A Hero to Their Core
Chapter 3
Don't worry I intend to keep going on this. But I needed to put a few ideas together for what their first day will be like. And I will admit, it will be comical at least from my perspective. And I intend to do a few different things when the sports festival comes up. On with the show.
(Joey POV)
I wasn't sure what to expect when Aizawa had me and Lina meet him in the teachers' lounge. Or I guess its their workspace here too. But he did eventually explain. "I'll introduce you to my class first thing tomorrow. I've got to tell them about the Sports festival. And what it means." I'm a bit confused by that, but Lina asks first. When he explains that the UA sports festival has basically replaced the Olympics, both of us are annoyed.
How does using a power in a flashy way equate to not only being a hero, but also a more impressive display of athleticism. I ask this same question and he explains, "it's a bit of the fault of quirks again. Since the powers are so random and can range from stamina or flexibility and so on, the appeal of the Olympics has been lost. Especially with quirks getting more powerful as generations go by."
"Isn't that a huge danger in itself? If they keep getting stronger, and some people already have major drawbacks, won't there come a time when the second the power goes active…. They might… well die?" I ask with a concerned look. Even though his face is bandaged up, I can tell Aizawa is somewhat agreeing. And he even says so admitting that there was a theory long ago about a 'quirk singularity'. Wherein, the powers would do exactly what I said they could do. "Most though have been ignoring it or thinking it's little more than a cult theory. I'd like to say I don't believe it. But it wouldn't be rational to ignore all possibilities." Lina also looks concerned at that thought. And how dark a day it could be for everyone.
Aizawa is then caught quick by Vlad King to bring up a point. "I know you were planning to introduce them to your class first. But how about we do it together? That and my class can get the background of these two heroes." I agree with his point and say that we could use a different bit of help. "I'm not bad at school, but neither of us really knows Japanese. Can you help us with some of this?" "Also, I think I have an idea on what to do for the first class we teach. Or at least I intend to teach." Lina speaks up and puts forth her idea. Kan and Aizawa are both a little uneasy about what she has in mind, but both do see it as a good humbling experience for the students. I do as well. They need to see that their powers can hold them back or weigh them down more than they think.
(No POV)
The next day each of the UA first year classes get the heads up that the Sports festival is around the corner. Each of them is ready to show what they can do to the whole world. While this would normally be when Aizawa dismisses them for the day, and their class would be swarmed by others looking to see the class that survived a villain invasion. Aizawa instead tells them all to suit up and meet at Gym Gamma. The same is told to class 1-B who all are confused. When they all arrive, both classes are surprised to see one another. "As you know, there are two first year heroics classes. And while we would normally encourage a friendly rivalry, today you all have a different challenge." Vlad says to both classes.
Each of the students are confused, and then they all feel a rush of wind beside them. When they look around a few of them note that a few of them have had some parts of their costumes taken off. Things from Monoma's watches to Bakugo's extra grenades. Izuku is surprised that his hero notebook had been taken. Then he looks out to see Joey and Lina standing in the middle of the pillars. Holding the missing items. "Joey-kun! Why did you do that?" Izuku asks while the class 1-B group had a different set of questions.
"Who is that? What's with the girl? How did they steal our gear?" Vlad and Aizawa have a little laugh at their students' expense before explaining. When they explain that the two had been the ones to rescue and render aid to 1-A and Aizawa before All Might had shown up. This impressed the 1-B students, and then they were given a general rundown of who they were and where they were from. "HOLY SHIT! That guy is on par with freaking ALL MIGHT?! At 13 or 14?!" Tetsutetsu shouts first, with his classmates agreeing. Even though most of the 1-A students had heard the story as well, they were also still amazed at Joey's feats.
But then Toru decides to ask the big question. "What are they doing here sensei?" "You should be saying that to the two of them. They are both teachers at this school. Both will instruct each of you in hand-to-hand skills. But Joey has a different job as your teacher. Do you want to explain?" Aizawa says while assumedly looking in his direction. Joey shakes his head before saying that they each have a different exercise today.
"We took those pieces off your costumes because we want to test you each in some combat and critical thinking matters. One of us will hold your item. Your goal is to get the item back. You can use whatever means necessary." He says with a small smile. Bakugo decides he will go first and claims, "I'll blast both of you away and take back my gear." Both of the young teachers' frown, and Lina says she'll take care of him. Bakugo still remembers that she smacked him down before and shouts, "you won't have the element of surprise this time bitch- ugh!" Right as he said that last bit Joey ran up at full speed and punched him in the stomach. Before kneeing him in the groin….. about a dozen times at full speed.
While the explosive teen is speaking soprano in his semi-conscious state, Ida calls out, "Wait Jones-sensei! You hadn't signaled the start of the match." Joey then looks at him with a smile before saying, "I did that for two reasons. 1: he insulted Lina. And I'm not letting that stand." The girls say awe or hell yeah at Joey defending his girlfriend. The second reason he says, "is because you guys are all kind of idiots. The teachers as well. They got a feel for it yesterday when we sparred, but we're not going to fight like a dumb monster or a most of the people you label as villains. And true villains won't be afraid to do underhanded things."
Joey went on to explain that their view of heroes and villains is badly warped. Explaining that most don't deserve the title of villain and are just petty children looking to play with their powers. In the same vein he says that most pro heroes are the same. "I would have to say he's correct. Sad thing is, we're so used to peace and security from All Might that most heroes don't truly understand the weight of the suits they wear." Aizawa said and Vlad mirrored the thought mentioning that most are just looking to walk around and get some minor merchandizing.
A few of the students look down, especially those who want to go into heroics for the money. The other pros mention that some villains were once even heroes. "But due to incidents they perpetrated, they're now villains. We just tend to avoid this fact; that the line between hero and villain is somewhat thin." Vlad King says. Joey then brings up his next point. "I did that a bit to make you warry of how you handle a challenge. You can't just rush in and think it will be fine just because of your power. That power is all of your greatest weakness and failing." The students want to rebuff that statement but Aizawa mentions that both of them beat not just a teacher, "but they also beat the top student at this school. Lina has no powers, but she beat him by herself and in only a few moves." This shocks all of them, and now they are all worried about facing off with the slightly older girl in the middle of the gym.
She is just standing in the middle with the gear from each student. But one decides to push his luck. "You may hit hard and so can she! But I'm as hard as IRON!" Tetsu shouts as he metals up and runs toward Lina. She watches him closely and sighs with a shake of her head. Right as Tetsu threw a punch at her, she deflects it; slides in close, then hits a few of his joints before giving him a light shock with a taser. He tanks the shock pretty well and starts to shout, "That won't work-gulp." Right as he was opening his mouth, Lina tossed in a special non-lethal grenade. It gives a light pop and Tetsu falls back, fast asleep. She then turns back to the class, with a smile before saying, "Next."
The next hour is student after student trying to get back their gear. When Todoroki tries, not only does Joey stop his ice with a barrier, but he also instantly fails Todoroki for the day. "You didn't take into account how to get the stuff once you froze it did you." Todoroki looks to the side before saying he would melt the ice. "And possibly damage what you were trying to recover. There is more to being a hero than stopping a villain. That is the part all of you are missing. And that is why you fail." Joey says with a stern and disappointed look on his face. When Todoroki looks like he still wants to try both Aizawa and Kan stop him. "You heard him. Hit the showers. You're done for the day." Todoroki wants to argue but knows they could just as easily expel him. So he grits his teeth and walks away.
For the rest of the students, the class goes no better. When Ida tried to rush in to grab his back mufflers, he was stopped by Lina's shock traps and then a concussion grenade knockback into a magnetic plate. Toru tried to make use of her invisibility, but Lina had special contacts from the NIS that could detect heat. So, she wound up with her feet and hands tied together and hanging in the air.
Mineta tried for a fast rush throwing as many of his pop off balls to bounce around, but Lina could guess his course. As could Joey and the two tag teamed the short perv, with Joey high-speed knocking him into a different ball. Then both hit him as he passed by with hits going from his groin to his face. By the time he was done bouncing, you couldn't tell the purple of his usual face from the mask he wore. Mina and Aoyama had faired no better, as Joey had blocked the beam the later fired and the two had created a solution that would completely nullify Mina's acid production.
Izuku and Koda were the only ones left standing. They each had tried and were knocked around as well. Bakugo was apparently a masochist because he kept rocketing in. And every time he either wound up back where he started or was singing soprano again. Or both. Izuku meanwhile isn't sure what he can do. With as unstable as his control over OFA is, he couldn't use a smash to blast any traps away. Besides, that would almost line up with what got Todoroki in trouble.
'There has to be a way to get past. But how?' He thinks, while Joey is lecturing Momo this time. "Are you seriously crazy enough to use a cannon in a confined space? Once again you could put what you are trying to save or recover at risk if you do that. You are all looking at the problem the wrong way. There could be more at stake than just an item. So don't…. Hang on." Joey says before he goes and grabs Bakugo again after he had both his legs broken by Lina and had been fed a sleep grenade.
When Joey mentions she could have done that from the beginning. "I know. But I wanted to show him how weak his obsession with power makes him." Izuku starts putting a few things together in his head. 'The stolen objects. The challenge to recover them. The mention that true villains don't play fair. The objects are hostages. If we go rushing in or do like Todoroki and Yaoyorozu did, we'd put them at risk. But no one else sees that. Because they all just want to use their powers.' Izuku's eyes widen, and he stops the order Koda was giving the mice next to him. He had tried a similar plan earlier, but Lina had used a pheromone that pushed animals away. Koda signed, "but Midoriya-kun! She said it didn't last that long!" "That could just be a bluff. Besides that, isn't only one way to finish this. I don't know if it will work, but I have an idea. Follow me." He says with conviction in his voice.
Both of the quieter boys go slowly toward where Lina is standing. A few think they are trying to sneak up on her, but she dashes that hope. "I know you're there. Come out you two." "I figured you did. Look, we're not here to fight. Okay. Can we just talk?" Joey and Lina's eyes widen, before a smile graces Joey's lips. The rest of the students can't figure out what he's planning, but he just edges toward Lina hands raised. She keeps a close eye on them and sets off a few other traps to catch Kyoka and stun Setsuna's head that was floating around. "Alright. What do you want to talk about?" Lina asks before spinning her staff. Both Izuku and Koda gulp before Izuku says something that shock everyone. "Can I please have my notebook back?" He signals to Koda who also signs if he could have his bag with animal feed back.
Most of the other students are looking at them like they are crazy. "Are they stupid!? What good is that gonna do?!" are the common things tossed around. But they get the biggest shock when Lina says, "Sure here you go." As they are all screaming about why that worked, Joey calls the exercise. He then tells them all to gather up. Aizawa and Vlad bring in Todoroki, and Bakugo who had started to wake up again. That was when Joey opened up to the floor why they thought Izuku and Koda were successful. None of the students could figure out the reason. Each of them kept running in circles trying to find the answer.
So, Lina asks Izuku, "what gave you the idea to just ask me for the items?" Izuku looked down before admitting that they were all definitely looking at the problem wrong. "We all just saw the fact our gear had been stolen, so we wanted it back. But that was the problem. It wasn't just equipment. Our gear, were supposed to be hostages." At dropping that statement, many of the smarter students were realizing what he meant. Todoroki put together why he'd been failed. He put the lives of the hostages at risk with that move.
Bakugo however was simply confused. "What are you talking about Deku!? I was just trying to take them down and take back my gear!" "Yeah, and that's also why you've failed for the day as well. You only saw an enemy in front of you and started barking and snapping at it. You didn't consider that if you had tried to blow Lina up, that all of the gear would have been sent up in smoke. In other words, you would have killed all the hostages. That is more of the reason of why you are not a hero." Joey says while shaking his head in disappointment.
The students are still somewhat confused by what the point of the exercise was so Aizawa decided to chime in next. "Jones here is actually the teacher of a new subject Nezu decided to add. He's your heroic intent instructor. All of you have seen how, even as a child, he had true heroic will and determination. Many of you have the determination. But it is not truly heroic. He's going to be testing all of you on that from now on. It could be exercises like this or something else entirely. But he's going to be the judge on whether or not your intent to be heroes is a true one." With that statement, the teachers call classes for the day. Izuku on the other hand gets asked how he knew what was going on. Bakugo on the other hand keeps stewing in the fact he got his ass handed to him in over a dozen different ways in one day. With their first day done, the new teachers have given a fair number of students a lot to think on.
Done. I had been wanting to do something like this in a variety of stories. A thing where again they miss the point because they are all trying to fight or use their powers rather than considering every option. I'll admit I got the idea from the Xiaolin Showdown episode where Omi faces off with Master Dashi. Please review.