Chapter 63: Mapping out the Internships
A/N: I do apologize for such a long extended break. Here's the new chapter and hopefully more will be on the way.
"Finally, a week to ourselves. I love teaching those brats, but boy do they get on my nerves sometimes." Vlad sighed and reclined into his seat, "What about you Aizawa?"
Aizawa grunted an affirmative but still looked thoroughly uninterested, "What did you call this meeting for, Nedzu?"
"It's to discuss which of the first years are going where this year," Nedzu replied.
"The class teachers already know, so couldn't they just share a list? I don't see the point of holding a meeting for it." Lunch rush argued.
"Relax. If Nedzu called a meeting, there must be a reason for it." Ectoplasm said.
Nedzu nodded with a grin, "As you may or may not have heard, I plan to take some first-year classes after the internships. So, I thought it would be best to discuss the skills that the students may cultivate on their internships."
"I still don't get your sudden interest in teaching again," Ectoplasm commented.
"What can I say, the students made some compelling arguments."
"Wouldn't it be better if you teach the other years as well?" Aizawa asked, a bit irritated.
"I do teach some of the third-year classes, and your expelling spree has reduced the second-year batch to almost nothing." Nedzu replied, his grin ever present on his face, "Plus, things are getting a bit more serious now, and especially 1A will be at the center of things."
"The move against hero commission?" Cementoss asked.
Nedzu nodded grimly.
"Why are we bringing the students into something as serious as this? And first years on top of that!" Vlad demanded.
"Most of them are in no trouble at all. It's only a few students who might be in the direct line of fire, and they have been well-informed of the dangers." Nedzu said.
"Why do we have to discuss all the students then?" Chiyo asked perceptively.
"We know that the spy that has infiltrated UA must be a first year since there were no leaks before this session. And there is reason to think the person might be after 1A in particular." Nedzu said.
"Is this about Izuku being All Might's successor?" Powerloader asked.
Nedzu nodded, "I'm sure All for One is the one behind all of this."
"In that case, isn't it better to separate Izuku from the other students to protect them?" Vlad pointed out.
"Don't be stupid. We aren't going to kill one student to save the others." Snipe reprimanded.
"I'm not talking about killing the boy. Just let him train separately as All Might's apprentice."
"While that would fit both Izuku and Yagi, let's not forget they are both self-sacrificing idiots!" Chiyo interrupted the conversation.
Yagi, who had been sitting quietly flinched, "It might be best-" Yagi tried saying but Chiyo shut him up with a glare, "You're lucky to be missing only a lung. Without Torino, you'd be missing a body. Don't talk about not needing help."
"Chiyo-san is right." Thirteen said, "One for All isn't a predestined quirk made to win against All for One. We don't live in a fairy tale. It's better to prepare the first and third years for what is coming."
Cementoss nodded in agreement, "Even if we don't need combat heroes, we will still need plenty of rescue heroes since a fight is sure to bring about devastating effects. No offense Toshinori, but you aren't the best at mitigating damage."
Toshinori chuckled awkwardly, "Yeah, that is true."
"There's also a lot of support prospects this year. That Watanabe kid, Yaoyorozu, they can help with recon and analysis. And students like Endeavour's son, Jozu and Kinoko are no pushovers either." Ectoplasm declared.
"That is exactly the point I was looking to make." Nedzu replied, "Since so many of the students are interning with UA teachers this year, you can help guide them to build up the necessary skills even easier. Be that as part of the lesson plan or as internships is your call."
"Can we get started with the list then?" Aizawa asked, getting irritated due to his lack of sleep.
"Of course!" Nedzu said, "First things first, anyone have any questions about the Endeavour abuse case?"
Mic raised his hand slowly, "Yes?" Nedzu called on him.
"Is it wise to discuss all this here? For all we know, any of us teachers could be a spy." Mic argued. Instantly, the mood turned sour as the teachers eyed each other suspiciously.
Nedzu remained calm, "Do all of you trust me?"
The teachers shakily nodded, "I trust every one of you too. I am reasonably sure none of you are the spy."
"How can you say that for certainty?"
"Because All for One wants Yagi. And by now all of the staff has had a billion times to kill him or kidnap him," Nedzu deadpanned. Yagi grimaced at that, "I wouldn't have told you about the secret about One for All if I didn't have complete faith in all of you either."
"Then who is the spy?" Mic demanded.
Nedzu shrugged, "It has to be a student. But not a strong one or an obvious one. A strong one would likely have made a move to get Yagi already since they know about the form change as evident by the USJ incident. And an All for One is too cunning to use an obvious one. I do have some thoughts… but no, let us get back onto the primary agenda of this meeting."
"But still," Mic argued, not willing to cede, "If the spy is a student, we risk giving him the tools to get even more information."
"It's a risk we'll have to take," Nedzu said.
The teachers still seemed hesitant, causing Nedzu to sigh, "Look, there are ways to force out the answer but I do have a list of possible suspects and I would rather slowly weed them out than destroy their trust in us."
"That is acceptable," Vlad admitted.
"But I hope you'll use those forced methods if push comes to shove. Anything's better than a dead student." Chiyo said. Aizawa and Mic's faces darkened at that, but they didn't say anything.
"Getting back to the point, any questions about the Endeavour investigation up to now?" Nedzu asked.
"Besides the lack of information?" Ectoplasm pointed out.
"Well yes, but thankfully, the son is eager to help, and that will give us enough to at least free the family." Nedzu said much to the teachers' relief, "But for the rest, a student has eagerly volunteered."
"Who?" Midnight asked.
"Kaminari."
Midnight snorted, "Toshinori's son?"
Yagi grimaced, "He's not my son! I don't get how that theory came out."
"You know same hairstyle and all that. I don't blame you though, it's hard to balance kids and work life. That's why I don't have kids either, you know?"
"Kaminari is not my son." Yagi replied indignantly.
"So, it's Izuku? Would make sense as to why he's the successor. A gift to justify years of absence," Kayama teased, frustrating Yagi.
"Midnight, gossip in your own time, we're running late," Aizawa said, but no one missed the cheeky smile on his face.
"As I was saying," Nedzu started for the umpteenth time, "Kaminari has decided to spy for us. Midnight is sort of right in the sense that Endeavour only took Kaminari because he thinks he's All Might's son and wants to hamper his development by not training him this week, thus starving him of valuable experience. Luckily, that gives Kaminari more time and space to spy for us without much oversight."
"Will he be able to do all that without proper stealth training?" Vlad asked.
"Aizawa and I gave him a crash course. The boy might be behind in studies but he took like a fish to water during our course. He's not gonna get hurt, even if unsuccessful." Snipe said, calming a few nerves.
"How is he going to get the information out?" He might forget a few things in the week." Midnight pointed out, owing to Kaminari's awful memorizing skills.
"I was hoping to make this a surprise, but that's why Koda is important," Nedzu replied with an eerie grin.
The staff sat up straight with attention. They had heard of Nedzu's new intern and were eager to know why Nedzu was so fond of him.
"Koda will be our spy network in the future. He isn't limited to large animals, but insects as well." Nedzu said with a glint in his eye that made everyone shiver, "All Kaminari has to do is relay the information to one of Koda's animals and we'll be good."
"That would be a good plan if it weren't for Koda's debilitating fear of insects."
"Not to worry, Hound Dog is working on it as we speak," Nedzu assured.
"I assume you already had this talk with Hound Dog then?" Aizawa asked.
"No, he'll need a clear mind for some other business," Nedzu said with a tone that made everyone know he wouldn't elaborate.
"So, that's Kaminari and Koda done, what about the rest?" Mic asked.
"The rest are pretty simple, but another major issue is Tokoyami. He's interning with Hawks."
"Who we think is in cahoots with the commission." Aizawa sighed.
Nedzu nodded, "Exactly."
"We can't really interfere there, can we?" Midnight asked.
Nedzu shook his head, "No, all I could do is give some vague warnings to Tokoyami. If I asked him to spy, he'd get confused as to who's the good guy if Hawks pushes him for answers too."
"Tokoyami is pretty smart, and so is Dark Shadow. I think he'll figure out more by himself without us pushing him." Yagi noted.
"So, we hope," Nedzu sighed with a hint of bitterness in his voice, "The rest are pretty simple. I think we'll start with the UA teacher internships. Snipe, you are taking Watanabe, Pony, and Reiko. Any explanations?"
Snipe shrugged, "Watanabe wanted to learn to use a gun, and Pony and Reiko need to learn how to aim. Their quirks are similar to mine in the sense they can change trajectory."
Nedzu nodded, "Teach them some stealth too. Wouldn't hurt." Snipe nodded.
"Powerloader, you're taking Kaibara and Yui?"
The support teacher nodded, "Kaibara's quirk is similar to mine and I want to see to what extent we can use Yui's quirk. Just think! A nuclear power plant the size of your finger!"
"Well, I can't wait to see the developments you'll make. Shame Hatsume won't be there."
"Ah, I'll just borrow Yui later on in the year."
"Ectoplasm, you are taking Tokage?"
"Yeah, she couldn't find a fit for her quirk. The closest she found was me." Ectoplasm replied, evidently uncertain about what he'd be teaching.
Nedzu made a mental note to help out Ectoplasm later, "Mic, you are taking Aoyama and Manga?"
Mic nodded, "Aoyama wanted to learn how to use his quirk more efficiently like me, and I am curious to see how Manga's quirk works. I think there is more to his quirk than meets the eye."
"Hopefully you can awaken his quirk. Cementoss, you took Jozu and Bondo, I assume due to the quirk similarity."
Cementoss nodded, "It's not as double-edged as mine, but maybe that's a blessing."
"Thirteen, I'm curious as to why you took Ashido?"
"Moving buildings or rubble always poses a hazard. If I can teach Ashido to use her quirk with precision, she can just make a tunnel through to the victims with minimal issues with the structural integrity."
"You'll need to get her control down to a tee then. Don't let her mess up a real person worse than they already might be."
Thirteen nodded.
"Chiyo, you took Shouji and Kinoko, care to elaborate?" Nedzu asked.
The staff turned this time to look at Chiyo. The teachers knew Nedzu had the occasional interest in a student, and while taking an intern was rare, it was still in the realm of possibility. Chiyo taking an intern was quite unheard of.
The old lady grinned, "Shouji has extraordinary potential. He can become a Nomu and still keep his sanity. Heck, he can potentially make donor organs and become a monster in his own right. Even if he doesn't become a frontline hero, his quirk will be vital for medical usage. As for Kinoko… well she can grow any type of mushroom, and anywhere. Wouldn't want your lungs filled with poison, would you?"
The room of teachers, Nedzu included, shivered. What frightened them, even more, was the fact that Chiyo probably had more ideas in store that she didn't share.
"Moving on." Nedzu said with a slight tremble in his hands, out of sheer terror and ecstasy, "Nighteye took Jiro, Hagakure, and Kuroiro."
Yagi's eyes widened, "He did?"
"It's a good call. They have a lot of potential that he can help unlock, like with Mirio." Aizawa responded.
"Wasn't he your former sidekick?" Midnight asked, "Why do you look pale as a ghost then?"
Yagi smiled awkwardly, "We left on bad terms is all. He is a good teacher though."
Kayama sensed there was more to the story but an irritated Aizawa's sleepy grunt stopped any further prying, "Nighteye will probably teach the three stealth skills. Combat skills will be a bit hampered but their quirk usage will undoubtedly improve." Nedzu commented.
"Ah, I almost forgot about our third major problem," Nedzu said checking the list in front of him, "I'm sure you heard Ingenium's run-in with Stain?"
The teachers nodded, "Don't tell me his younger brother ran off to Hosu to find him." Mic moaned.
"How would you like me to lie to you?" Aizawa replied.
"Couldn't you have barred him like Todoroki?" Ectoplasm asked.
"He'd have found another hero in Hosu. Or he'd have gone somewhere closer and runoff. It's better to narrow down the area he might be in. But not to worry, Todoroki's new friends are quite impressionable and have made him think he also needs to help his friends like they are helping him." Nedzu said.
"He ran off to Manual too?" Aizawa asked with surprise. He hadn't known that. "Troublesome kids." He said in response to Nedzu's grin.
"But lots of potential, ey?" Kayama teased. "Tch."
"Gang Orca took Bakugou since he had helped him with anger management before, and thinks he could use some more help. He also took Shishida since he's also likely to gather some unsavory looks like Orca. I'm not a hundred percent sure as to why he took Sato though." Nedzu admitted.
"Sato didn't even have a good showing in the tournament. Why does a top 10 hero still want him?" Powerloader asked.
"I suppose we all have things to test out." Nedzu mused. Orca was a pleasant man and one who was on their side, but Nedzu was a bit stumped. There were plenty of other places that offered good combat practice too, "Maybe it has something to do with Bakugou's issues?" Nedzu thought.
"Next up, Fourth Kind has taken Kirishima, Tetsutetsu, and Hiryu Rin for what I assume to be a similarity of their quirks as well as personality."
"Rin might just go crazy hanging out with those three for a week." Vlad sighed.
"Izuku has gone to Gran Torino since he has experience beating up One for All users." Nedzu said causing Yagi to grimace and the teachers to laugh, "Aizawa can you finish the rest of 1A?"
"Tsuyu went to Selkie to get more familiarized with aquatic activities. Momo went to Fat Gum to learn how to use her fat reserves more efficiently for her quirk and Uraraka went to Ryukyu to better her combat and learn how to fly. Ojiro went to the Wild Wild Pussycats to increase his combat skills and also to learn whether he can do anything more with his tail. Surprisingly, Sero was nabbed by Best Jeanist."
"That's not much of a surprise seeing as Sero did have a standout performance of sorts. I can see Best Jeanist improve Sero's control over his quirk, maybe even bring some new avenues to it." Nedzu laid out, "What about Hitoshi? I suspect he's with you?"
Aizawa sighed, his frustration clearly evident, "No, Ms. Joke nabbed him." Aizawa said and cut a frustrated look at Mic who raised his arms in defense, "Hey, Hitoshi's quirk requires a response which involves talking which you suck at, so I'm justified in getting Emi to take him. You have 3 years to teach whatever else you want to him."
"He has a point." Midnight agreed.
"Vlad, if you would please finish off everyone remaining in 1B?"
"Awase went to Rock Lock. Powerloader had wanted him too, but Awase wanted something more combat based. Kamui Woods took Shiozaki since their quirk type and applications are similar. Edgeshot took an interest in Kamakiri's quirk even though he didn't have a good showing in the tournament. Edgeshot said in his own words that he is going to make a 'mini-me'."
"Seems like a lot of the heroes this time chose students based on how well suited their quirks are rather than just showing alone." Thirteen commented.
"About time. I guess the articles from last year really did have a more widespread impact than we thought." Cementoss replied.
"Kendo went to Mt. Lady for obvious reasons," Vlad continued, "Nirengeki went to Gun Head because he is still too reliant on others when using his quirk and wants to beef up more. Thirteen's comment seems to be right since Crust took Tsuburaba to help him with more creative options with his shields, and finally WHAT THE HELL!?" Vlad suddenly exclaimed with a mixture of confusion and betrayal.
"Why the heck is Monoma going to you!?" Vlad demanded from Aizawa.
"He wanted to learn how to fight quirkless since he won't always have access to a quirk, and even if he did, he might not be able to use it due to its volatility," Aizawa replied calmly.
"Calm down. It's not like it's a competition between 1A and 1B. We all just want the best for the students." Lunch Rush intervened.
"That's true, I just can't believe no one wanted to intern with me," Vlad said sadly.
"Well, that's all for this meeting. I have to meet with Hound Dog now." Nedzu said and slipped out of the room, leaving the teachers.
"The big three will be introduced to them much earlier than we anticipated, huh?" Snipe asked.
"Should be better for their improvement, but I would have waited till the work studies," Aizawa admitted.
As the staff settled into the normal chatter, Yagi noticed Nedzu motioning. for Yagi to follow from the door.
"What do you need to talk to me about?" Yagi asked, closing the door behind him and walking towards Nedzu.
"The UA spy," Nedzu replied as he continued walking towards his office.
"You know who it is?"
"As I said, I have a list. Hound Dog will be in charge of weeding out who it might be, but I need you for one specific student." Nedzu said, "Who?" Yagi asked.
"Watanabe," Nedzu replied.
Yagi stopped dead in his tracks, "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed.
"It is possible to be very perceptive and find out about One for All, but even so, his deductions were quite far-fetched. It was random luck that it hit. Unless of course, he already knew all about One for All. Put it together with the fact that his father is a prime suspect for us too, and it just increases your suspicions."
"But you're wrong! Why would he do all of these good things then? Like the article, helping with Endeavour, and helping Izuku?"
"There are two sides to the same coin Yagi. We see it as help, but it might just be an attempt to debilitate society. We can't say for certain that the spy is All for One's or that there is only one of them."
"I think you are wrong," Yagi said bluntly.
Nedzu sighed, "It's normal for teachers to get attached to their students. Aizawa and Snipe already love Watanabe. But you are a lot closer, so I expect you to be on the lookout."
"So that means I shouldn't give away anything to them anymore? We could use their help on the article."
"All I have is a suspicion, no reason to treat him differently. Just be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Even if he is a spy, he'll still help just to create chaos." Nedzu said.
Yagi still looked thoroughly unconvinced, "He's not a spy!" he said again.
"I'm not saying he is! It could be anyone else too! And those will be handled by Hound Dog! I expected you to be more objective, but if you can't, tell me. Kayama can also do it."
Yagi wanted to argue further but he had to admit there was a twisted logic to Nedzu's thoughts. Nedzu was glad when Yagi nodded but he had to admit to himself that he could have handled that better, "The only reason I ask you of this Yagi, is because I like the kid too, and I am questioning my own objectivity. I only think you'll be more objective than me because of your hatred for All for One. But don't treat Watanabe like a spy Yagi. I've been wrong plenty of times before." Nedzu warned and closed the door to his office.
A befuddled Yagi stood outside the door and whispered to no one, "I still think you're wrong…"
A/N: I HOPE there will be a new chapter within the next month since I may rotate on the other fics. But if recent updates have said anything, I shouldn't make promises. But, here's to hoping!
And I don't have any business asking for reviews and favs/follows after this horrendous update schedule, but they do go a long way in giving me motivation and in turn faster chapters, so please do give me some support!