school's barriers have been passed. I have no idea how, but they have been."

Iida stood quickly, his arms chopping. "We must proceed to our classroom! If Villains have infiltrated the campus, that means we are all in danger."

It seems that everyone else had a similar idea as we were carried with the forming mob of students into the packed hallway.

"Yikes, what a mob!" Uraraka struggled to remain close with the mob pushing every which way.

"A prompt reaction! I would expect nothing less from UA students!" How was this guy still praising this place even when I can see him standing at a 45 degree angle thanks to not having a solid enough footing? Really, it's amazing.

And Deku was being absolutely tossed around, bumped by everyone who passed by and being tossed around like a pebble in a rockslide. He didn't move far from his spot though, trying to establish what was going on, but not having much luck.

I wasn't faring much better, packed in on all sides as everyone was moving towards a destination like a river of bodies. It was like moving against the current of a river too, and I was flailing like a drowning swimmer to stick close. Gotta get to the window…

Iida got there first though, and he saw what was happening. The only thing I could see from my perspective however was a tree in the way.

"Iida! What do you see?!"

The bluenette turned to me. "It's not Villains at all! It's the media!"

I turned to Uraraka. "Yo! Uraraka! Use your Quirk on me!"

She nodded. I know this should be Iida's moment, but quite frankly I was closer and would be able to end this far sooner. And with the Dimensional Barrier crack, who knows if someone could get seriously injured here? I can't take that risk. She touched my hand, causing me to float.

"Thanks!" With that, I hovered over everyone's heads. I grimaced. Time to repeat an accident.

*BOOM!* "YAAAAAAAAAH!" *CRASH* I blasted off and rocketed down the hall, stopping as I crashed into the wall over the door, vaguely resembling Wile E. Coyote. I turned to face everyone else… okay, it seems like I have everyone's attention.

"Calm down and listen up, all of you! There aren't any villains, it's just the media! There is precisely nothing to be worried about! We're UA students, for pity's sake, we should remain calm no matter what happens!"

The halls quieted down as everyone stopped moving and calmed down. That got everyone to settle down? Huh… and here I thought I was laying it on a bit thick at the end.

As the hallway cleared, everyone going back to their rooms, I realized something. I wasn't grabbing anything and was still under the influence of-

*FLOP*

…Uraraka's Quirk. Ow…

Picking myself up, I shook my head to clear it as my friends walked up.

"Sorry! I thought you were ready to land." The brunette had a worried look on her face.

"Thanks, I'm okay. for the assist, but next time please make sure I- wait, what time is it?"

Iida checked his watch. "About 12:30. Why do you ask?"

My eyes widened. I was a little bit late. "I was gonna meet Kendo. She requires my services for something."

Deku cocked his head. "What kind of services? Are you going to prank someone again?"

The other two raised a brow at me. I coughed and turned in the direction of the entry lockers. "You'll see. I'll catch up with you guys just before class."

Deku POV

With that, Kacchan took off towards the entry. Kendo requested him? Hm…

"I do remember him saying that Kendo has an acquaintance she wanted him to prank in the future. Maybe he goes here too."

Iida continued to look confused. "Bakugo plays pranks on people? That's not a very heroic thing to do."

I held up my hands, trying to diffuse whatever he had planned. "It's not like that. Kacchan usually only pranks me and my mom or his parents. He usually saves the really complex pranks for people who have harassed or wronged others. He had it out for an old bully of mine until said bully stopped bugging me one day."

Iida smiled a little bit. "I see. He's not childish, but smart in how he handles things. This hallway situation was a good example."

I frowned at the memory. There were bandages on his left wing that day, and he seemed to be scared of getting near me all of a sudden. Kacchan wouldn't injure him like that, but who caused that wound?

"Midoriya?"

I was shaken out of my reverie by the speedster. The bluenette was chopping the air. "Come on, we must finish our food and keep our strength up if we are to excel as heroes in training!"

Uraraka chose this moment to interject. "Laying it on a bit thick, eh Iida?"

I nodded nonetheless. "You're right. Let's finish up."

Some time later…

"Well class rep, time to get started." Yaoyorozu had a look that was all business as she stood beside me. I began trembling a little, solidifying my opinion that I wasn't the best choice for class rep.

"Y-yes, the first order of business… would be deciding who the other class officers are, but first, I have something I want to say."

The creator on my left showed a hint of surprise as I steeled what courage I could muster. "I've given it a lot of thought, and I think Katsuki Bakugo should be our class rep!"

Now it was everyone else's turn to look surprised. Iida raised a hand. "Are you certain about this? There is a possibility that you may be swayed by your bond with him."

I averted my eyes upon seeing everyone else's turn to me. "That may be a small piece, but during the press breakin, Kacchan was decisive, and calmed everyone down enough to get organized. So, I think he would make a better leader for our class from now on."

I looked over at Kacchan to see his jaw on his desk. I couldn't help but raise a brow at how utterly flabbergasted he looked. He hadn't been surprised by far more than this, why was this such a shocking moment for him?

"Yeah, y'know what? He manned up and took charge, right?" Kirishima grinned, full of confidence.

"Did you see how he crashed into the wall? He looked like one of those old American cartoons." Kaminari was smiling right back.

Mr. Aizawa glared from his spot in the corner. "I don't care who the class rep is, just decide quickly."

I heard Kacchan quietly mutter "thank you Mr. Personality" from his desk before he stood. "I would be honoured to accept this position. I'll do my best!"

My POV (Some time later…)

Standing in the entry lockers as I held a string, I have to admit, I never thought that event would be that crucial to the decision of class rep. I mean, I'm going to do my best, but what about when the League of Villains comes for me? The League… do they know about my other Quirk? When they broke in and stole the plans for the USJ trip, they didn't steal any Quirk data, as evidenced by the lack of knowledge in the attack proper.

"Hey, Kacchan!" I turned to see Deku jogging up, an awkward expression on his face.

"Sorry for springing that on you, I just figured you should find out at the same time as everyone else. That, and you probably would have tried to talk me out of it."

I gave him a sideways glance. "I'll be as good a class rep as I can, but still, you could have given me some form of warning."

"Fair enough… uh, why are you holding a string?"

"You'll see."

*SPLASH!* A scream came from the other side of the lockers. Deku jumped as I lazily walked to the edge of the lockers and peered around the row.

There was a boy about our age there, looking horrified as he dripped with water. He lay on his back, seeming to have tripped over the bench in the center. I recognized him the minute he spoke.

"What is this?! What is this stupid and childish prank? Well, you got me whoever-it-is, come out now!"

Neito Monoma… even now, I just want to punch him.

My best friend tapped me on the shoulder. "He's kinda right. Water on a tripwire? That's kinda lowbrow for you."

I waved him off. "Wait for it, this is gonna get interesting."

The blonde struggled to get up, barely propping himself upright before I released the string. On the end was three plastic orbs in a small net bag. The improvised explosives hit the ground, going up in a burst of black powder.

Deku raised a brow as he sniffed the air. "Is that- ACHOO!"

"Yup." Pepper. I had to come up with some way to differentiate my bombs and create a cover story for Oracle, so this seemed a good substitute.

Monoma staggered out, coughing and sputtering as I casually walked away. Deku followed me, looking back every now and again.

"That was pretty harsh, Kacchan. Why did you decide on that prank?"

I whipped out my notebook and flipped to the page. "I choose my vengeful pranks depending on the severity of the offense. In this case, Kendo was being annoyed by him for her entire middle school career."

"Career?"

"Not the point. The point is, he's a consistent mid-to-major annoyance, so he gets the appropriate prank. Let the punishment fit the crime."

The green-haired boy scratched his head, puzzling it out. "I'm not sure that's what that phrase means. Regardless, I do see your point."

My phone buzzed. I looked down to see a text from the customer who ordered my prank.

"Well executed. I won't be asking for your help in this department for quite a while, I think he got the point very well."

Well, I guess even Kendo has her days where she's feeling vengeful. Maybe she'll use this to make a point to him.

"Gotcha. The janitor likely won't have fun with the fallout, but that aside, I enjoyed seeing the reaction to that one. It's good to see him on the receiving end of irritation, as opposed to what you told me about him."

Deku shook his head and chuckled to himself. "You're a very strange person, Kacchan. At the same time, you'll make a great leader."

I nodded back. "Thank you. I hope I can do my best."

? POV

I looked at the fluid tank and back at the tablet in my hand. There just needed to be a few more adjustments before it was ready to be put in storage. The objects within seemed to stare back.

There were still upgrades that needed to be made, and I needed some technology from I-Island before I could complete this project.

I looked between the tank and the tablet again before exiting the small room and entering the main room of my little hideaway. Once we got ahold of Subject Lamda, Project Keeper would be complete. My master could rule the world.

"Change, change, O form of man…"

Cut! That's a wrap! It's a shorter chapter, but the next chapter or two are going to be a break from canon for a bit before I get into the USJ arc. I finally saw the MHA movies, and I already have ideas for how to incorporate the first movie into the story. As I understand it, the first movie is canon, at least to the anime. Regardless, what do you guys think? Let me know via PM or with a review. I read each and every one, and enjoy hearing from you guys.

See you next time!