Michael was running out of coffee grounds. His breakfast blend had maybe two pots worth left, and he was brewing one of them already. After his courses let out, he'd need to buy some more. He was up before his alarm could ring today. Last night was a restless sleep as he worried about how he'd handle things. Nightmares were constant and ranged from being dusted by that man-child to imprisoned for life by the heroes. A joyful series of beeping and ringing signaled the machine had finished brewing.
Michael's cup was made to how he wanted within moments of the sound. The scalding liquid did double duty in waking him up with the physical heat of the liquid and the caffeine inside. Slightly more awake, a few memories of the struggle trickled into his mind as he sipped the bitter drink. His grey eyes hardened at the memory of the last villains' demand. He could care less about taking a hostage, but the thought of what he wanted to do to the girls made him wish he had asked Yaoyorozu for knives instead.
He had instead had to settle for beating him down with the nightstick. He knew he was aiming to kill the sick bastard, but the girls pulled his naked body off before he could confirm the kill. So he would have to settle with knowing the man was most likely a brain-dead vegetable now. The thought tickled him, but he knew it would probably be brought up in the future somehow. Speaking of, the crocodilian villain had been injected with anyone's guess of however much of Michael's hemotoxin. If the villain's quirk didn't have a strong resistance to venom, then he was most likely dead. Michael sighed at the thought of the paperwork and lectures he'd likely end up sitting through for his trouble.
"No good deed goes unpunished." He murmured to himself with a smirk.
He finished his coffee and threw on his headphones and jacket as he finally decided to step out the door. Knowing he was still a few minutes early, he decided to wait on the sidewalk for a while. After a few minutes of idly scrolling through his playlists, he finally settled on a phonk playlist and nodded along to the beat. Finally, a door opened a little ways away, and he heard Mina's voice say something to someone. Probably saying goodbye or something, he figured as he watched her start walking down the sidewalk to him. When Mina caught sight of him waiting, she ran up to him and jumped onto him. The two were locked in a hug where Mina squeezed as hard as possible. Michael caught her easily and returned the hug with a smile barely hidden by her wild pink hair. "Thank you for last night." That was all she said before leaning back and letting go.
Michael's arm quickly switched positions to support her weight. Wrapping them around her legs and locked her in place as her top half swung freely. "You uh… You seem to be in a good mood." Said Michael, uncertain as her eyes locked onto his.
"I guess I am." She said with a small smile before unwrapping her legs and popping back down on the ground.
"You know, I kinda forgot how tall you are compared to me. What are you like 180 centimeters?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Not quite right. Last I checked, I was six feet, three inches so… 190 centimeters." He said as he did the mental conversions in his head.
"Aww. I'm so short compared to you! I'm just 159 centimeters. How tall is that in America?" She asked with a pout.
"Five feet, two inches. I've almost got a foot on you." He answered, looking down at her with a smirk.
"Well, let's get going before we're late. I'm sure I'll be called up to have a talk or two today." Michael said as he took a step but quickly stopped.
Mina had grabbed his hand and, for a second, the two were both shocked into silence. It only took him a moment to give her a smile and intertwine their fingers before stepping off again. The two walked in step as Mina hummed along to the music coming from Michael's headphones. It was a rather energetic track that seemed to infect Mina with its beat. Humming turned to skipping and shuffling her feet as she kept pace with him. Michael used his free hand to bring the headphones to their max volume, starting to move along with her to the beat. The dancing duo fell in step with each other, perfectly synchronized with the rhythm as the school finally came into view. The usual crowd of waiting students stood outside the gate, loudly talking amongst themselves. The chatter slowly died down as students caught sight of the pair lost in their own little world. Eventually, the crowd was silent enough that the music, laughing, and shoes scraping the concrete were all that could be heard. The pair only broke out of their trance when the song ended and they looked up to see an entire crowd staring at them, multiple phones out and recording the scene.
"Ah, hell." Said Michael as he dropped his smile and narrowed his eyes at the sight of cameras. The bell rang before anything else could be said, and the crowd quickly began to pour into the building. The two stood outside the gate as the last few trickled inside before them.
"Camera shy?" Mina asked with a laugh.
"Nah, just don't like getting caught off guard." Michael answered as he stuffed his headphones in his bag.
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around today." Her eyes lingered on him as she began to walk away.
"Hey, if you were being serious about getting to know each other, then let's go do something this weekend."
She brought her fist to her chin and made a show of being in deep thought. "Hmmm… I suppose we could do something Sunday. If that works for you."
Michael ran through his schedule in his head. Tonight, he'd pay Shigaraki a visit, and he had plans to help Shinso with his physical fitness. He should be free all day on Sunday. "Sunday it is." He said before he could register his words.
Mina's face had turned a few shades purple before running up to him and giving him a hug. "It's a date, then!" She said with a laugh as she let go and ran to her classroom.
'Oh, fuck it is a date!' Was all he could say to himself as he broke into a sprint to class.
Hallways and doors blurred past him as he ran. He wasn't the fastest by any means, but between the passive abilities of his quirk and his exercises, he was far from slow. He was coming up on the last turn to his classroom and rounded it before smacking into something and hitting the ground with a thud. "That's one way of ramming a girl from behind isn't it?" Said Ms. Kayama as she shook her head from her new spot on the floor.
"Aww shit. I'm really sorry, Ms. Kayama. That was my bad, I was rushing to get here on time and didn't see you." He explained as he scrambled over to help the teacher up.
She took his hand, standing up and taking a moment to regain her bearings. "It's no problem Mr. Farron. I was actually hoping to talk to you a bit today, so it works out." She said as she straightened her hair and put a hand on her hip with a serious face.
"Mr. Farron. Before I say anything else, I want you to know that you have my utmost thanks and appreciation for saving Ms. Yaoyorozu and Ms. Jiro from the horrid demands of that villain. When they gave their statements to the police, and when Principal Nezu went through the hidden camera footage, I was there. You saved those girls from a potentially career-ending trauma. That being said, of all the zones that saw combat, only your zone had any fatalities. Two villains have died by your hands, and it has to be addressed." She sighed at his lack of reaction. "Just between the two of us, I don't blame you, and neither do the rest of the teachers, but this can not happen again. You'll need to stay after school to attend a talk with Principal Nezu and a few of us."
She took a moment to rub her temples before looking up at him with a small smile. " Mr. Farron, you have the gratitude of myself and the entirety of the teaching staff here for saving those girls. Should you decide to keep working towards a transfer to the Hero course, then you have my full backing." She finished with a lighter tone.
"Thank you, I'll do my best, Ms. Kayama." He returned the smile and opened the door for her.
"I'm sure you will. You're already quite the little gentleman." She said as she licked her lips and strutted inside the classroom, Michael trailing behind as he resisted the urge to look at her backside.
Michael took his spot with a sigh before looking to his seat neighbor. Shinso looked the most awake Michael had ever seen so far with how wide open his eyes were. He lazily sent a wave to the purple-haired teen and said, "Mornin', bud."
Shinso kept his eyes locked on him for a few moments before asking in disbelief, "Do you even realize what happened to you and class 1-A?"
"Yeah. We beat the dogshit outta some fuck-off villains."
"The news said that two villains had died, one from multiple venomized bites and the other from blunt force trauma to the head. They were both in the same area where they died, and while one is a given, I want to know… Did you kill both of them?" Shinso whispered with anger creeping in his voice.
"Yeah, I damn sure did. What of it?" Michael challenged as the class's attention focused on them.
The two sat in a heated silence before Ms. Kayama intervened, "Mr. Shinso, I must inform you that while Mr. Farron is indeed responsible for the deaths of two villains, he did so to save others from an arguably worse fate. Heroes occasionally are forced to make those decisions to save themselves or others."
Shinso grumbled and sat back in his seat as the teacher began her lesson.
"So, kiddos, let's get back on track with the latest school news, shall we? In light of recent events, the U.A. Festival will be held this Friday, and it will be your chance to either transfer into a course of your choice or get offers from some of the finest colleges in the entire world. There are plenty of other activities for you to show what you're made of outside the main event: Brain games, equipment expos, business proposals, and more. So when you're out there, really go beyond… Plus Ultra!" She yelled with a suggestive pose.
"Now, on yesterday's subject of the artistic works of the European renaissance…" She began before Michael began to tune the world out enough for him to let time slip but keep alert for anything directed his way. Teachers came and went as time crept by, and finally, the bell rang for the last time that day, signaling freedom.
Packing his things, Michael looked up to see Ms. Kayama waiting by the open door. "You ready for this, kid?" She asked with a half-hearted smile.
"No, but I suppose I don't have a choice in this, so sure." He answered as he slung the backpack on his shoulder.
She laughed and shook her head. "A lot of life is like that. So let's get a move on. The meeting is in Class 1-A's room, and a few of the other teachers involved in the U.S.J. incident will be there."
Michael walked alongside her for a few seconds before looking at her and asking, "Why are you still in costume?"
"Because I'm technically on duty. What, you don't like my costume, Mr. Farron?" She said as she stopped and put a hand on her hip.
"You look good in it… I mean… Ah, fuck me." He stammered as the teacher started laughing and took a few seconds to calm down.
"Oh, you sweetheart, you. I just might."
The two had arrived at the door to Class 1-A, and the teacher gave him a little wink before opening the door and waving him inside. Michael walked in to see Principal Nezu sitting on Mr. Aizawa's desk and swinging his little feet with a smile on his face. Aizawa stood tall next to him, looking as serious as ever. All-Might himself stood on the other side with a few other heroes that Michael caught glimpses of during the evacuation. The strange dog-bear-mouse hybrid principal gave a friendly wave. "Mr. Michael Farron, I am Principal Nezu. I am quite pleased to meet you, despite the rather serious reason for a discussion such as this. So! Let's all have a quick review of the situation at hand and go from there, shall we?"
The principal stood on the desk, pulling a small remote from his pocket before turning to the board behind him and clicking a button. A faint hum was heard, and a video feed selection popped into sight. A few clicks were heard as the cursor moved onto the Mountain zone option, and one last click made Michael realize he was surrounded by pro heroes.
Michael and the group of staff stood and watched as the events played out before them. The portal dropping the four students in the zone, the hasty planning and defense being created, and the moment the fighting started. Pausing the video, Nezu addressed the group. "As experienced and combat-tested heroes, you all know that what comes next is far from ideal but, unfortunately, what had to be done. Keep this in mind as we watch Michael and company defend themselves."
The video played again, and multiple camera angles shuffled through to showcase each of the four students' combat abilities. Yaoyorozu's staff visibly dislocated some villain's jaw with a spinning slam before redirecting into another's knee. Jiro's sonic waves were slamming into concentrated groups, and bleeding from the ears was common among the attackers. A swipe of her blade left a nasty gash across one's chest before he passed out at the sight of his own blood. Kaminari's electricity served as a final defense for whoever tried to flank the two girls, leaving villains frying on the ground as they rode the lightning.
Finally, the camera view locked onto the violence that Farron embodied. His nightsticks struck out like vipers as they delivered decisive damage to whoever got close enough. He'd eat a punch to the jaw just to catch the arm and snap the offending elbow connected to it. One villain broke his knuckles on the dual weapons before they retaliated and cracked his teeth. For roughly three minutes, Michael was a hurricane of frenzied aggression in a desperate bid to make it to the end. He looked as if he was less focused on defending anyone, and more like he was actively seeking out targets. Only one crocodilian villain remained as the two squared off. Michael's arm shot up to block the charge but was quickly shattered by the jaws' bite force now dragging him to the ground. When the pair had been brought to the rocky surface, Principal Nezu stopped the video and turned to the teachers. "Has anyone here been to the zoo?"
Multiple teachers raised their hands as they wondered where the mouse bear was going with this.
"Have you ever seen the live feeding of alligators and their crocodilian counterparts?"
Only two hands remained in the air as everyone besides All-Might and Michael had dropped their hands. "Excellent! Well, these reptiles drag their prey underwater and violently spin and thrash to try and forcefully rip them apart. This is due to the inability to chew said prey, making swallowing them whole much easier. It's since come to be named the Death Roll. Can anyone guess as to what this crocodilian man is about to attempt on Mr. Farron's arm?" Nezu asked only to be answered with silence. Michael suddenly grabbed his arm, remembering how the jaws felt.
Seeing no takers, he pressed a button and resumed the video. The camera angle showed the two rolling around with Michael biting what he could and using his free hand to bludgeon the villain when possible. Blood had gushed out of his arm while the two were growling at each other in anger and pain. A few seconds had gone by when the villain had slowed down to a near crawl, letting Michael's arm flop out unnaturally. The teen stood on shaky legs before striking the larger man a few more times with the nightstick.
An aerial shot was the next point of view as Micheal ran towards the other three that were still holding out against the last real wave of enemies. Another click of the remote paused the video, and Nezu said, "Mr. Farron, our gracious school nurse has provided me with a detailed medical report, and let's start by saying that your arm still working is nothing short of a miracle. Healing quirk or not, she has stated on this paper that you are fortunate to have full use of your arm. The man's autopsy revealed that while there was damage to the head, the ultimate cause of death was unknown, but most likely the more than necessary amount of hemotoxin coursing through his veins much faster due to physical exertion. This is obviously a case of self-defense with a somewhat questionable action at the end. Are there any disagreements?"
"I do not disagree, but I advise further study into Mr. Farron's unique biology at the nearest opportunity." Said Aizawa as he seemed to study the teen before him.
"Agreed. Now onto the real issue at hand." Said Nezu as he clicked the remote again.
Yaoyorozu was applying a tourniquet and patching what she could. Michael bit down hard on the gag to muffle his scream as she packed gauze into each puncture wound. Adrenaline and will were the only things keeping him from passing out from shock. She had really saved his life, leaving him permanently indebted to her. She didn't know how grateful he was for her, but Michael figured he may as well start repaying the favor.
The camera then showed the three communicating as the wave gave one last all-in assault. Yaoyorozu ripped the top of her hero costume off in front of him and created her insulated blanket as Kaminari began to generate a small field of lightning. Jiro took shelter under the blanket with the other two, and Michael finally got to see how Kaminari single-handedly stopped at least thirty villains in their tracks. He smiled as he heard the pained screams of the villainous forces. He made a mental note to let Denki know how impressive that was.
Electricity arced throughout each villain and rippled across the ground, frying everything within a hundred meters to a half-dead crisp. Michael couldn't help but chuckle at the stupidly overpowered move. His laughter quickly faded as he saw the last villain grab the now mentally incapacitated electricity user. The view shifted back to a topless Yaoyorozu, who was being helped by Jiro to use the blanket as a temporary covering. Michael lay soaking in a puddle of his own blood as the villain made his way to the two girls. The memory of what the villain had demanded floated through his head, and he saw his past self quietly strip naked behind the cover of Yaoyorozu's improvised cloak. Blending in with his surroundings, the only sign he was there was the shredded gym uniform and bloodstains.
The girls did what they could to buy him time as he crept behind the man and got ready to subdue him. When the man raised a hand to grab at the taller girl, Michael swung full force with the nightstick at the back of the man's head. The video went on to show the ballistic fury unleashed on the obviously defeated villain. Blows rained down on his skull that was visibly caved in and bleeding heavily. After a few seconds more of the beating, he was dragged off, kicking and screaming at the body, and Nezu turned off the screen. Turning around with his little smile, he said, "Well, Mr. Farron… I must say, I'd hate to be on your bad side."
"Young Farron, I do hope you see where our concern is coming from with this. We heroes do our best to avoid taking such drastic measures, and you are far too young to have to carry that weight." Said All-Might with a serious face.
"Losing control of your emotions in a fight is a one-way ticket to getting expelled. Or even imprisoned." Said Aizawa.
"Oh really, now? My my, Aizawa, didn't you have a certain blonde bomber almost kill Mr. Midoriya in a fit of rage? He is still in your class, isn't he?" Midnight said with a coy smile.
Aizawa rolled his eyes but stayed silent, All-Might looking away in shame. "Mistakes were made." Aizawa finally said with a gruff voice.
"So Farron isn't allowed to make one, but two pro prospects are?" She said with a raised eyebrow.
"I… I suppose you are right. I should've looked deeper into the history behind those two. Mr. Farron, I am sorry for being so harsh on this matter, but it is not one we can afford to let happen again."
Nezu stepped in with his little smile, though it didn't seem quite so genuine now. "Well, it came to my attention some short time ago that you and another student in the general education course were aiming to transfer over to the hero course. So Farron, why do you want to be a hero?"
"My parents. They always told me the hardest things in life are the only things worth doing. If being a hero is so hard, then it must be worth it, right?"
"Hmm. Perhaps it is. Perhaps it isn't. What do you do if it's not, Mr. Farron?"
"I don't really know."
"Well, I suppose we'll have to wait and see how you handle the sports festival. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing how far you'll go. Now I'm going to let you head home and get some rest. The coming week is sure to be busy with the festival on Wednesday, and we'll be busy with details and red tape. Have a good evening, Mr. Farron."
The teachers all gave him some form of goodbye ranging from Aizawa's nod to a wink from Ms. Kayama. Once he had left the room, Nezu looked to his staff and said, "It looks like you will be gaining a student this year, Shouta. I can't wait to see how he's going to shake things up."
"More than he already has?" Aizawa said, grabbing a juice pouch.
"Even more so."
Eraserhead rolled his eyes and emptied the pouch. "So what are we going to do about these two deaths?"
"The boy was acting in self-defense and in the direct defense of others. No doubt his American upbringing is the main thing keeping him from having too much guilt eat at him." Nezu explained.
"What do you mean?" the gruff teacher asked.
"Two of your colleagues here know far better than I do." He said, pointing to All-Might and Snipe.
"American laws are much more relaxed when it comes to this kinda thing." Said Snipe as he rested his hands on his belt buckle. "In fact, my revolvers are only allowed here on behalf of an American hero vouching for me. That boy could probably shoot almost as well as me if we both went quirkless on a range."
"Great. He's already got combat knives as part of his gear request form, and I have a feeling a firearm isn't far off in the future." Said Aizawa.
"Maybe not, but I'm sure we can tailor a teaching program for his special case." Said Midnight with a grin.
Aizawa looked at the Rated R Hero for a moment before asking, "Why are you vouching for him?"
"The boy made a game plan in the heat of the moment that was extremely effective, saving two of our students from a serious trauma, and coming out as the only one injured in his group."
"He jumped into a mob of dangerous villains with no regard for his safety."
"Aizawa, you are still wearing bandages from doing the exact same thing."
The gruff man looked down at his cast with a sigh before saying, "He needs something more than just fighting ability. He struggled in crowd control and had no range to make up for it."
"Then I'll teach him." Midnight said with a smile.
"I'm licensed to approve of firearm use as a support tool." Said Snipe.
"...Fine. I'll get the appropriate papers in order and set up what's necessary. He'd better impress during the festival."
Nezu cheered. "Excellent! Now all of you go home and be ready for next week. I wasn't lying when I said it would be busy."