The moment Izuku gets home, he squeezes his mother in a hug, tells her all about his day. He eats a healthy dinner. And then, and only then, he opens his 'UNION' server to see what's going on in it.
He finds a channel full of memes with his classmates' faces in the main role, mostly from the footage from the Sports Festival. He finds a general chat where almost a hundred students discuss what might be going on during the exam. And finally, finally he finds a channel with introductions. And he finds exactly what he needs there.
Someone, apparently Kezuro, asked everyone to introduce themselves alongside stating their quirk, its description, and some most defining characteristic of theirs. Izuku is focused on the quirk part.
There are 98 students to go through, to make a first impression of their quirks in his brain and to make a plan that he'll get to tell them tomorrow, about who's gonna be in what force.
Of course he's gonna have to talk to them too, who wants to do what, but still.
He's thinking about having three main groups: Active Duty, Management and Support. No, no, that wouldn't work, he needs a bigger divide… Or subgroups. Yes. That would work. If he divided Active Duty on Fighting and Espionage, Management on Pre and Field, and Support on Brain and Muscle… yes. Yes, that would work.
He takes out his packet and from it the class roosters, and starts drafting up his first ideas.
UNION
#announcements
Midoriya Izuku
everyone I am going to divide you into three groups with two subgroups each. I'm asking you to edit your #introductions to reflect which group you want to belong to. I can't guarantee you'll end up in that group but I'll take it into consideration!
Now the groups are: Active Duty, Support and Management. Active Duty divides into Fighting and Espionage, Support into Brain and Muscle, and Management into Pre and Field.
Allow me to explain:
Just because you're not in active duty doesn't mean you're not gonna fight, sadly, but it does mean you're gonna focus on other stuff.
Espionage on spying.
Pre on preparing plans.
Field on giving directions during fights and/or on the field.
Brain on thinking up and making support equipment and weapons.
Muscle on physical work and helping Brains with testing equipment.
Happy with the message he closes the server and looks at his bed. A nap wouldn't hurt, right…?
An hour later he wakes up to the sound of his phone blowing up and thanks Kami for this because he realises he didn't set an alarm.
He quickly takes out his notes from the previous night, and looks at what exactly was going on that was making his phone vibrate off the desk. He opens the chats where several pings are and finds… a very familiar name.
UNION
#general
Hamasaki Shigeko
Do you think we'll get cool names like all the heroes do?
I would be *drumroll* Spider Mother
Shinsou Hitoshi
Hamasaki this is literally the name of your quirk
be more creative
Hamasaki Shigeko
Says the guy who thinks 'Mindfuck' is a cool name
Shinsou Hitoshi
it is!
Hamasaki Shigeko
I'm not gonna argue with you
anyway Midoriya Izuku will we?
have cool names that is?
Below that several people pinged him for attention. He, however, could only focus on one thing.
UNION
#general
Midoriya Izuku
Hamasaki? That you? From Aldera?
Hamasaki Shigeko
omg hiiiiii
you remember me!
but but but!
answer my question!
Midoriya Izuku
I don't think codenames would be good.
there's too many of us.
Hamasaki Shigeko
booooooooooo
I had hopes Midoriya
you crushed them!
Shinsou Hitoshi
wait hold on you two know each other?
Midoriya Izuku
ye!
Hikari Katsuei
*"Careless Whisper" starts playing*
Midoriya Izuku
nononononono not like that!
Hamasaki Shigeko
We were in the same school!
And we were both bullied
So like, bullied solidarity
Hikari Katsuei
*"Careless Whisper" stops playing*
You're… talkative
Hamasaki Shigeko
probably shouldn't have said it huh
Sorimachi Chiharu
rip
although I can't see why would anyone bully Midoriya
I mean
such a strong quirk!
I envy
Izuku thinks about how to reply for a full minute before his fingers start typing out a message.
UNION
#general
Midoriya Izuku
I was actually quirkless until the entrance exam
My quirk manifested just that late
Sorimachi Chiharu
oh
OH TWINSIES
Midoriya Izuku
?
Sorimachi Chiharu
Miyagi Chisato Yoshikawa Genzo Kishi Moe
We've got another who understands! Sound the fanfares!
Midoriya Izuku
Wait you mean…
Sorimachi Chiharu
I'm quirkless! And Miyagi and Kishi are too!
Yoshikawa has an invisible quirk so he hasn't manifested it yet either!
Izuku's head starts spinning. He knew that UA has a no-discrimination policy and that the recruiters don't know about the quirk status of any potential students so as to not lead to quirkless discrimination, but he… he didn't quite get it. That it is possible. That he could actually get into UA quirkless if he really tried.
A smile blooms on his face and his eyes water as he starts typing a response.
UNION
#general
Midoriya Izuku
Well glad to have y'all on the team
Kishi Moe
y waz i pingd
Hamasaki Shigeko
oh wow
next level of shorthand
Kishi Moe
alright I'm awake now
golden boy of class 1-A was quirkless?
you're invited to our bi-weekly meetings
Midoriya Izuku
what did I do to deserve that title
I literally broke all my bones with my quirk
what about it doesn't scream "I have zero control over it"
Kishi Moe
ykw fair
Yoshikawa Genzo
yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
maybe you can tell me what you did that activated your quirk?
Midoriya Izuku
got jacked
Yoshikawa Genzo
ah, a classic
yeah that didn't work out for me
but at least I have abs
Midoriya Izuku
can you carry a fridge
Yoshikawa Genzo
can I what
Midoriya Izuku
can you carry a fridge
Yoshikawa Genzo
I read that the first time dude what the fuck
this implies you can carry a fridge
Midoriya Izuku
I can, with All Might on top of it
Yoshikawa Genzo
huvfijshudkjsaifhudkjs
Hamasaki Shigeko
WHAT
DUDE
WHEN DID YOU GET ALL MIGHT TO SIT ON A FRIDGE FOR YOU TO CARRY?
Shinsou Hitoshi
my question exactly
Midoriya Izuku
you're right in one thing
I am extremely lucky
so lucky that I don't believe it every day
Shinsou Hitoshi
that doesn't explain why you were carrying fridges in the first place
what even compelled you to do it
Midoriya Izuku
I'm getting to it
All Might trained me personally
which included weight lifting
uh
unconventional weights
like trash
to clean up a beach
Hamasaki Shigeko
YOU WERE THE ONE WHO CLEANED DAGOBAH?
Midoriya Izuku
ye
Hamasaki Shigeko
everyone you better read this convo and confirm I'm not losing my mind
In the matter of seconds the chat was absolutely flooded with responses so he closes the chat and goes to #introductions to actually work on what he was supposed to work on.
He's surprised to find a huge part of the Support Course not choosing 'Brain' but 'Muscle', but decides not to question it and just thank Kami that's the case.
Two hours later he has a conceivable table of possible combinations. He still needs to learn more about a few quirks, since the short description didn't give them justice, but he's got it, he thinks.
He has admin in the server so he starts creating roles and assigning them to people, carefully checking with his list to make sure he's assigning them to the correct persons. Everyone is important, everyone is useful, everyone is ready.
He's a little disappointed that there's only 17 people in the fighting category, but espionage brings up Active Duty to 25 people. Still not nearly enough to combat the entirety of Hero Course but better than nothing.
He's going to have to train them, he realises. Teach them the basics of hand to hand combat. He needs help with that, he needs support.
UNION
#announcements
Midoriya Izuku
everyone does any of you have any experience with hand to hand combat? ping or dm me if you do.
Soon pings and DMs start trickling in, and he is pleasantly surprised to see the quirkless people from before—Miyagi and Sorimachi—on the list.
Heh, guess some quirkless folks are way smarter than him and actually trained to attain their dreams… oh well, not the time to wallow in misery.
He makes another role and gives it to everyone with combat knowledge, then makes a chat for them, and after some consideration makes chats for the three main roles too.
Is his work ethics a little disorganised? Yes. Does he care? No. And neither should you, hypothetical person listening to his thoughts!
…maybe he needs more than a nap.
Oh well.
He shakes his head, regains his previous train of thoughts, and types out yet another message.
UNION
#announcements
Midoriya Izuku
And remember to take your gym clothes with you everyone! We'll switch to practical costumes later for as many of us as possible, but you've gotta be ready to sweat before that. We're staying behind after school tomorrow to learn how to fight!
Brains however don't need to do that, you'll be working on something immediately. We only have a few more days before the exam.
Satisfied, he starts making a list of people who won't need special clothing, and therefore could have their costumes produced immediately. They wouldn't be flashy like the 'Heroes', but they would serve their purpose: to be comfortable, easy to fight in, and protect those wearing them.
The list contains anyone with a non-physical quirk. They could get support equipment later, once he talked to every one of them, but the basic equipment could be made or ordered immediately.
He's honestly surprised how many people with 'useless' or simply non-physical quirks signed up for fighting and espionage. He isn't even talking about Shinsou, although the boy could use to have some training too… wait a minute. Didn't he just ping him about how he supposedly had combat training?
He quickly finds the ping and DMs the boy, feeling very confused.
Private conversation between Midoriya Izuku and Shinsou Hitoshi
Midoriya Izuku
Since when do you have combat training?
Shinsou Hitoshi
I suppose it's not a secret anymore
Eraserhead took me under his wing
to train me
so I can join the hero course someday
Midoriya Izuku
Oh! Cool!
Hopefully the principal will take your engagement with this exercise into account.
Shinsou Hitoshi
And hopefully we'll win.
Midoriya Izuku
yea!
Curiosity sated and fears unconfirmed, Izuku goes back to making a list… and what was he thinking about?
Right, non-physical quirks. Like, there's a guy who's quirk is just making perfect circles, or another that can change colours of things he touches, and they both signed up to help. He's honestly amazed with them, amazed how those people don't care about their quirks and find themselves useful anyway.
He's also kind of scared of people in the Espionage group. Like the person who can turn up your anxiety to eleven with their quirk.
But the person he's most scared of in this group? Undoubtedly Miyagi. She's quirkless and signed up for espionage anyways. The guts it takes— He's amazed. Amazed and scared.
Once he stops drafting up the list he sends it to the Support section so they can do what they want with it, and start designing costumes right away, and from the looks of it they immediately jump on the task, jumping into a call and opening a shared drawboard.
An idea occurs to him then, and he grins evilly. He opens DMs with Hamasaki and types out a request.
Private conversation between Midoriya Izuku and Hamasaki Shigeko
Midoriya Izuku
Hamasaki-san, I need you to do a little breaking and entering with your spiders tomorrow before homeroom starts.
Hamasaki Shigeko
What.
Midoriya Izuku
They never told us sabotage is illegal
After giving her the details, he looks at the clock and decides to sleep with the hens that night. He needs the rest, because he knows that the next few days will have no rest whatsoever.