Chapter 33: Are You Sure?
"Bakugo, you can't… seriously?! You mean that?!" Kirishima exclaimed, a weirdly bright smile across his face.
Bakugo's smile didn't waver, the fire in his eyes alight again as he turned back to the others, notebook still in hand. "Hell yeah – that useless bastard needs our freaking help."
"I mean… it's an improvement!" Round-Face shrugged.
"What the hell do you mean?!" Bakugo yelled.
"Maybe you could start by not calling him a: 'useless bastard'?" voiced the Frog Girl, making quotation marks with her fingers for the last two words.
Bakugo gritted his teeth, "Fine. Deku… ugh – Midoriya needs our help – and so does bloody Candy-Cane! Now are you lot gonna freaking do this or not?!"
Kirishima let out a sigh. But he smiled, sharp teeth bared as he crushed his hardened fists together, "Let's do this!"
Bakugo nodded at him, turned to the whiteboard, and picked up the pink pen (all of their pens were pink at this point, it had started to become tradition) that lay abandoned underneath it. "Heads up, Four-Eyes!" and he tossed the pen in Iida's direction.
He caught it and looked on in apparent confusion.
"You're freaking Bronze Commander, aren't you not?"
"R-Right!" he stammered.
Bakugo collapsed into the nearest empty armchair as Iida stepped to the front of the group beside the whiteboard. His eyes drifted over them all for a moment, perhaps taking in the fact that they were all freaking listening to him for once.
He cleared his throat as he wrote on the board, "First stage of a plan – best-case and worst-case scenarios," he voiced. "Best-case?"
"We get Deku and Shoto out alive!" Round-Face piped up.
"Yeah, alive," Tape-Arms scoffed. "Preferable all of us being… alive too."
As Four-Eyes wrote this on the board, Kirishima added, "And not get arrested."
Iida nodded and added it to the list.
"Then not get expelled," winced the Electric Dunce-Face.
"Worst-case?" asked Four-Eyes.
"Death!" Racoon-Eyes exclaimed with far too much enthusiasm.
"Mina, that's a bad thing," Kaminari pointed out.
"That's why it's on worst-case, duh!"
"Arrested and expelled," Sato pointed out.
"– And we fail to save them in the first place," added Tsu, which was the obvious answer.
Iida stepped back as he finished jotting them down. "Weighing up the positives and negatives, it is clear that the best solution would be to let the professionals take care of this." Slowly, he turned back to the others, "That is what I would have told you all at the beginning of this year. However… raise your hand if you are willing to go through with this."
Was there really any point in freaking asking?
The decision was unanimous. Iida wiped what he'd written off the board, and started a new title:
Challenges we face:
"We need to escape UA first, and we're not very good at that," Frog Girl acknowledged.
"Are we forgetting the fact that we don't know where they are?!" Sero exclaimed.
They all faltered. Shoot, Bakugo was a little embarrassed to admit he hadn't thought of that.
But their answer came soon after, at the rattling of keys and the opening of the front door.
Whist Iida hastily wiped their workings off the board again, Mr Aizawa trudged in, closely followed by freaking Ponytail, Yaoyorozu.
Their teacher's gaze flicked over them all, a slight hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"Are you ok, Momo?" Round-Face asked immediately, hurrying over and taking her arm to lead her back to a chair. There was still a bandage wrapped around her forehead.
"I'm ok, thank you for asking," she replied softly.
When the silence returned, Mr Aizawa sighed deeply. Bakugo just realised he'd noticed that he was holding Deku's notebook.
"I'll be back later this evening," he explained. Of course, he had this stupid press conference to go to in order to make the press stop making them look like the bad guys. Freaking pointless if you asked Bakugo. "Don't…"
He did not finish that sentence.
"Don't," he reiterated. With that, he turned and left.
"…Don't what?" asked Yaoyorozu.
"You freaking heard him, Silver Commander," Bakugo sighed, staring at the ceiling. In the corner of his eye, he could still see her blink at him in surprise.
"Anyone else notice that he didn't lock the door?" blinked Kirishima.
They all turned and stared as the closed doors, not that it made a difference. Slowly, Four-Eyes put the pen down and walked over. After one last glance back at them, he reached for the door handle, and opened the door. "…Interesting," he said as he closed it again.
"Are we… leaving?" Yaoyorozu realised.
"We have to rescue Deku and Shoto!" Uraraka exclaimed.
"Only problem is, we don't know where they are," Kirishima muttered bitterly.
"…I might be able to help with that."
As it turns out, the reason Yaoyorozu had gotten so beat up in the first place, was because whilst desperately searching for class B in the forest, alongside an actually conscious member of that class, Awase, the two stumbled across a Nomu. Bakugo knew this, as the latter had explained back at the camp. However, just before Ponytail passed out, and that mindless monster was walking away at the call of whoever the hell its master was, she made a tracker, one which she gave to Awase. Awase, with a Quirk that allowed him to permanently fuse anything with anything else, welded that tiny tracking device onto the back of the Nomu without asking questions.
When Yaoyorozu came to, she reported her quick-thinking tactic to the police and heroes and made a receiver for that tracking device. They were going to use it to locate that Nomu and storm the place the moment they had the chance.
With a soft glow, Yaoyorozu pulled from her arm, a second receiver.
They all grinned, her included.
They could freaking do this.
Midoriya still hadn't seen Shoto, and that was what scared him the most.
He didn't know how much time had passed since he saw All for One. It could have been a few hours – it could have been a day. There was no window in his room; no way of telling the time. It was permanently a little too dark, and the light flickered. Most frequently, at intervals of five seconds. Occasionally, it stopped for twenty. Once, it went out completely for a couple of minutes.
As you might have guessed, he didn't quite know what to do with himself. In a strange parallel, it reminded him of his first day at UA, sitting in his room, scared of the people around him and scared of what his future might hold. Except, here, it was dark, and at UA, he wasn't allowed to turn off the light.
Not that it mattered anymore. None of the people who had been enrolled in class 1-A for having dangerous, out of control abilities still had that issue. They were all perfectly fine now; partly due to UA, partly due to Midoriya, partly due to everyone else. All the vigilantes faced the prospect of continuing doing what they'd always dreamed of pursuing, real heroism, like Mr Aizawa. All that left were the 'villains', most of which were never really much of a problem anyway. Yeah, class A had a bright future ahead of them.
Them… not including Midoriya.
His mind raced, forced to entertain itself in the box he was trapped in (although the door was not locked – another peculiar analogy to UA. Here, he did not attempt to flee). He knew what the world must be thinking; what this story was bound to be twisted to. Midoriya would never be trusted again, and that trust was hardly concrete begin with. He barely trusted himself, as an ever-growing part of himself fantasised and hoped – weighing up his options and crawling ever closer to that shining light offered to him. A power of his very own – the cultivation of all his hopes and dreams; his greatest wish come true.
He found himself arguing internally. He would be a fool to reject such an offer. It didn't matter – accept it, betray him. Easy. Yes, but he would then forever hold the guilt. Where did this Quirk even come from? Whatever, they were most likely dead. He was putting it to good use. And what use would that be? If you weren't a villain before, you certainly would be then. Cheating, lying, stealing to get what he wanted – just like Kacchan said. You'd be a monster, not dissimilar to the Nomu. Class A would never trust you, never let you lead them. Listen to Kacchan – if you want a Quirk, better hope for it in your next life. But I can have it here – I really can! No more lies, no more playing pretend. They called me a villain, might as well live up to their expectations. And then what, huh? Play along with the League? Kill All Might? You're not a killer. I don't need to do that – I don't want to fight like that. Isn't that what heroes do? Not the heroes I want to be. Well, that doesn't matter because you can't be a hero. Stop it – we've already figured this out! I can be a hero.
Yes, but do you want to?
Midoriya rolled out of his bed and leapt to his feet in a cold sweat. He hadn't been asleep, but he felt like he'd just woken up from a nightmare. Only this wasn't a dream, this was very, very real.
He realised standing like this was straining his ankle. He wouldn't be surprised to hear that he'd broken it at some point, although he was quite certain the pain of such an injury would have overcome the sheer power of will and adrenaline that had been driving him onwards back in the forest. Regardless, Midoriya found himself walking towards the door and out into the corridors. Slowly, he wandered through this maze, footsteps echoing around him.
He was going upstairs, he realised, as high as he could go. Until, eventually, he reached a door he recognised, and pushed it open.
"Good afternoon, Midoriya! I take it you are feeling well?"
Midoriya picked his way through the treacherous room, covered in hidden wires and trip hazards. He soon reached the centre, and found himself once again, standing before All for One.
He… wasn't wearing his mask this time. He was attached to some sort of ventilator, and his face was on full show. He… really didn't have eyes.
"Sit, your leg must be hurting you," he told him.
Midoriya looked down slightly and acknowledged that there was a table in between them, with a closed box on top. A little further behind him, was that same chair he'd left from their first meeting. Cautiously, Midoriya shifted it closer, and sat by the opposite end of the table to All for One.
The villain reached forwards and took the lid off that box. Midoriya watched as, despite his clear blindness, All for One took out the pieces of a chess board. After a moment, Midoriya helped, leaving the box on the floor and placing pieces on either side of the checkered board. He didn't quite know where all the pieces belonged, although he was sure all the pawns were to be in a line in front of all the other pieces. For the rest, he mirrored the positions of All for One's white pieces with his own black. He placed the king down last and looked up to the villain expectantly.
He waited for a moment, before saying, "Ask away, child. I know you have questions."
"How do you see?" he blurted out.
He smiled, "A useful Quirk I have, allows me to interpret infrared light. I don't see colour so well, and some aspects of the world are far clearer than others. But I assure you I can see far more clearly than perhaps… an infrared camera."
Midoriya pursed his lips slightly and nodded. The man essentially had high-definition heat vision.
"I hear you do not know how to play," All for One continued after a moment.
"I… err…" Midoriya started, glancing down at the chess board, "Um, I think I know what all the pieces can and can't do, but…"
"I think it is a game you would enjoy. I certainly do. Here, I'll go easy on you. Whites traditionally make the first move, but it is up to you. You can go first if you want."
And so, Midoriya found himself playing chess. Predictably, he wasn't very good at it. But he soon understood what All for One had meant, Midoriya could see himself enjoying this game. It was all about strategy and reading your opponent. He'd always been good at that.
"Very good!" All for One smiled. "That game was far better than the last."
"I still lost," Midoriya pointed out as he carefully set the board up again.
"But you are improving."
All for One started by moving a pawn, a move which Midoriya quickly mirrored.
They played for a little longer before talking again.
"It is ok to sacrifice pawns," All for One told him as Midoriya desperately tried to move one out of harm's way.
"But surely I want to preserve as many pieces as possible?" he replied.
"Losses are inevitable. You might as well make them tactically."
So, he did just that. He had to admit, he started doing much better because of it.
"Don't worry too much about the queen either, you can still win without her," All for One said as Midoriya lost his.
"But she's the most powerful."
"The king is the most powerful."
"Well, I know that losing the king means you lose the game, but… he can't do anything – the pawns can technically move further than him."
"You are the king," All for One explained, tapping the piece as he said so. "It is what represents the player, giving orders to the rest of the army. Without it, they fall apart."
Midoriya quickly realised this conversation wasn't just about chess anymore. "…It would be far more useful if the… queen was the one giving orders."
"The queen fights to protect the king. If she were the one giving orders, her power would diminish. Besides, the queen can be easily replaced. The king, however, cannot."
"…But it would still be better if the king could move more than one square at a time."
"It would, that I cannot deny."
"But that would be breaking the rules of the game."
"It would. Interesting though, as you see. Once you start making your own rules…"
He waited for a moment, indicating to the dwindling pieces left on the board. Hesitantly, Midoriya picked up his king, and moved it right across to checkmate All for One's – previously surrounded by other pieces, but in the clear until this rather illegal move.
All for One smiled a little wider and made a defeated gesture with his hands, "– victory is inevitable. The boundaries defeated, not just the opponent.
"But the question remains –"
Midoriya looked up at him curiously.
"– who is your opponent?" he finished.
"…You?" Midoriya answered.
"Am I?"
"I…" he looked back down at his pieces. "I don't know."
"Perhaps you should think about it a little more," the man suggested. "I'm sure the doctor has some food for you in your room if you wish to return. However, I'd be perfectly happy to continue to play for a while longer."
Despite the niceties, Midoriya could see that this was his cue to leave. He stood up, "U-Um, yes – no – i-it's fine. I'll… go."
"Perhaps we could talk again later?"
"I – err – if… that's ok?"
"But of course! It has been quite some time since I had such a mind to converse with."
Unsure how to reply, Midoriya simply nodded, tucked in his chair, and made his leave, turning back a few times as he struggled not to stumble over wires.
When he finally made it back to his room, there was indeed, a few sandwiches waited for him. He realised he was rather hungry.
For a while, his debilitating thoughts left him in peace.
Yaoyorozu's tracking device led them to Kamino ward. To get there, they needed to board the bullet train. Yaoyorozu insisted she would pay for them all at the station, but that was the least of their problems.
First off, they needed to get to the train. There was a station not far from the school. Bakugo had been there on multiple occasions. It was a quick transfer to the bullet train from there. They just needed to get out of the school.
Iida and Yaoyorozu stood in front of the class. Iida continued to write whilst Yaoyorozu took over the leadership position seamlessly.
"We don't have the tracking device problem we usually face," she pointed out. "This means we technically don't have to scale one of the walls. The barricades won't activate at the front gate – we could walk right out!"
"There are less teachers around too, ribbit," said Tsu.
"However, it is still likely a bad idea to leave via the front!" Iida proclaimed. "Hound Dog will still be patrolling, and automatic lights will activate at movement in the main school!"
"Why are we planning this so much?!" Mina exclaimed, leaping to her feet. "Midoriya's already done the work for us! We know the best part of the wall to go for – our phones can't be tracked, and messages can't be read because Midoriya's set up all those secret group chats and stuff. Let's just grab our support gear and go!"
Bakugo sat a little more upright, "I agree with Racoon Eyes."
Iida and Yaoyorozu exchanged glances.
The latter nodded, "Ok, take as little as you can, and change into something practical and preferably dark in colour."
They scattered immediately, buzzing with excitement. Bakugo needed nothing. He was already wearing dark clothing and it was a warm summer's night, so no jumper was necessarily required. He tossed Deku's notebook aside, knowing it wouldn't be needed, and waited for the others to return.
"I'm proud of you, man," grinned Kirishima, now sitting on the arm of the sofa Bakugo was on.
"Heh?!" he exclaimed in reply, "What the hell are you on about?!"
"For getting us in gear like this, you know?" he said, punching him lightly in the arm. "I don't think the old you would have done it."
"What do you mean the old me?! I haven't changed a bit!"
Kirishima grinned at him.
They didn't talk for a moment, but after glancing at that notebook on the floor, Bakugo added, "Yeah the old me kind of sucked."
"…Just a little."
"Screw a little – I sucked a whole freaking lot."
"…It takes guts to say that."
"Freaking… thanks, I guess."
"You know, I'm just gonna say it – but remember that you don't have to like Midoriya. Just… respect him. He respects you."
"I'm never gonna like that bastard."
"I know. But you've gotta respect him."
He didn't reply – didn't know how to.
"Say that next time you see him."
"Freaking why?"
"I think he might need it. Honestly, you might need that too."
And for just a moment, Bakugo remembered Mr Aizawa's words, on the very first day of UA:
"You will graduate when I believe you understand why you ended up here – and when you can see a better path to the future.
"I know how the two of you ended up here. Neither of you will be going anywhere until you can find a way to work out these differences. Especially you, 17."
He felt Kirishima give him a pat on the shoulder before getting up to check on the others. Bakugo sat there with his thoughts for a while longer.
Monoma sat fiddling with Midoriya's grappling bolt… thing.
Was Midoriya dead? No… it seemed unlikely. Maybe the villains were trying to get him and Todoroki to convert to their side. Todoroki he could see doing that. But Midoriya… he would never do such a thing, right?
Class 1-B was small at the moment. Few remained at the dorms, whilst the rest sat in hospital, asleep. Monoma prayed it wouldn't be for much longer. He hated feeling so alone.
Tetsutetsu had spent one night in the hospital before quickly joining their number. He had been shot during the attack on their summer camp, but his metal skin meant it did little to hurt him. Regardless, they wanted to make sure there was no lasting damage. Other than that, they'd heard that the vice president of class A, Yaoyorozu, had just been released and had arrived back at UA. Awase had been glad to hear it.
In the dorms at the moment, was Monoma, Tetsutetsu, Awase, Kendo, Shoda, Kodai and Yanagi. Seven, seven out of twenty. The small number was haunting.
Other than the thirteen members of class B in the hospital, they knew that Jiro and Hagakure from class A were also unconscious. Then of course, Todoroki and Midoriya were missing.
Pixie Bob from the Wild, Wild Pussycats was badly injured. Her teammate, Ragdoll, was missing too. Then Mandalay's nephew, Kota, although uninjured thanks to Midoriya, was reportedly pretty traumatised. Monoma didn't blame him. According to Mr Vlad, he'd been desperately asking about Midoriya. God, Monoma hoped he was alright.
The two may have had a rocky start, but Monoma liked to believe they had become good friends. Almost fondly, he thought back to the days when class B chased after the villain class as they tried to break out of school. With a smile, he cast his gaze to the window he was sitting by.
Imagine his surprise, when he once again, saw them leap from the back of their dorm room and dart into the trees.
"Err, guys?!" Monoma called out, getting to his feet.
He didn't even need to explain.
The seven members of class B rushed into action, pulling on their shoes and running out the door. Monoma hadn't put down the support weapon Midoriya had shoved in his arms before he disappeared. He carried it with him into the woods enclosed by UA's perimeter.
It wasn't long before they caught up. They hadn't left long after class A, after all, and up until this point, they probably weren't aware they were being chased.
"Stop right there!" Tetsutetsu yelled as he skidded in front of them.
Pure panic washed over every face Monoma could see.
"Quick, scatter!" yelled electric Kaminari.
"No! Stay together!" Iida contradicted.
Confused, the class stopped. Soon, Monoma found himself and class B standing and facing them all.
"You're outnumbered," snarled Bakugo as he pushed to the front of the group, "Back off."
"What are you doing?" Monoma gaped. "You think running off now is going to do any good?!"
"That's not what we're freaking doing Leech!"
Monoma flinched at the name.
"We're going after them," Kirishima voiced, standing opposite Tetsutetsu, "Midoriya and Shoto. We're going to save them."
"W-What?" Monoma frowned. "But –"
"You know where they are?" Kendo stepped in.
Yaoyorozu held up a small device. "The button I had you attach to that Nomu was a tracker, Awase," she explained.
"And you didn't think to tell the heroes about this?!" Monoma interjected.
"Of course, she freaking did, idiot!" Bakugo barked. "It's a second bloody receiver."
"…Oh."
"Then you should leave it to the heroes," Kendo insisted. "They know what they're doing."
"Yeah, and we're vigilantes," Ojiro retorted. "We've been told that before. You really think that's going to stop us?"
"You could make things worse!" Tetsutetsu tried to reason.
"They're our friends!" Kirishima contradicted. "We can't stand by!"
Monoma was getting some serious flash backs to the summer camp. But… they'd done some good that time, right?
"What you're doing is honourable," Kendo continued, stepping a little further forwards with a smile on her face. It was a little daunting, seven standing against sixteen. "A-And we really respect you for that. But… I'm sorry, you can't do this. Just like we can't go out and help."
"No you don't freaking see it!" Bakugo yelled.
But before he could say a word more, Monoma stepped between them, and said, "Kendo, they can help where no one else can."
Everyone stared at him.
"…How?" Kendo frowned.
"Yeah, err, how?" added Kirishima, pushing Bakugo away gently.
He glanced between them all. "…Think about it. Anyone can dive in and save them – but… they have to want to leave."
Silence.
"What do you mean, want to leave?" Bakugo hissed, "Of course they'll freaking want to leave!"
"Will they?" Monoma replied darkly.
He faltered.
"Todo – Shoto, has a history of struggling with this kind of thing," Monoma continued. "And I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Midoriya's been finding it harder than all of you to tell the difference between the good and the bad, alright? I know because contrary to popular belief, he actually talks to me and we're friends."
"And so he admits it," Awase said in the background.
"Shut up," Monoma retorted. "Anyway the point is, they're the only ones who can really save them. Alright?"
"Are you… letting us leave?" realised Uraraka.
"Err, yeah," said Tetsutetsu, "We're letting them leave?"
Monoma faltered for a moment before nodding, walking over to class A and handing the grappling bolt over to Uraraka, who he knew could operate it from seeing her at the Sports Festival with her own version of the device.
"I… thank you?" Uraraka almost laughed as she accepted the weapon.
"We weren't here," Monoma concluded, "Come on," and he started to walk off, waving over his shoulder for the rest of class B to follow him.
"Um, are you sure, Monoma?" asked Tetsutetsu.
Monoma stopped and glanced back. Class B looked more than a little confused.
"…Yeah," he replied.
After a moment, Yanagi and Kodai exchanged glances and started to follow him. After that, Awase shrugged and did the same.
Kendo sighed, "Just… good luck."
"Thank you," Yaoyorozu smiled. The two girls gave each other a swift bow, and the classes parted ways.
Monoma returned to his seat like nothing had happened, feeling rather glad that Kendo never rung a hero the moment they saw class A make their leave.
Not a word was uttered between class B as the clock ticked by, each thinking about what class A was doing now, where they were.
Eventually, Monoma saw Kendo turn on the TV.
"The press conference is about to start, guys," she explained.
Monoma got up to sit closer and join them. They could see Mr Vlad on screen, alongside Principal Nezu and class A's Mr Aizawa.
Monoma started to twiddle his thumbs as he watched the room settle down and the questions begin.
He hoped Midoriya was alright.
He hoped that the friend he knew would make it out of this alive.
Aizawa hated the press.
Those fears that class A had about the future media trying to drag them down from heroic pedestals? Yeah, Aizawa had been there first. He'd had his fair fill of lies and rumours, damning articles and angry telephone calls. For he had graduated from class A as well. He knew the feeling.
And he knew he was about to experience it all over again.
But, regardless, that evening after he'd returned Yaoyorozu to her classmates, he cleaned himself up, put on a suit and tie, and drove Vlad and Nezu to the conference hall to put on a show.
Nezu had already given him some encouraging words, with a deeper meaning of don't let them antagonise you, give the brief, leave the painful questions to us. But Aizawa had already made up his mind. If they dared say a bad word about his class, then they were in for a world of trouble.
He stood behind that table and bowed deeply to the audience, a sign of respect that he did not mean in the slightest.
The questions started flooding in. As per the previous arrangement, Vlad and Nezu answered nearly all of them. At first, they were quite sensible, and Aizawa was genuinely surprised. They were asked mainly about the logistics of the event at the premature end of the summer camp. It wasn't unusual that class A was at the camp alongside class B, since it was what usually occurred. It wasn't like the rest of the world knew about the plan to make them a hero class yet, so no one asked. But he shouldn't have given them so much credit, because soon enough, the inevitable happened.
A reporter stood up, microphone in hand, and began a string of questions that started out reasonable enough, "Do you really think it was wise to let this year's class 1-A attend the hero course's summer camp, considering their potential as a flight risk, and what happened at the Sports Festival?"
Nezu replied before Aizawa could, "On the contrary, we believed it was of upmost importance that class A attended. A remote place for them to get to know the members of the hero course and practise their Quirks was exactly what they needed. In fact, it was going remarkably well until the unfortune disruption."
"Quite," the reporter replied with pursed lips, "So, how did the villains know about the camp's location? I thought it was supposed to be a secret."
"And it was," Nezu replied with a nod. "It is a matter of ongoing investigation."
"Is it not at all feasible that it was broadcasted by a member of class A? Over half of which have extensive histories of villainous behaviour, and one was expelled earlier this year for almost exactly the same reason in terms of leaking information."
Nezu nodded, "Again, we are looking into the matter. It is also important to not rule out a member of class B for this issue. We are trying our best to cover all grounds."
"Yes, but this same group of villains has been in extensive contact with class 1-A specifically. In fact, only a month or so ago, two members of class A, the exact same two who are now missing, were present in Hosu with the so-called League of Villains. How do you know that this was not planned on their part?"
"Class A is a very close-knit group, and many members were hurt. We do not believe any one of them would purposely put another in danger."
"How can you be so sure? If the League infiltrated UA once, who's to say it can't do so again? Class A has been reported to have tried to flee the school on several occasions. How do we know that UA is safe at all, especially considering the events of this disastrous summer camp?"
"We are improving security measures and making changes to hero patrol routes. We are determined to ensure nothing of the sort happens again."
How Nezu was staying so calm was beyond Aizawa.
"But with a new group of villainous teenagers entering your system every year, how are you sure that the next class won't follow this one's example?" the reporter pressed.
"The class 1-A system was already in place by the time I became the principal of this institution," Nezu explained. "The class has existed for decades, and never before has it faced problems such as these. As I mentioned previously, we will be taking these matters into account going forwards in terms of safety and security."
"Have you not noted that the difference between this and the last few years, to any classes prior, has been the fact that you have an ex-vigilante as their teacher?"
Aizawa stiffened as eyes shifted in his direction.
"Eraser Head has been a remarkable teacher and we are lucky to have him," Nezu insisted. There was a tinge of bitterness to his voice now that only those who knew him well could truly interpret. "We are here to discuss the villain attack, not the personal lives of my staff."
Aizawa tried not to grin. It wasn't often that you heard Nezu speak like that.
He couldn't believe his luck when the topic drifted away again. But he shouldn't have jinxed it, because rather than focusing on him, they returned to the kids.
"I have a question concerning the missing students," said a new reporter. "We all know the story behind Shoto Todoroki, but the second student, class representative Izuku Midoriya, has been an enigma to society since the beginning of the year. Could you please clarify the exact reasons as to why he attends class A? He has no criminal record, and to top it off, is completely Quirkless."
It would have been an understandable thing to ask if she hadn't had the gall to add that unnecessary 'completely Quirkless' comment on the end.
"This wouldn't be the first time we have offered a place to someone without a criminal record or uncontrollable power," said Nezu. "In fact another member of class A this year also has nothing of the sort. I run class A differently to my predecessors at the school, and offer places based on potential. Midoriya's case is particular and there was never an obligation for him to accept. Class 1-A has not been compulsory for many years. Other factors behind Midoriya's place at UA are private and have no reason to be in the public eye."
Sensing this was the end of Nezu's response, Aizawa added, "And him being Quirkless doesn't affect his potential, neither does it contribute to why he is in class A."
Perhaps Aizawa shouldn't have said anything, because the reporter must have realised that she'd hit a nerve, and kept going, "There has never been a Quirkless student at UA before. UA is a school for heroics and surrounding disciplines. Surely there would have been a better place for Midoriya to go that didn't use up a valuable place."
Before Aizawa could lash out, Nezu spoke up, "As was previously mentioned, Midoriya's Quirklessness has no effect on his potential in his studies. He is very intelligent and leads the class well. Where he takes this in life through UA is up to him, and there is no current rule nor law stating that you cannot be a hero without a Quirk."
"But taking Midoriya into class A has exposed him to a large group of people his age that have been on the wrong side of the law. Evidence from the Sports Festival and the incident in Hosu prove that Midoriya may have potential in the wrong areas. Now he is missing and expected to be with the so-called League of Villains."
It was at this point that Aizawa stood up, his chair skidding backwards. He noted Nezu's and Vlad's nervous, shifting gazes and ignored them.
"You speak about Midoriya having no place in my class, and then tell me he has the potential to be a villain. Don't contradict yourself," he snarled.
"Perhaps it is you who has done just that," she pouted. "Midoriya may have gone through his life peacefully with none of these problems had he not been put in class A."
"You are painting Midoriya as a villain, when in reality, he is a missing teenager who has been kidnapped, along with his friend, by a notorious terrorist group. We are doing everything in our power to find him, and are here to ask questions about that process, not about whether or not he can be a hero."
He scanned across the room, taking in the stunned silence for a moment more.
"Now are there any more relevant questions?"
And of course there were. A sea of raised hands stared back at him.
With a sigh, Aizawa sat back down. As Nezu and Vlad started to answer more of them, Aizawa cast his mind away to somewhere else.
Because they knew the villains would be watching this conference. And the last thing they would expect was an ambush right at that very moment.
The city of Kamino lay waiting, unaware, as the heroes took their places.
And an unassuming group of sixteen arrived at the train station.
