The newly elected Vice President of 1-B walked along with her fellow class reps, President Momo and Treasurer Toru. Kyoko Jiro had no desire to assume any leadership role, but today had proven it did not care what she wanted. It had started with hope, but it was turned to ash in her mouth when "The Brawl in Lunch Hall" occurred except for the newly elected class reps, which was decided by Shoto simply walking out, leaving the three remaining students to fill the three roles. Kyoko had won the vice president seat via a best of 3 paper rock scissors contest with Toru. Well, the position was hers until Mr. Aizawa expelled her, at the very least. As the trio made their way outside, she was surprised to see one Izuku Midoriya sitting on a bench waiting.
As he saw a group of three individuals walking out, he smiled warmly and approached them. "Hi Kyoka, are you still interested in training?"
Kyoka was taken aback; she had thought for sure that after the bullshit that Bakugo had pulled, there was one: no way he would still want to train her; two: he would most definitely be suspended.
"Aren't you suspended?" she asked.
"I am," he said with a smirk. "I live on campus, so they can't kick me off campus, and I read my suspension very carefully. There is nothing in there that says I can't work out."
"You still are willing to help?"
"You didn't attack me or any of my classmates. Why wouldn't I? If it's because you share a class with Bakugo, that isn't your fault. Why punish you for him being a douche nozzle."
"Then yes, if you are still willing to help me, I accept." She said with a smile.
"Me too!" Toru added with a fist pump.
Momo looked over the boy at the center of the controversy, "If it is not too much to ask would you mind if I joined my classmates in this training you speak of?"
"Sure thing, let's head to the gym Pony, and Hiryu is waiting for us."
-2 hours later-
Izuku stood, taking a drink off his water bottle, looking down at his classmates and the girls from 1-A.
"I guess this is a good place to stop, then?" he said, rubbing his head.
Kyoka raised her hand, "Um, yes, Kyoka?"
"Are you the devil-made flesh?"
He chuckled heartily, "Not that I am aware of."
"Are you sure you don't have a quirk?" Toru asked as she tried to sit up before collapsing back down.
"Positive."
Hiryu shivered shakily, "Izuku, how are you still standing?"
"I would normally still have another hour or two, but I may have pushed you all a little far today." He said sheepishly.
"Please forgive what I am about to say, as I am sure that my opinion may be different later, but I hate you right now," Momo said as she managed to sit up. "Thank you for taking time for us today, but I will drag myself to the showers and then call for my ride. Kyoka, Toru, I would be more than happy to drop you off at home as I fear you are attempting to go home in your current state."
"Momo, I accept this," Kyoka said, struggling to her feet. Toru is following suit.
"If you do not carry me to my room Izuku I will cry," Pony said.
Izuku smiled. "It would be my honor, Pony. Kyoka, Toru, I will see you at 6 am." He scooped up Pony's bridal style, who let out an eep before turning bright red as he carried her out.
As the girls of 1-A watched the scene admiring the ease with which Izuku picked up his classmate, they looked at Hiryu. "Thank you for not holding ill will towards us and taking your time to help train us," Momo said.
Hiryu smiled. "Izuku is my friend; if he still trusts you, that is good enough for me. See you guys later." He stumbled off.
After being pushed to their limits by the boy from class 1-B, who effortlessly carried his classmate out of the gym, the girls of 1-A headed to the locker rooms. They couldn't help but think about the strange boy and his incredible strength. Despite being quirkless, his determination had propelled him to another level. This realization inspired the girls to work even harder and strive towards reaching their potential.
-Pony-
As Izuku held her, Pony's face turned bright red. She had joked about him taking her to her dorm, but as they walked, she began to have doubts. Despite her worries, she couldn't help but relish being in his arms, feeling his firm muscles beneath his compression shirt and enjoying his scent. However, she suddenly became self-conscious about her post-workout smell and feared he had noticed it too. Halfway there, she mustered the courage to ask, "Izuku, do you mind if I ride on your back instead? I'm a bit embarrassed walking like this, and I'm sure I smell terrible."
"It's completely up to you, and I'm fine with either option. And please don't worry about your scent; you smell perfectly fine," he replied with a warm smile, meeting her gaze. He carefully helped her back onto her feet, then knelt before her so she could hug him from behind. "I hope I don't smell too bad either," he chuckled.
Pony was thankful for her new position to hide her face better. "It is fine, Izuku,"
He carried her as promised to her door, setting her down gently. Pony had managed to regain her composure over the remainder of the trip. She rested her head against his shoulder, trying to ignore the feeling of his hand on her thighs and her heart pounding. "Make sure you stretch out so your muscles don't cramp up."
"I will thank you, Izuku," she replied as she opened the door and stepped across the threshold.
"Pony?"
She turned to meet his gaze, it was warm, and she noticed his eyes were slightly moist.
"I just wanted to express my gratitude for your actions in today's lunchroom. Meeting you, Hiryu and the rest of the class has been a significant support source for someone who has struggled to make friends. I genuinely appreciate your kindness and willingness to have my back. Please know that I am here to reciprocate that support in any way possible. Thank you again." He bowed to her, his head low.
As she touched his shoulder, Pony reassured him, "You don't have to thank me. We're friends, and that's what friends do." As he looked up, a radiant smile spread across his face, momentarily erasing all the fatigue and soreness from the workout. Pony briefly embraced him and affirmed, "I'll always be here for you." After backing away, she noticed a faint blush on his cheeks and bid him goodnight before slowly closing the door. Hearing his gentle reply of goodnight, she couldn't help but smile even more expansively.
-Morning-
Izuku stood patiently outside the gym, waiting for anyone to join him. He was engrossed in a small notepad, trying to figure out if he could afford a cell phone with his stipend. He didn't have many expenses, and he didn't go out much, but he liked the idea of being able to text people. Monoma and Reiko had asked for his number earlier, which made him sad. While he wanted to become a hero, he also wanted to experience life. It seemed like he could afford a phone if he made the right choice, but he needed to figure out what kind to get. Hearing his name being called, he smiled as he saw Kyoka, Toru, and Momo walking up, a little sore still from what he could tell from their gait.
He slipped his notepad into his back pocket and gave a friendly wave.
"What were you working on there?" Kyoka asked as they got closer.
"I was seeing if I could afford a cell phone," he responded. "I think I can, but I have no idea which one to buy."
"You never had a cell phone?" Toru asked.
"I have never been able to afford one. My guardian wasn't financially stable and didn't believe in them. After his demise, I had to live in a shelter and couldn't afford one. However, now that I reside in the dorms and receive a stipend, I am considering getting one." Unbeknownst to him, Kyoka and Momo exchanged glances upon hearing his story.
Momo stepped forward, "I am sure that I can speak for my friends here. When I say that we wouldn't mind accompanying you to get one, we can offer our advice, say maybe this Friday?"
"Thank you all. I would greatly appreciate it; let's get to our workout. I promise to go easy on you three as you have class today." He flashed a smile that was meant to be reassuring, but instead, the three saw it as a spider that had just caught some flies.
-Class 1AB?-
After the girls finished their workout much lighter than yesterday afternoon, they were still sore, but it was manageable. They went to class only to find a note directing them to report to class 1-B. They entered the class to find Shoto already there, looking slightly more interested than usual, and the three members of 1-B had not been suspended. The girl with vines for hair stood and walked over to them, giving a small smile.
"Greetings 1-A, my name is Ibara, that is Yui and Manga." She said as she pointed to her other classmates. "Welcome to our class."
Momo smiled as it seemed the girl was doing her best to be welcoming after the brawl yesterday; since these three were here, she could deduce that they had not participated in the fight.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ibara, I am Momo, and this is Kyoka and Toru. Thank you for having us."
Kyoko supplied "Sup" and Toru with a cheerful "hello." Yui waved, and Manga provided a "Welcome" from his quirk. The girls took seats, and thankfully they didn't have to wait long as the door opened, and in walked Vlad.
"Welcome 1-A, and good morning, my students," he paused as a good morning. Sensei rang and called back to him.
"Due to yesterday's incident and the resulting suspensions, we have made some temporary changes. As we have combined classes, you will be in my class for the next two days. Your classmates will return on Friday. Today, 1-A's heroics class will be held with 1-B. Friday's special heroics class has been rescheduled. As for 1-B, we were supposed to hold an election today for class representatives, but since the rest of your classmates are suspended, the decision is up to you. The three of you can take on the roles, or you can wait for your classmates to return." The teacher observed as the three students gathered, and Ibara eventually stood up to decide.
"Sir, we all agree that we would love to be appointed as class representatives, but doing so without the rest of our classmates present would not be right. We want to wait for them to return, though we know this may remove our chances of obtaining the positions."
"Very well, today we will begin with World History, followed by Quirk History and Heroic Law. Open your texts to page 22 so we can begin."
The combined class was rather pleasant with a smaller class size. Those that needed assistance or clarification could receive it; they even sat lunch together; Shoto even sat with them but seemed slightly sad that another brawl didn't erupt. Though the group got many looks from other classes.
Things took an unexpected turn during the Heroics class when All-Might entered the room. Instead of the planned Two on Two battles, the teams were tasked with chasing down a group of villains throughout the cityscape testing ground. The villains had stolen top-secret information and were attempting to flee the city. All-Might provided coaching on pursuit and apprehension tactics as the teams rotated after each villain was captured or escaped. Despite encountering challenges, the exercise proved to be a successful team-building experience. Shoto struggled initially but eventually recognized the importance of communication within the team. All-Might's guidance and demonstration of his actions' consequences helped Shoto understand the importance of listening and working together.
All-Might was nearly at a loss when Toru took the "Top Secret" info wrapped in plastic, hid it in her mouth, and escaped. Or when Momo bribed Manga and Kyoka to switch to her side and escort her to the exit. The explanation that Momo then gave All-Might was that she had falsified the info showing that she was trying to expose corruption at the highest level, including that All-Might was attempting to take over the country as part of a global conspiracy. She created a small paintball pistol to drive it home and "killed" Manga and Kyoka right before she escaped. All-Might shivered at the girl's ruthlessness but admired her outside-the-box thinking.
All-Might also took the time to send Toru and Momo to the support department so they could begin building better Superhero outfits. Momo was exposed to too much skin and had little protection, and Toru ran around in gloves and shoes. He told the girls about Geno fabric, created using a person's hair, which would function with their quirks. The girls ran off excitedly with their permission slips.
He deflated and reviewed the student files as he returned to his office. He needed to find a successor. His time was running out. He could exclude Shoto because the boy was dealing with internal issues; he made a note in the file and sent a message to Hound Dog about counseling.
Momo, Kyoka, Toru, Manga, Ibara and Yui. They were all still worth considering Momo's quirk would be excellent for the versatility and the boost it would receive from One for All.
Toru's stealth and strength would make a potent combo, but the lack of visibility would make it hard for her to be a symbol for the masses.
Ibara's quirk was good, but her steadfast adherence to her faith could cause issues.
Yui had a good quirk but was too quiet.
Manga quirk would be interesting to see how it would interact, and he had the proper attitude.
Kyoka had a solid quirk, not very offensive but excellent for recon; if One for All were incorporated, she could be a force to be reckoned with. She had an engaging attitude and a good look.
He would have to evaluate the other students as he got a chance to interact with them. He could quickly eliminate Shoto and Bakugo, leaving him with at least 38 other students to consider, plus others from the general studies and the higher grades. He was about to meet with the Big 3 of U.A., one of them had been recommended strongly by his former sidekick, Sir Nighteye.
-Thursday-
After the group's morning workout, Izuku was summoned to the Principal's office; as he entered the waiting area, he saw Rieko, who he could quickly ascertain were her parents. Rieko smiled at him as he walked over. Her parents looked at him questioningly. He then bowed to them.
"I am sorry that your daughter was hurt defending me." He said.
Rieko started to protest, but her father stopped her. "There is nothing for you to apologize for, young man; the only person that needs to apologize is this, Bakugo. Raise your head."
Izuku did as asked. "Thank you, sir; I am extremely grateful for Rieko's actions. I am a bit embarrassed about how the situation escalated."
Her father extended his hand and leaned in. "Thank you for teaching that punk a lesson and defending my little girl."
"It truly was my pleasure, sir." He replied with a smile.
"Excuse me, Dad!" she exclaimed, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Her father responded with a hearty laugh. Like Izuku, he was not very tall, standing at a height of 5'8' and possessing black hair and the same-colored eyes as his daughter. In contrast, her mother was a towering 6'2 with silver hair. Although quiet like her daughter, she observed him intently, scrutinizing his every move.
Rieko and Izuku were seated close together and conversed about recent events and their purpose for being there. Rieko's parents observed how their typically reserved daughter openly chatted with the boy. After learning about the scheduled mall trip on Friday after class, Rieko expressed her interest in accompanying him. She glanced over at her parents, who gave their approval.
She informed Izuku that she planned to attend class on Friday after her parents kept her home to ensure her full recovery from the attack. Her cheeks reddened as Izuku expressed his concern for her well-being. Their friendly chat ended when the waiting room door opened, and Bakugo appeared with his parents by his side.
Bakugo glared at Izuku, who turned his full attention to the explosive teen. Reiko's mother noticed that as he did so, he had turned, putting his body in between Bakugo and her daughter, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Before anything could be said, Izuku noticed that Mrs. Bakugo was looking at Izuku with her hand to her mouth like she had seen a ghost. Before anything could be said, the door to the principal office opened, and out stepped Professor Midnight, dressed in a business suit but still in her trademark glasses.
"Would you all please come in?" she stepped to the side and motioned with her hand. "If the Yanagi's and Mr. Midoriya would please sit on the right and the Bakugo's to the left."
The groups entered, noticing Eraser Head, Vlad King, and Principal Nezu sitting at the head of the U-shaped table. They noticed that there was also a man who looked like a police detective standing off to the side. Izuku gave the familiar face of Detective Tsukauchi a brief smile as they were acquainted from his previous encounters with the police. Reiko sat next to Izuku as everyone took their seat; Izuku noted that Midnight sat near Bakugo with only an empty seat separating them.
Nezu rose from his seat. "If any of you are unaware, I am the Principal of U.A.; you may address me as Nezu; to my left is the pro hero Eraser Head. He is Mr. Bakugo's homeroom teacher. To my right is Vlad King, and he is Ms. Yanagi and Mr. Midoriya's homeroom teacher. The man in the corner is Detective Tsukauchi. He is here as a representative of the police. Professor Midnight is here to make sure that things are kept calm." Bakugo clicked his tongue and seemed about to say something before his mother gripped his arm and glared at him. Nezu did not react, "We are going to review the footage of the incident. After that, we will hear from The Yanagi's and Mr. Midoriya's, then Mr. Bakugo will have a chance to speak. I will tell you now that Detective Tsukauchi's quirk is called Lie Detector, and it does exactly that."
As the lights dimmed from the center of the room, a holographic projector lowered, and the security image with audio began. The footage displayed Izuku and his group seated at a table, seemingly idle. However, Bakugo entered the cafeteria and started yelling at a boy with red, spiked hair, calling him demeaning names. The footage also captured Bakugo noticing Izuku and immediately approaching him with his hands crackling. Izuku stood talking to his friends, and Bakugo launched his attack. It played up to the point that Kirishima attacked Izuku.
"As you saw, Mr. Midoriya had done nothing towards or even noticed Mr. Bakugo. A thorough review of all the security imaging showed they had not crossed paths since the begging of the term the day before. Now we can obtain that Mr. Bakugo obliviously knows Mr. Midoriya, and his quirkless status from some outside means he also threatened to kill the boy. When Ms. Yanagi went to check on her classmate, he attacked her without provocation. As of now, Mr. Bakugo has been suspended for one week, assigned detention for two months, and ordered into mandatory counseling sessions with our lead counselor Hound Dog. Of course, that will start once his suspension is served."
"I find that completely unacceptable," Mrs. Yanagi said coldly. "This animal should not have been just suspended but should have been expelled. He attacked this young man and our daughter unprovoked. I want to know why?"
Bakugo's anger flashed. WHO WAS THIS BITCH TO CALL HIM AN ANIMAL. "I WAS DOING A FAVOR BY GETTING RID OF THIS QUIRKLESS PIECE OF SHIT, AND YOU STUPID BITCH OF A DAUGHTER GOT IN THE GODDAMN WAY!"
"KATSUKI!" His parents shouted.
From the corner of the room, "Truth!" the detective said emotionlessly.
Aizawa sighed. This boy was fucked; he looked at this "student" and then over at Izuku, shaking his head.
"Now, would someone care to explain to me how after an outburst like that, he is still in Heroic course and U.A. at all?" Mrs. Yanagi said. "It is obvious that he showed no remorse and was not given proper guidance." She stared at Bakugo's parents, the wife looked about to respond, but the husband placed his hand on her arm.
"I want him expelled, and I wish to press charges. U.A. & the Bakugo's can also expect to hear from our lawyer at the end of the day. Mr. Midoriya, where are your parents or guardian?"
"They are all dead, ma'am. I am here representing myself."
Her eyes flashed in sympathy, as did her daughters. "Then allow me to extend our lawyer's services if you require it."
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Bakugo yelled, only for his mother to attempt to contain him.
"MR. BAKUGO!" Eraser Head roared, and the boy immediately shut up. "Do you understand what is going on here? Your tenure in this school is in danger, any dream you have of being a hero is going up in smoke, and you are putting gasoline on the damn fire? If they press charges, your hero career could be over before you walk out the door. What school will take you with this on your record?"
Bakugo looked shocked. He glanced at his parents expecting them to make it somehow right; his mother looked at him and tried to convey the seriousness of the situation. "But I am supposed to be the next number 1," he said, "everyone said so."
"That's the problem, Mr. Bakugo; you are not the best; your quirk isn't even the best in your class, let alone this school. Years of constant praise and enabling have filled your head with nonsense and stupidity. You didn't even score first on the exams; Mr. Midoriya did. First in Practical and second in written test amongst all students coming only second to your classmate Ms. Yaoyorozu who gained admittance through recommendation." Nezu said. "Mr. Midoriya?"
"I won't be pressing charges, but I don't think his punishment is enough. I don't care that he attacked me; I do care that he attacked Reiko. He shouldn't be allowed to continue the hero course. The problem is that he has always been praised for his quirk and "potential." No one bothered to put a stop to it. If the principal says he should be removed from the hero course, banned from this year's sports festival, and allowed to participate in next year's festival. If he comes near me or my classmates again will be filing charges and lawsuits. I will not be suing the school or his parents. I believe whatever they have as apology money will be satisfactory. My only condition is that I want to meet with Eraser Head with Detective Tsukauchi present."
Aizawa raised an eyebrow and nodded to Nezu.
"Why don't you want him expelled?" Rieko said.
"He will likely just become some vigilante who goes too far one day on his misguided sense of justice and kills someone; or keeps falling until he becomes a villain. If this doesn't wake him up, then nothing will. He has never had to face consequences for his actions. Everyone gets a second chance but not a third." He said.
"Truth." The detective said. "Mr. and Mrs. Yanagi, would you like to press charges?"
"Are you going to expel him?" Mr. Yanagi asked Nezu.
"No, he will be demoted from the hero course and banned from participation in the sports festival. I want him to attend counseling as part of his punishment; if there is no improvement, he will be expelled."
"Would pressing charges rob him of any chance of being a hero?"
"No, it will make it more difficult, but the only person who can truly take that dream from him is himself."
"Detective, we would like to press charges; while I would like to hope that this is the wake-up call this young man needs, he must still pay for the assault upon our daughter." Mr. Yanagi said.
"Understood," the detective walked across the room, "Katsuki Bakugo, you are under arrest for illegal quirk usage, assault, and assault with a quirk to cause bodily harm; please stand and place your hand behind your back."
Katsuki reeled in shock; he looked towards the door like he wanted to bolt; he noticed Midnight between him and there. His father walked over and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Your mother and I have failed you, Katsuki, don't make this worse; your actions have brought us here." He helped his son to his feet and held his attention as the cuffs were placed on him. Katsuki looked around the room, looking for someone to help him; he turned to his mother, who looked away. The door opened, and two officers walked in; taking hold of the blonde teen, they walked him out of the room. Mr. Bakugo came over and bowed to the Yanagi's and Izuku. "I know that my son is the one that owes you an apology; I hope that he will grow to a place where he can say it honestly from his heart." He bowed again to Izuku and offered an envelope from his jacket.
Izuku took the envelope, slipping it into his pocket. The Bakugo's left, followed by the Yanagi's and the other staff members, leaving Izuku, the detective, and Eraser Head.
"So, what is it you wanted?" Aizawa said.
"How far did Bakugo have to go for your act to expel him? Was it because I am quirkless?"
"No."
"Lie," the detective said.
"Do you believe I have a place here?"
Aizawa was about to say yes, but he glanced at the detective. "No."
"Truth."
"I have to say you are one of the worst fucking teachers I have ever seen; you expelled a student on the first day and threatened to expel more over a quirk test. Yet you offer no help or ways for them to improve. One of your students violently attacks another, and you won't get rid of them because of "potential."
"Watch your mouth; I am your superior and a teacher here at U.A."
"You are a teacher here, but you are not my superior. I should have been in your class, but you passed me on because I am quirkless. I am glad you did; Vlad is ten times the teacher you could ever be."
"You are a liability; you have no quirk to fall back on. What will you do when dealing with someone like Moonfish?"
"Fight; what the hell are you going to do? Your quirk is useless on mutants."
"You are just going to get killed."
"As long as I make it pro, I don't care."
"Truth."
"Do you even understand what you are saying?" Aizawa said.
"I perfectly understand it; I am quirkless; no matter what I do or achieve, I will always be viewed as less than others. I am doing this for the endangered species that I am. Quirkless are a dying breed, but I want to give them hope. You view me as less than others; you heard Nezu and my scores, knew my scores, and still deemed me unworthy. Instead, you take someone with severe mental problems, someone whose problems could be seen by a blind man on the moon, and deem them to have potential. Did you even have plans for him to be put in therapy?"
"Yes, I was evaluating him before I would suggest it."
"Lie," Aizawa glared at the detective, who smirked back and gave him a shrug. "And suggest it? Really?"
"I am confident I can handle most of your class. The only ones I worry about are Momo and Todoroki. At the sports festival, I will show you and the world that I am here and that a quirkless orphan is a force to be reckoned with. When you see me on that podium, I hope you fucking choke? I will graduate from this place and become a pro. Maybe some of your students will be there if you don't kick them out before they start."
"You know what? I have had enough of your shit; I am done with you. I should drag you out of here and kick your ass." Aizawa rose to his feet, taking hold of his scarf.
Izuku stood up, and suddenly an enormous black sword appeared in his hand; the detective and Aizawa watched as the blade took unnatural darkness to it; a shadowy whisp hovered around the blade's edges. Izuku just smiled. "I'm your huckleberry."
The door opened, and in walked Vlad with Nezu on his shoulder. "Put it away, Midoriya," Vlad said.
"Yes, Sensei," the blade disappeared.
"I want this kid out of here, Nezu!" Aizawa said as he pointed at Izuku.
"No, Mr. Aizawa, I don't think so."
"He doesn't care if he dies, this boy is suicidal, and we are enabling him,"
"No, Mr. Aizawa, he just understands that the deck is stacked against him, and his goal, unlike most is not to be number one, fame, or fortune. He wants to be a hero to inspire others. I think he can be a fine hero, and who knows, he might even live to enjoy it. And that is not your decision, Vlad King. Do you wish to expel Mr. Midoriya?"
"Hell no," Vlad said with a smile, "If you have seen what his presence had done in my class alone, then even Aizawa would regret not taking him. You can leave now, Midoriya, and no pulling weapons on teachers. Understood."
"Yes, Sensei," Midoriya said as he left; Nezu jumped down and dismissed Vlad.
"You should be careful of telling people they can't do something, Mr. Aizawa," Nezu said as he walked over to pour himself some tea. "Someone once told me I would never be more than a disgusting freak destined to die in a lab. I tore his throat out shortly afterward, and look at me now." Nezu smiled a most sadistic smile. "Things never go the way you think. Tea?"