Chapter 5:
Battle Trials
The revelation that Yuga Aoyama and Momo Yaoyorozu were the children of Templars rattled Izuku, putting a damper on the rest of the day. He had, of course, learned of the long battle between the Assassins and the Templars during his training as he learned more about why the Brotherhood fought and how their ideals differed, but he'd never considered that people he knew and respected would have connections to such an organization. Worse still, the whole organization could not be considered totally evil because most of them believed they were doing good for the human race. It was a frustrating gray that left Izuku dazed.
Despite his personal struggles, time marched on. A sleepless night lead Izuku into his second day of school, a quick breakfast leading him out the door and toward the rest of his training.
Schooling at UA, it turned out, was surprisingly normal in the morning. Homeroom, History, Quirk Law, Japanese and English, and Mathematics passed as they would in any other school, except for the fact that each was taught by a pro hero. Lunch was catered by the pro hero Lunch Rush and, almost, Izuku felt like a normal teen.
And then Momo Yaoyorozu sat at the same table. Nether Ochako nor Iida thought anything of it and the only indication Tsuyu had of internal thoughts was a slight turn of her head and a glance of her eyes. Izuku tried to not react, but his motions felt too robotic to himself.
"I must say, I am looking forward to our Foundational Heroics class this afternoon," Momo said, forming a pair of chopsticks with casual use of her Quirk. "Do you have any idea who the teacher may be?"
"I don't know," Izuku confessed. "Our teachers could rotate control of the class, allowing us to be tutored by pros with several different fighting styles. Another potentiality is Aizawa-sensei since he's our Homeroom teacher. Otherwise, I haven't a clue."
"I'm afraid I could acquire no information either," Iida said. "We will need to settle for a surprise for now."
"I hope it's our teachers rotating," Tsuyu offered, speaking easily despite having a roll of sushi wrapped in her tongue. "Like Izuku said, ribbit, no one teacher knows what's best for every student when we're all unique."
"I guess that's true," Izuku muttered. "Still, each pro here has taught countless students. I'm sure every one of them would have insights that would help each of us."
"Speaking of insights, I'd like to pick your brain, Midoriya." Izuku turned to Momo slowly, clenching his jaw.
"O-Oh? Wh-What about?"
"About your analysis, of course." Izuku relaxed, his secret safe. "If there are unknown or unnoticed facets of my Quirk, I would like to locate them and capitalize."
"S-Sure. How about after Heroics? I should learn more after seeing your powers in action."
"That would be wonderful. You have my gratitude."
Soon enough, the bell rang, signaling time for their long-awaited class. Aizawa had told them to meet in his classroom for the start of their period, the classroom quickly filling with excited chatter as each student presented their own theory for who their teacher was.
The door opened.
"I am here… coming through the door like a normal person!"
Blowing every theory out of the water, All Might stepped through, clad in his red, white, and blue Silver Age outfit.
"That's not normal at all!" about half the class yelled before the reality of the situation set in.
"Wow! It's All Might!"
"So he's a teacher here, too‽"
"That outfit's so retro, I'm getting goosebumps."
Internally, Izuku was squealing like a maiden who received a text from their crush. Interest and glee sparkled in his eyes. To be able to not only meet All Might, but to learn from him as well had made his hellish training with Aizawa and the Brotherhood worth it.
Training to kill, he may be, but who didn't look up to All Might?
"That's right, all! I accepted an offer from Principal Nezu and took up a teaching position here at UA so that I may fan the flames of justice in the next generation! I will be teaching your Fundamental Heroics class, though you can think of it as Hero-ing 101! And to start, we will hit the ground running with battle trials!" He paused, bringing up a pointer finger to emphasize his point with nonverbals and a smile. Sections of the wall opposite the door moved as 19 slots appeared to show containers within, each labeled with a number coinciding with a desk in use. "All that said, fine feathers make a fine bird, as the Americans say. Therefore, costumes have been made according to your Quirk registries and your own personal input. Give them a try on and meet me at Training Ground Beta!"
He waved before disappearing through the door again, leaving the class alone. The room exploded into chatter, but Izuku and Tsuyu had had the importance of speed and punctuality drilled into them, with Iida not far behind. The three grabbed their assigned cases and made for the door.
Izuku stepped into the light of the sun, thankful for hood that shaded his eyes. His mother had had his costume made based on a design he'd doodled in his free time but had happened to use a maker with ties to the Brotherhood. In doing so, Mentor also had an input on alterations, getting the makers to use materials outside his mother's price range, and Izuku was happy with this.
The outfit was mostly a dark green jumpsuit that covered his whole body, thick shoes and thin gloves covering the ends of his appendages, robe-like extensions falling down the sides of his legs. The shoes were noise-canceling with steel plates over the top, each cushioned from the others with gel so they wouldn't clink as he walked. His knees and elbows each had a hard, rounded point to increase strikes but remain non-lethal. In his costume, his forearms looked unnaturally thick, extending to his wrists. Officially, this was padding for blocking attacks, but two hidden bracers were, as implied, hidden within, the one on the right a classic blade and the other a hookblade for climbing.
His hood, thankfully, lacked the childish bunny-like flaps he'd thought would pay homage to All Might's hair, instead nearly taking the shape of the Assassins' symbol. The flairs on either side of the hood hid a headset so that he could coordinate with anyone on the same frequency. Finally, his toolbelt sat at his waist, his rope-dart and collapsed bo resting with other, currently-empty pouches.
Tsuyu was already there, having donned a skintight bodysuit accented light green and black along with a pair of large goggles. Izuku goggled at her, her costume about as far from an Assassin's robes as she could get. He'd explained away any similarities as trying to emulate the ninjas of old since his "Quirk" was all but useless in combat, getting Mentor to agree to the design, but Tsuyu's left nearly nothing to the imagination.
"Ts-Tsuyu," Izuku stuttered, averting his eyes as she looked at him. "Y-Your costume… I-It's…"
He didn't know what to say, having only seen his fellow recruit in either her robes, the school uniform, or the P.E. sweats. His cheeks reddened as she stepped closer, studying his outfit.
"I like your costume, ribbit," she said. "It looks like it can hide a lot of secrets. I look forward to seeing what you can do. But Izuku, ribbit, I asked you to call me Tsu."
"You both are certainly prompt!" All Might laughed, the muscular hero landing on the street beside them. Ground Beta, as it turned out, had been the same testing ground where Izuku and Ochako had felled the zero-pointer, but without robots to fight, Izuku was able to appreciate how big the area was. That appreciation was, however, overshadowed by his admiration of the idol of millions. "Young Midoriya and Young Tsuyu, yes? That will serve you well in Aizawa's class!"
As he finished speaking and before Izuku could ask for an autograph, other students began emerging from the changing rooms, each looking unique in their choice of costume, and Izuku found his face warming as nearly every female student was clad in something that showed off their curves. Some, like Ochako who mentioned that she should have been clearer about her preferences, looked uncomfortable while others, like Mina and Momo, looked determined and unfazed. Izuku noted that Toru only had a pair of gloves and boots. He prayed that she also had a costume that could match her invisibility.
"Is everyone here?" All Might questioned, mentally counting the students. "I thought there were 20 of you?"
"Aizawa-sensei expelled one yesterday, All Might-sensei," Ojiro, a plain-looking boy with a tail and a gi, said. "He… didn't have a good mindset for a hero."
"It appears Aizawa lives up to his reputation," the teacher muttered reaching behind his back before pulling out a small basket. "In that case, I will need to make a change to my plans, but, I suppose, this will be a fine lesson for you all to learn. This basket holds 20 pieces of paper with letters A through J on them, and these will give each of you a partner for today's exercise. Each team will then be paired against another, taking on the roles of heroes or villains. The villain team will have ten minutes to hide a faux bomb inside this building to your left before the hearo team enters. They will win if they can capture both villains with capture tape or touch the bomb. The villains will win if they capture both heroes or keep them at bay for ten minutes." He gestured to the basket and passed it to Aoyama as the boy was closest to him.
"Team D," the blond smiled, passing the basket to Kyoka, the girl with earphone jacks extending from her earlobes.
"Sir!" Iida called, raising his hand. "You had prepared for ten even pairs, but we find ourselves one short. What shall be done about the single student who does not have a partner?"
"It will depend," All Might answered. "That individual will need to best their foes on their own, but if given a villain role, I will give them an extra five minutes to prepare."
"That seems incredibly unfair!" the bespectacled student complained.
"Aizawa-sensei told us yesterday that life isn't fair, ribbit," Tsuyu reminded him. "In the field, we might find ourselves in a situation where we are faced with a challenge alone, ribbit. That's luck."
"I suppose that is true," Iida conceded. "Still, for this to happen in an academic setting…"
The basket reached Izuku, the boy reaching in to find the letter G on his paper. He nodded, passing the container to Tsuyu who, in turn, got the letter F.
After the basket returned to All Might, he ordered the students to find their partners. The boy with two-toned hair, whom All Might called Young Todoroki, had the bad luck of being alone, but if this bothered him, he did not show it. The rest of the pairings were as followed:
Team A: Sero and Iida
Team B: Ojiro and Ashido
Team C: Kyoka and Fumikage
Team D: Shoji and Aoyama
Team E: Ochako and Koji
Team F: Tsuyu and Hakagure
Team G: Izuku and Momo
Team H: Bakugo and Eijiro
Team I: Shoto
Team J: Kaminari and Sato
(Please note: honestly and truly, all pairings and match-ups were randomly generated. None of these were planned.)
Slowly, Izuku turned to his partner for the day's training, the girl in question dressed in a nearly-scandalous costume that showed way too much skin. Nerves and thoughts rattled through Izuku so thoroughly that he nearly missed All Might drawing two slips and announcing the first round to be Team C as heroes and Team B as villains. As the four students remained, Ojiro and Mina stepping into the building, the rest of the students and All Might made their way into the viewing room. Momo stood beside him, Izuku locking his muscles and joints so he wouldn't shake.
"Begin!" All Might declared into a microphone, starting the first match.
Izuku focused his full attention on the fight, his notebook appearing in his hand as he noted how each student used their powers in new and creative ways. Ojiro and Mina had spent their ten minutes of prep time creating hand- and tail-holds in the walls and ceiling while Mina covered the floors with an irritating acid that would itch wherever it touched skin.
Unfortunately for them, Fumikage and Kyoka managed to use their own preparations against them. Fumikage's Dark Shadow was strong enough to carry them both over the acid and, with Kyoka's Earphone Jacks, she quickly located the villain team. They managed to get the drop on them, Kyoka breaking the lightbulbs above to strengthen Dark Shadow. She touched the bomb after Fumikage sacrificed himself to distract both Mina and Ojiro.
"An excellent match!" All Might laughed as both teams returned. A quick discussion declared Fumikage the MVP before Team A and Shoto left for their match.
It proved to be far shorter than the last one. Shoto had a powerful ice Quirk, the student playing the villain freezing every entry solid. Iida managed to break down the door, only to slide on a sheet of ice without traction. He and Sero were unable to make any headway until time ran out, Shoto then melting the ice with fire from his other side.
Understandably, Shoto was deemed the MVP and class moved on.
The next match was Shoji, the tallest student with the Quirk Dupli-Arms, and Aoyama facing the villainous duo of Ochako and Koji. As it turned out, ten minutes was a lot of time, Koji using his Anivoice to befriend a massive colony of rats that hounded Shoji through the halls. Aoyama avoided such a fate, refusing to enter such a dirty building, while the rats were present. Though Shoji overpowered Koji, he missed the buzzer when Ochako floated the bomb to the roof where he could not reach it.
Even so, Shoji was the MVP as he did all the work for his team.
"All wonderful matches so far!" All Might grinned, reaching into his basket for the next competitors. Drawing two slips, he announced, "Our next heroes shall be Team G, and they will be facing Team F as the villains!"
'Shit!' Izuku mentally swore. He bit a finger, keeping his stream of consciousness thoughts inside the whole way down to the street. 'Talk about bad luck! Is there some form of interference? Do they know about Tsuyu and me? Is...? No! Is All Might a Templar? What would I do if he is? Shit, shit, shit!'
"Midoriya?" Momo said, shaking his shoulder. Izuku jumped, the world snapping into focus.
"Wh-What?"
"You seem nervous, but we cannot let that slow us down. Our trip has cost us time."
"R-Right." Izuku coughed, the pair waiting for All Might's signal while the villain team of Tsuyu and Toru set up. That was another point of unease, that of all chances, he was facing off against Tsuyu and neither could fight as they really wanted to. "W-We need a plan, Yaoyorozu."
"Indeed," the girl nodded, placing a finger on her chin. "You saw my Quirk yesterday and, during your confrontation with Bakugo, you announced that your Quirk was noncombative in nature. What manner of fighting do your utilize?"
"I-I'm mostly defensive," Izuku answered. "I have to rely on my weapons, but I've gotten pretty good at hiding. Power means nothing if they can't find me, right?"
"That makes sense," Momo nodded, causing Izuku to relax a bit. "What do you know of our foes?"
"Tsuyu's Quirk gives her all the abilities of a frog, so she'll be at an advantage inside. Hagakure shouldn't be a problem, though."
"Why not?" his partner blinked. "I would think she is the one that requires the most caution."
"Nope." Izuku shook his head. "I tested it yesterday and my Empathetic Eye can see her. It doesn't rely on light, but on emotion. She can't hide from me."
"In that case, we should each prioritize our own opponent," Momo said. "You should be able to handle Hagakure and I will find a way to neutralize Asui. Have you an idea of her weaknesses?"
"No," Izuku lied, refusing to give away an Assassin's weakness to a potential Templar, even for an unrelated training exercise. "Not at the moment."
"I suppose that was too much to ask for on the second day," Momo sighed. "On the bright side, they only have two options. They can come to use and hope to subdue us, or they will need to guard the bomb, planting them in one spot. …Ah!" Momo clapped, the sudden sound startling Izuku. Momo did not notice this, the glow of her Quirk coming from her arm as she created a pair of goggles. She donned them with a proud grin.
"What are those?"
"Heat-vision goggles," the girl answered. "I should also be able to see Hagakure with these."
"I guess so." Izuku felt a nervous sweat run down his neck, the potential terror Momo could unleash on the Brotherhood if she followed her parents into the Templar Order weighing on his psyche. The only thing that alleviated this was the innocence she gave off and that her light was currently a soft, deep blue like the rest of the class sans two, Bakugo being red and Tsuyu being a lighter shade of blue.
"And begin!" All Might called through the speakers.
"Alright, Midoriya," Momo said. "Let's commence our operation."
"They don't have any creationary abilities," Izuku put in as they began to move. "The only form of trap we need to worry about is an ambush."
"Too bad for them, I'm always prepared." Momo stopped at the doorway, said door having been lost when Iida kicked it down earlier. She peeked in, Izuku activating his Eagle Vision as well. "No heat signatures. They must be deeper in the building."
"I suspect the bomb's on the top floor. If that's so, they might be waiting for us at the stairs."
"We don't need them." Momo grinned, creating a grappling hook. She fired it at the roof, the hook catching on the ledge. "After you."
Even more scared of her now, Izuku climbed the rope, rolling over onto the top of the building. Momo followed, her heat-vision goggles scanning the rooftop.
"No hits. They must be another floor down."
"Then that's where we'll go."
Entering the top of the stairwell slowly, Izuku kept his Eagle Vision on, lest Toru try to sneak up on them. Momo followed, the pair descending to the second level.
"I'm getting a small reading," Momo whispered. "They're near the center of the building."
"We need to get closer." Izuku fell into the shadows, stalking his way forward in a manner Momo could not replicate. Finding this an inconvenience, the girl overtook him, setting herself in the front so that all initial attention would be on her. She came to the closed doorway and paused.
Her goggles were picking up two signatures from inside, one to the right of the door and another up by the ceiling. Glancing back at her partner, she gestured with her fingers, silently indicating the positions of their foes. Izuku nodded, prompting Momo to form a battering ram.
The destruction of the door surprised all three of the other students, Momo charging into the room and instantly flinging a net at the frog-girl in the corner. Tsuyu recovered quickly, hopping out of the way as the net hit the corner and fell limply. Izuku shook off the surprise at the same time Toru did, the only male in the exercise rolling into the room and pivoting into a low sweep. Toru stumbled back, not use to such direct attacks. When faced with an opponent that could see her, Toru had no counter. And to Izuku at the moment, she looked like a red silhouette with a blue core. Knowing that he could best her in close-range, Izuku pressed forward.
The fight between Tsuyu and Momo was a much more even battle. Momo had formed a boken and a shield, the latter she used to deflect Tsuyu's tongue attacks. However, the frog-girl refused to stay at close-range, constantly jumping from one wall to another.
"Toru Hagakure has been captured!" All Might announced. Tsuyu's eyes darted to Izuku as he turned toward her, the frog-girl landing just long enough to launch herself toward the ceiling where she stuck to the roof.
"I see Mei pulled through on your request!" Izuku called upward, stepping over to stand beside Momo. "Give up!"
"You haven't won yet, ribbit!" Tsuyu replied.
"The bomb isn't here," Momo noticed. Her eyes widened. "The bomb doesn't have a heat signature and it's the same color as the walls."
"Not for me it isn't," Izuku said. "That said, I'll need to see it first. You keep her busy or catch her if you can. I'll find the bomb."
"Roger."
"I won't let you just get away, Izuku," Tsuyu announced, a certain edge in her tone that the boy could not place. The faux villain dodged another net from Momo while sending her tongue forward, forcing Izuku to roll away. It came back as he stood, catching him around the waist and lifting him from the floor.
"Midoriya!" Momo called as Tsuyu rolled her tongue, wrapping her fellow secret informant tightly. "You let him go!"
"Why should I do that, ribbit?" Tsuyu asked, shifting Izuku so he was mostly between her and Momo. "This is my prey, and I don't let my prey go easily, ribbit."
"You've made a miscalculation, Tsuyu," Izuku said, struggling in her grip.
"What might that be, ribbit?"
"You aren't the only one who talked to Mei." He squeezed his abdomine, his new bo activating a function Mei had installed, leaving a note in his case about the change. Electricity sparked from it's ends like a tazer.
As it stood, Izuku also made a mistake because, though the electricity had the desired effect, his suit was not shockproof. That same shock ran through him, inciting a cry from both students. Tsuyu's muscles convulsed, the girl falling to the floor while taking Izuku with her. Both hit the floor hard, her tongue going slack around him.
"Midoriya!" Momo yelled.
"D-Don't worry about me! Get Tsuyu while she's down!"
"Right!"
His fellow recruit gave a token resistance, but her muscles still refused to listen. It was child's play for Momo to wrap the capture tape around Tsuyu's arm, ending the match.
"Both members of Team F have been captured!" All Might announced. "Heroes win!"
"That was quite the battle!" All Might said as the four fighters entered the viewing room. There had been no hard feelings, though Toru had lamented how useless her Quirk was against both Momo's tech and Izuku in general. Izuku and Tsuyu had apologized to each other multiple times on the way back, but that stopped with their teacher's words. "Alright, everyone. Who is the MVP of this fight?"
"I would think it would be Izuku," Ochako said, her hand raised.
"Why do you say that, Young Uraraka?"
"I mean, his actions caught both Toru and Tsuyu, right?"
"But he took himself out, too," Mina pointed out. "I think the MVP is Yaomomo."
"Young Yaoyorozu?" All Might blinked before coughing into his hand. "I mean, please explain."
"Well, Midori and Yaomomo worked together to make their plan," Mina began, both students turning to her in shock as she nicknamed them, "but Yaomomo's goggles could do the same thing Midori's eyes could with Toru. And Yaomomo was the last one standing."
"Ahem, yes," All Might nodded. "That's right. Young Yaoyorozu is the MVP of this fight. And our final match with be Team H, Young Bakugo and Young Kirishima, as heroes and Team J, Young Kaminari and Young Sato, as the villains."
"It's about goddamn time!" Bakugo exploded. "Come on, Shit Hair! We've got some shitty villains to kill!"
"Woah, dude!" Eijiro called as the blond started dragging him out of the room. "Chill! We've got ten minutes!"
"So Izuku," Ochako began as she slid up to his side. "Are you doing ok? That was a pretty nasty shock."
"It wasn't enough to do any lasting damage," Izuku replied. "I'm a little tingly at the edges of my fingers, but that should wear off in a bit. Tsuyu's already recovered." Said girl nodded with a small "ribbit."
"Why are you two so familiar?" Toru questioned. "It's the second day of school!"
"I don't like formalities," the frog-girl answered. "I've been telling Izuku to call me Tsu since we met, but he won't do that, ribbit."
Momo coughed. "Well, when in Rome, as the old phrase goes. I would not be… adverse to informality."
"Then you're Yaomomo now!" Toru said, doing a little dance so the others could see the movements of her gloves. "That was awesome, by the way! You just busted down that door, it nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"I'm so sorry!" Momo apologized. "I did not mean to cause you any undue stress!"
Izuku slowly relaxed, the image of the red-clad hero student fretting over the invisible girl's mental health easing some of his worries about her. Master Aizawa had said neither she nor Aoyama were full Templars yet, if they even knew about their parents' Order.
"Who do you think is gonna win this match?" Ochako questioned, pulling Izuku from his thoughts. "I'm rooting against the angry Pomeranian."
Izuku stifled a chuckle at the title, joy swelling in his chest that there was someone here outside the Brotherhood willing to take his side. It was a new feeling.
"Bakugo is strong, so there's a chance he could win with brute force," the boy offered. "That said, he's not prone to teamwork. If he charges in and gets caught, that will leave Kirishima to fight two enemies alone."
"Begin!" All Might announced. Just as Izuku predicted, Bakugo charged in without consideration for his partner, leaving Kirishima behind. What followed proved to be a quick, destructive battle. Sato and Kaminari had chosen to guard the bomb, waiting on either side of the doorway. With Bakugo's explosions giving away his location, neither were caught off guard when he blasted the door from its hinges. Sato had eaten the sugar he had on him, powering himself with his Quirk to the point where he could grab Bakugo just as he entered.
As one would expect, the explosive pom-pom did not take too kindly to this, every available surface he had exploding. Fire washed over Sato, the boy gritting his teeth through the pain and refusing to let go.
"Now!" Sato yelled, Kaminari grabbing Bakugo's shoulders.
"One-Thousand Volt Localized Shock!"
Sato let go at the last second, leaving Bakugo alone to take the voltage. He cried out in pain, his muscles locking. Through sheer willpower, Bakugo stayed standing, Kaminari stumbling backward while shaking his head.
"Alright, Sparkplug," the 'hero' growled, tiny explosions popping over his palms. "You're in for it n—"
"Young Bakugo had been captured!" All Might yelled, Sato giving a pained smile as be broke off his capture tape from what he'd managed to wrap around Bakugo's arm.
"What‽" the boy demanded. "That's bullshit! I can still go!"
"We caught you. dude," Kaminari said. "Better luck next t—"
"Fuck that! I'll break this goddamn tape and—"
"Stand down, Young Bakugo," All Might ordered over the intercom. One of the student's eyes twitched, a growl rumbling in his throat. He huffed, turning his back on the two and walking away. Sato and Kaminari exchanged a look and a shrug before preparing for the much-more-stealthy Kirishima.
As it turned out, he wanted to turn the fight into a straightforward brawl, walking into the room and directly challenging pair. Sato and Kaminari glanced at each other and swarmed him, Kirishima complaining about how 'unmanly' it was to gang up on people.
"Villains are victorious," All Might said. "Please return to the viewing room for final discussion."
Such ended their first Foundational Heroics class, the rest of the day almost a blur. Izuku hoped the rest of the year would be like this, simple and straightforward.
"Get a load of this shit," a man spat, dropping a news paper on the counter of a bar. The bartender, a man who appeared to be made of a flame-like purple smoke, said nothing as he continued to clean glasses. "They say All Might has become a teacher at UA. Fanning the flames of the next generation or something stupid like that. Ridiculous. And to think the people eat this up like a bunch of sheep!"
"If you are complaining about it," the bartender said, "then I hope you have a plan to propose, Tomura Shigaraki."
"I think I've got the start of something," the man known as Shigaraki responded. "The problem is this multi-faction PVP server we call the rotten world. It's easier to cheat when everyone else follows the rules."
"You are referring to that faction our leader had not been able to ferret out even after all this time."
"Yes, them." Shigaraki scratched his neck, carving red lines into his pale skin as he growled. "If only we could out the bastards without using Self Destruct on ourselves. Not to mention All Might. He's avoided every questline that would bring him to us, not giving Sensei the chance to get him into our faction. Why can't the world just be a point and shoot?"
A TV in the corner of the bar clicked on, static buzzing through its speakers as it hummed to live. Shigaraki and the bartender turned as the static cleared, the silhouette of a man appearing on the screen.
"Tomura," the man said. "You have seen the news?"
"Yes, Sensei. What's with this rule change? Have we changed difficulty?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. All Might is now all but chained to UA, forcing him to follow a schedule. In addition, he now has students. What do you make of that?"
Shigaraki considered the questioned. So, the difficulty had changed, but he couldn't tell if they were moving to an easier or harder setting. And the students. Why would Sensei mention the students? His eyes widened.
"He's got necessary items now," the pale man answered. "Losing any of them will dock him serious points. They're a major factor if he want's to 100% his run."
"Very good," the man on the TV all but purred. "I have a few pawns on the inside that can give us bits and pieces, but nothing big. You must find a way inside and get a copy of All Might's schedule, but be warned, none of my pawns know of the rest. They will treat you like any other hero would."
"Why is that, Sensei?" Shigaraki questioned. "Why can't we use our cheat codes for a mission with no save points?"
"Because, Tomura, my version of an ideal society is not quite what they believe it to be. This is how our Order has continued all these centuries, spreading our net so wide that no one could ever see the full scope of our power or goal. No one except me, that is."
"I guess we're going on a stealth mission," Shigaraki sighed. "I hate them, but for you and your vision of the world, Sensei, I'll earn all the achievements in this shit game."
"Just what I expect from you, Tomura," the man said. "Once society collapses, we will place ourselves on top and all of the riffraff will see their heroes for what they are."
"Yes, Sensei."
The man switched the TV off with a thought, cutting his communication with his little plaything. For all he enjoyed listening to Shigaraki's video game outlook, keeping up his caring mentor act for the so-called League was a chore.
In the end, there was only one who would be worthy to rule, and it would not be Shigaraki. Once his ultimate plan came together, all of his moving pieces falling into line, no one would be able to stop him. Not the Assassins' Brotherhood, not All Might, and certainly not those pompous morons that call themselves the Grand Templars of France. Soon enough, the only one with any power will be him. Abstergo was already his. Japan would fall next. Then, the world.
Because superpowers would be, soon, All For One.
End of Chapter 5
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-SwordOfTheGods