Good In Evil
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 9: Prelude
The day after the attack came with much debate within the school and world around it. News reports claimed that villains broke in and released the press at the doors of UA, and others say that a seismic event destroyed a small part of the school. In both cases the principal was able to ease the tension of the public and the students, informing that no students were harmed and no lasting damage was made
This was only one of many future concerns regarding the school, yet the work never ceased as classes were held the next day. Class 1-A itself was hosting a very important event within it's classroom
"-As such Momo Yaoyorozu is your new class president, with Tenya Iida as Vice president." Aizawa explained in his usual monotone voice. "As such the two of them will represent your class. If there're any objections then say them now before the votes are settled."
Brief silence overtook the class, with very little objection to the new arrangements. It was by popular vote, after all, in which the two were established as the class reps, and with both their collective efforts the other day to quell the crowd, popular opinion was nothing to be worried about
Save for one student
"I still say I should be class rep," Bakugo declared arrogantly, kicking up his feet, "I'm the best of the class and there's no argument."
"There's very little value in power when it comes to leadership Bakugo. Simply being the strongest isn't going to guide the rest of the students." Yaoyorozu lectured, but was hastily ignored
"Yeah, but if both of our class reps are stuck up rich kids then what does that say about the rest of us?" He stated matter of factly, angering the rest of the class
"Stuck up?" They questioned, a wave of anger consuming the entire class as the boy felt several glares his way
"If it were me, I'd say that the one to represent the class should be the strongest around. To tell off anyone and set us as the best of the best."
"Yeah but Todoroki isn't really leader material." Commented someone in the crowd, instantly angering Bakugo to an incredible degree
"You bitch! Who said that?!?"
But with his response the class didn't stay quite as Mina Ashido jerked from her seat. "You can't make stupid claims without backing them up Bakugo! And this isn't even about you to begin with!" She argued strongly, followed by Denki Kaminari who also stood from his seat
"Yeah we're talking about real leaders here! You only think for yourself and no one else!"
"Tenya and Yaoyorozu are more than capable of fulfilling their roles as leaders for their ability to quell the chaotic crowd yesterday." The dark crow Tokoyami commented spitefully. "You on the other hand have done nothing but antagonize us since classes started."
With the stiff resistance he received Bakugo could only scowl at the class. Why the hell did they doubt him so much? The only thing that matters about representation was strength, and to have two weaklings as the heads of 1-A was more than a mistake. The class would become a laughing stock among the other classes and schools as well
"Both of them don't even deserve to be here, they're just rich brats who flunked their way in!" He thought as his fist slammed against his table
"I'm the strongest in this class and that's all that matters! If that's too hard for any of you to realize then you're all stupid." He declared defiantly, doubling down on his claims despite how hated they are
"No, you're not." Stated Todoroki, making the blonde snap in his direction
"What did you say?"
"You're not the strongest of us all. I am." He claimed boldly, his face not giving away an ounce of arrogance or ego, his body sitting as still as ice
Now fuming with anger Bakugo gripped his desk, veins popping from his arms, neck and forehead as he stared at someone with such audacity to say something so bold without a second thought
"Oh yeah? Then why don't you prove it?" He threatened, making the other boy scowl
"If I must, then I will." He returned the threat
Just as the tension in the class skyrocketed a vicious slam of a fist into wood redirected everyone's attention back to their teacher, who's eyes glowed red and his scarf floated slightly. He gritted his teeth with clear frustration and annoyance strung across his stern face as he stared the two boys down
"That's enough, both of you." Aizawa stated in a more threatening tone, yet also with authority
Tense silence followed as Bakugo attempted to stare back at his teacher, yet failing to match the same level of command or viscousness. Without any option the teenager slumped back into his desk and crossed his arms, now ignoring the rest of the class
"With that out of the way," Aizawa continued, returning to his monotone and empty nature, "class is dismissed for the day."
"...But the bell hasn't rung yet?"
"The class leaves when I say so. Now leave." He restated, both confusing and surprising the rest of the class
Without much more incentive the whole class collectively got up from their seats and walked away, leaving the stubborn Bakugo to huff in his silence
Eventually the boy followed with, still pissed by what happened. Yet as he exited the door he was stopped by none other than the teacher
"Bakugo, a word." He commanded, forcing the boy to stop in his tracks. But he remained standing at the door, back facing the pro hero as he continued. "Sooner or later you'll realize that being a hero isn't all about strength, and the sooner you do the easier my class and the rest of your career will be. Until then, expect to be disappointed. Dismissed."
With that the boy left the room, cursing under his breath as the bell finally rang, releasing the whole school
Once the school bells rang all across the city students were freed at last. However, not all of them took to leaving immediately as people like Izuku Midoriya lingered for just a bit longer
As per usual he met up with Toga once again, and like clockwork he had his blood drained by the cute yet suspicious girl. It was normal for him by now to be sitting in the dark shade while his life force left him bit by bit. But luckily for him, things weren't as strange or awkward as the first time around
"How was school?" Toga asked kindly, making the boy sigh a little
"Fine I guess, but I had a tough time with a few boys in my class. Thanks for asking."
"Really? If you want I can stab them for you? They won't even know what hit 'em~." She offered, but was waved away
"Please don't kill them, they don't deserve it." He restated, but Toga was not undeterred
"Just say the word, the cops won't know."
"No thanks." He repeated. The soft buzzing of his head muddled his thoughts and the dizziness got a little worse as he had to hold his head in place for a little while
Seeing as Izuku was now visibly disturbed, Toga made an effort to change the topic. "...What do they call you?" She asked
"...What?"
"What names do the others call you?" She asked again, somewhat confusing him
"Why?"
"I just wanna know." She replied, smiling a little less than she normally did. It was a rather roundabout way of asking things but Izuku answered regardless
"Well...I guess some of the more popular nicknames are 'useless', 'quirkless reject' or 'Deku'." He recounted, but the last one confused the girl
"Deku? What does that mean?" She asked
"It means 'useless' in Kanji I think. My ex-friend once gave me the name since it sounds similar to my actual name. Ever since it's stuck around even after he left." He recounted the tale before rounding back to his original question. "But why do you want to know what they call me?"
An awkward pause later and Toga shifted her eyes, making things even more uncomfortable between them for no known reason. It was like the topic was rather sensitive for Toga more than it was for Izuku. That was until her expression softened, making her seem more vulnerable than he's ever seen her
"When I was in school I was called a lot of names too. Some called me creepy, others called me evil, but the most popular one of them all was crazy." She informed, surprising Izuku. "Everyone had an ugly name for me...so it's good to know I'm not the only one that gets called mean things."
"Sorry that happened to you." Izuku apologized, making her chuckle in response
"Don't be, I'm glad I ran away. Now I can do what I want when I want, and that includes drinking blood." She spoke proudly, forcing an uneasy chuckle from the boy
"Still...thanks again for being here. Your blood helps my urges a lot."
"No problem."
"No really, thank you." She restated, more seriously this time
In response Izuku smiled again, tiredly but as genuinely he could
"You're welcome."
To that Himeko was grinning from ear to ear, blushing and giggling like the school girl she appeared to be. In the same instance she stored the now full pack of blood in her backpack
"Hey by the way, can I get your phone number?" She asked suddenly as she sprung to her feet, surprising him
"My...phone number?"
"Yeah! I mean you have a phone don't you?" She questioned
Midoriya was stunned and temporarily unable to react, at least until he finally shook himself out of this state and slowly pulled himself from the floor
"Y-Yeah, I do."
With an awkward feeling in his stomach the two traded contact info, and with little hesitation Toga called her new number to make sure she had the right number. Sure enough the green smartphone in the boy's hands let her know that everything was successful
"Heh Heh, now I have your number. Why don't we get together sometime?" She asked, being way too forward for Izuku to handle as he stumbled over his words like never before
"S-S-Sure, maybe next week?" He suggested with a red face and a hot chest, making Toga blush too
"Oooh next week? I can't wait!" She exclaimed as she happily skipped away, leaving Izuku too stunned and dizzy to say anything else
Though unexpectedly, his knee gave out as he temporarily lost all sensation in his legs, causing him to fall over rather painfully. His heart beat more than usual, and not for the reasons one might think
"Crap..." He thought as he temporarily lost consciousness
Again within the school of UA the empty halls created a unique silence within the building, lifelessness within the school that was normally teeming with life. Very few people stayed after school, primarily the teachers and staff. But aside from them, there was also another student who remained
Mirio Togata sat alone in the wide and empty lobby of the school, which was a large room full of chairs and tables for any who want to study on their own. In the emptiness Mirio was able to think more clearly, but even then he wasn't able to run into any solutions
"Maybe if I show them how strong I am then they'll listen to me better." He thought."But wait... if I just go up and beat them senseless then some of them might give up! It's no fair for someone so strong to crush newcomers like that, it'll scare them off." He worried as well
A drowning wave of doubt cast over Mirio as he racked his brain for better ideas, yet came up empty every time. How can he make the perfect impression? How can he be just like All Might? How is he supposed to compete with All Might? The challenge he faced was grand and almost disheartening...almost...
As he sat alone in the empty hall of the school he received a text from All Might of all people, which surprised him
"Go to my office." It said, and with that he left his seat and made his way to the office
Walking through the nearly abandoned hallways of the school felt so unbelievably unnatural to Mirio, a place that was usually full of life was now empty. He could hear the squeaking of his shoes as he walked through the abnormally wide hallway. Peering into the outside he saw much of the same thing, not a single soul to be seen. The light of the sun revealed the empty courtyard of the school, and even the neighboring houses were still. Luckily they weren't exactly lifeless, as even the distant city radiated activity and energy, otherwise Mirio would be more than worried
Entering the office of the great All Might the teen found the large man sitting at his desk, filing a mountain of paperwork that nearly reached his head. It was baffling how much work All Might seemed to have, and that was likely just from school
"Ah, young Togata. Here, have a seat. We need to talk." He stated as he pulled away from his work and rolled out another chair in front of him. Once Mirio sat down he noticed All Might's unusually serious face, even seeing his smile falter slightly
"Did you need something teach?" Mirio asked, trying his best to seem unbothered
"Nothing at all young Togata. If anything I hear you need something from me?" He responded, making Mirio's demeanor fall as well
"Yeah..." He sighed. "It's about this whole leadership thing. I know that I'm supposed to learn how to be a leader for class 1-A but I still can't think of how to make my first impression...or how to lead them like you do." He confessed
"I see, that's a tricky problem, one that I'm sure you can solve." All Might reassured him. "But as your mentor I must tell you that this will be your first time becoming a leader to others, there's no need to be stressed."
"I know but I just don't get what to do or how to do it, especially like you do All Might." He added
"R-Right, my mistake." All Might apologized. "If it's advice you want, then I'll tell you. The most important part about being a leader is confidence." He informed as the boy perked up. "From what Nighteye has taught you a leader must be calm and confident in any situation, that way the citizens will rest assured knowing that you as a hero are more than capable of protecting them. The last part about the jokes isn't required, however, but I suggest following Nighteye's orders regardless."
"Oh right, that makes sense. Thanks." Mirio thanked, though looking down on the floor he couldn't help but feel like he just re-learned something he already knew
"Right, confidence..." He thought, but was interrupted by a hand falling into his shoulder
"Listen, I know that I haven't been much of a teacher as of late, with my duties to the city and to my students I haven't made any time for my most important pupil, and I hope you can forgive me for my neglect." The great man apologized, going as far as to bow for forgiveness
"Oh, well... Thanks." Mirio smiled, felling the heartfelt apology. He surely didn't expect it but it was nice nonetheless
"And another thing... As my pupil I should tell you that I myself am new to being a teacher as well." He confessed, shocking Mirio a little. Was he really going this far to apologize?
"Not only have I started teaching at UA this year, but I have no experience in teaching others on my own. Instead I rely on what my masters before me have taught, yet I'm afraid that isn't enough to suit your needs young Togata." He informed, now standing from his chair and walking towards the glass to peer into the large city in front of him. "I must train you to become not only equal to the symbol I've made for the world, but better. And that starts with you, young Togata."
Now fully facing Mirio he continued with even more seriousness. "Tomorrow all of class 1-A will be expecting me to guide them through the Unforeseen Simulation Joint alongside Mrs. Thirteen and Mr. Aizawa. Instead, I want you to fill my role."
"W-What?! Are you sure about this? Shouldn't I start small or something?" Mirio asked both himself and his teacher in confusion and surprise
"If you want to grow then I must start by throwing you into the action, not having you sit around and wait." He lectured both himself and his student. "Since you've taken classes at the USJ countless times before, you can better help the newcomers and introduce yourself properly. I won't always have you replace me on special times like these but for now you will."
Freezing in place Mirio felt the worry and doubt that he's felt in the past days return tenfold, overwhelmed by the heavy assignment. Sure he had to show his face sometime but to replace All Might? Isn't that setting him up for failure? No matter what way you spin this at least one person won't take him seriously
But instead he calmed himself and stared directly at the challenge ahead. His heart told him no but his mind...his mind knew that he had to find a way to lead. Despite the crushing doubts and high expectations that were set Mirio forced himself to stand and accept the challenge despite how difficult it was. Leading a class of teenagers that were a few years younger than him while also replacing the Number One hero as their teacher?
"Alright...I'll do my best!" Mirio stated almost against his will in a way. But as the up and coming symbol of peace he couldn't back down, not for anything
"That's great young Togata. I'm glad you're excited." He said before getting a little more serious. "And as such I must tell you, as you're mentor and the Number One hero..."
But instead of an immediate response Mirio received an awkward silence, confusing the boy as he looked at All Might's stone cold expression
"Yeah..? What is it?"
"That I...am here, for you. Every step of the way. And if you need anything else, contact me directly." He stated, smiling brightly whilst holding a thumbs up
"Right thank you All Might!" Mirio thanked as he made his way out
"And remember to go Plus Ultra!" He heard as he left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving him alone once again
Although that last pause felt a little weird Mirio thought nothing of it as he made his way through the building, finally deciding to go home after all of his hard work. He could feel the nervousness eat at him as he looked out at the world that was soon his to protect, his to lead and guide. For now it was a classroom, but eventually...it would become the world as he knew it and more
"Baby steps Mirio. Baby steps."
Behind him, with the cover of the shut door All Might sighed to himself, standing proud and tall. That was at least until he felt the trickle of a metal tasting liquid fall from his chin. Without anything stopping him a cloud of smoke enveloped him and he was soon back in his original form, without any energy
"I have to tell him...one day." He told himself, clutching his chest and looking out towards the city once more
Hours after school had ended the angry Bakugo sat in bed contemplating a new way of venting his frustrations. He'd already jogged two miles away and back, but his boiling anger remained even as his body collapsed onto his bed. He contemplated picking up a book, playing a video game or messing with his drum set but none seemed interesting to him anymore
It was times like these that he wished he still had that beachside to train in, a place to go full throttle without anyone saying otherwise, as well as further his efforts into becoming number one. Sadly this wasn't the case, and as his body recovered his thoughts reminded him of his earlier embarrassment. His anger returned to him nearly twice as fiercely as before, and his clenched fist were close to drawing blood
"Those dumbasses don't know what real strength is," He thought, a forehead vein close to popping, "if they did then they'd think twice about telling me off."
The insult that resonated with him was less about his lack of leadership qualities and more in his apparent lack of respect. Everyone had gone as far as to call him weaker than that damn Icy Boy! And even that bastard himself had the utter gall to call himself the strongest in the class! Something so incredibly demeaning just wouldn't stand, not if he had anything to say about it!
"I'm going on another run." He told himself, forcing himself from the comfort of his bed and strutting to the front door. On his way he encountered his mom, who was busy doing laundry
"Where do you think you're going?" She demanded to know, yet Bakugo didn't stop moving
"Going for a run you old hag! Get off my case!"
"You better if you're gonna stop that incident of yours from happening again!" She said before Katsuki slammed the door on his way out
"Like I'd ever let that happen!" He told himself, his spark of rage enticing him to start sprinting away from his house and at the direction he normally went
The teen could no longer stand his own anger as sparks popped from the palms of his hands. For a good while he was able to ignore the pain his body endured, his huffing and puffing doing nothing to stop him from running at full speed down the sidewalk. At least that was until his throat closed up on its own, drying up to a point that it sealed itself shut
Almost by force Bakugo stopped in his tracks as he coughed painfully, wheezing out of breath. He bent over his knees shaking by the exertion he's made, using up energy that he didn't have took a powerful toll as the boy tried desperately to stay on his feet. Yet in his sorry state his anger multiplied to such a degree that he yelled to the sky and used his quirk to shoot a powerful explosion in defiance
He needed to do something, anything to prove his strength to those that doubted him. He wanted to show everyone just how wrong they were, starting with Todoroki...
"Just cause his rich dad is the number two hero doesn't mean he gets to talk down to me!" He said as he continued to jog, not caring that his body begged him not to
To think that the son of the Flame Hero was a better ice caster was laughable, yet that made things all the more insulting. If he didn't know any better he'd say that Todoroki's ONLY quirk was ice, but it was all too obvious that he had the same powers as his father. And yet to think that he could claim to be the strongest in the class while actively shooting himself in the foot filled Bakugo with such a unique type of rage that he couldn't stand it. The utter hypocrisy of the Flame Hero's son taking his place as the top student while only using his ice powers was simply unbelievable!
For now he had to wait for his next opportunity, one in which he could expose Todoroki for who he really was, an arrogant prick. And it would come in the form of the classes trip to the USJ...
"I'll show him that I'm the real number one! There's not a snowball's chance in hell that he's getting away with that! Not while I'm still standing!" He told himself whilst still jogging. His body trembled and his heart raced, motivating him to go further and further
Elsewhere, Izuku cleaned his room after getting home from school. Luckily for him Kurogiri had his back, lecturing him yet again about the strain of his body, but like always Izuku waved away the concerns with a fuzzy mind
In recent days he's been unable to participate in training like he normally does, instead staying home as headaches overcame him again and again. With some help he's been able to keep the pain at bay using painkillers and such, and he's had to make up his lost time by researching certain fighting styles and moves on his computer, but unable to put anything to practice
So to distract himself from his current uselessness he decided to clean his room thoroughly, emptying out trash, removing dust and most importantly, taking down all of his All Might merch. It was a long time coming, and while he still couldn't bring himself to throw it all away he would rather store it all in his closet, out of sight
In the end Izuku still couldn't make heads or tails of his standing, on the one hand he could never hope to remove his feelings for heroes, yet he he knew far too much for his own good. The society he lived in wasn't safe, and none of that was more evident than in the life he lived and the lives people like Toga or Dabi lived. Heroes weren't able to save them from themselves and other people, a tragedy that deeply troubled the boy
Yet as he sat in bed with an action figure at hand he couldn't help but wonder if his feelings would ever change. His heart and mind were almost always against each other as one told him to put it all past him while the other told him to hold onto those dreams for they were what drove him to begin with. It was like a game of tug of war really, some days it was his heart and other days his mind that were winning, but neither truly gave in
As he stared at the toy in his hand a sound caught his attention, a single ding coming from his smartphone. Setting down the toy beside him he checked it and realized that Toga had finally sent him a text
"Heyyy" Read the message which came attached with a cute sticker of a waving animal. Now shifting his attention he responded with "Hey" as well
"This is exciting," read another text, "I finally got a boy's number!" As he read. He could imagine Toga's excited voice and her warm smile in his head, making him smile too, like he was succeeding in what he sought to do
"How are you doing?" He asked her
"Exploring." She responded
"Guess she doesn't have anything else to do." He thought to himself, not expecting any answer in particular
"Hey," came another message, "what kind of chips do you like?"
"Why are you asking?"
"Because I want to buy a gift for my new friend!" She responded, making Izuku blush as he typed out his own response
"Thank you. I like anything really." He texted, only to receive the image of a frowny face, clearly due to his vagueness
"How's the blood I gave you?" He asked to shift the conversation
"It's reeeeeally good! I still have more than half of the bag left!" She said, adding a picture of the blood bag in her hands. From the angle of the image the bag looked more like a strangely shaped cup complete with a bendy straw
"That's good to hear. I'm glad you're enjoying it."
"And you? Did your head stop hurting?" She added as well, taking Izuku aback a little
"It did a little, thanks for asking." He replied
He didn't want to tell her that it was because of the constant blood drawing that he was getting sick, but it was getting much harder to hide now. The headaches and lack of energy kept him at home most of the time, and even Toga started to take notice. Whether she knew the true cause of this wasn't really clear to him, but it was clear that every day Izuku would get strange dizzy spells
Suddenly he received a picture, a selfie of Toga smiling and making the peace sign. He was almost mesmerized by how pretty she looked, smiling happily at the camera, almost making him forget who she was as he stared at the picture of the innocent girl
"Make that my contact on your phone!" She demanded soon after, though he hesitated in responding back
"Okay, I'll do that." He responded
Soon after he received another message, this time another demand
"Now send me your picture."
"Why?" He asked
"To make your profile too silly!"
Now taken aback Midoriya searched his own photos for a suitable image of himself. But halfway into searching he realized that he had no photos of himself, his gallery consisting of images of news reports, heroes in action and other things that he's forgotten to delete over time. For a moment he couldn't believe that he had no photos of himself, but that was until he stumbled upon an image of himself, only much younger and wearing an All Might hoodie
"Yeah I'd rather not." He thought to himself, cringing at the idea of sending the image
With no other choice he held the camera high over his head and smiled, snapping a picture of himself for Toga's use. Though soon after he sent it he got another text
"Is that an All Might doll?!" She asked, shocking him as he flipped to see the doll he left laying right beside him
"Yes." He admitted, feeling his face flush as he responded. For a good while he felt his whole body tighten in embarrassment, having exposed himself without realizing it
"It's pretty cute! I didn't know you were into that."
"Cute?" He read out loud, almost shocked to see the phrase
"Thanks, I had it since I was a kid." He said further, making him smile as he typed
"Maybe I should give you more All Might merch instead of some chips."
"Please you don't have to." He responded
"But I want to." She said, clearly not backing down. It was almost flattering to Izuku that she was adamant about giving him something in return, it made him feel special
"I'll text to you later with your gift." She ended the conversation, leaving Izuku to lay in his bed alone
Very quickly Izuku's heart pounded as the realization of his achievement dawned on him, like a realization that should've came immediately and not after everything was said and done
"I just texted a girl!" He thought, raising his fist into the air in victory of his achievement
But now left with nothing to do Izuku sat up in bed and held the toy again, back to staring at the bright blue and yellow figure in his hands with an open mind and heart
"Maybe I can keep this." He thought as he placed it on his desk again, returning it to its rightful place
Finally as night crept through the world the evilest soul continued to scheme his next plan. As All for One sat at his 'throne' there was the same T.V screen in front of him with the same individual, the scientist that made things happen
"The 'All Might killer' is ready for deployment master, primed and ready for Tomura's command."
"And what of the men?"
"We've managed to gather a number of petty criminals under our ranks, all of which expecting a hefty sum of money. But after our operation I'm more than certain that none of them will last, at least if the class of 1-A are to be estimated accordingly." The man in the T.V informed
"Good, then we're ready for Tomura and Midoriya's operation tomorrow." All for One stated with a grin
"If I may ask master."
"You may."
"Is there a reason why you expect this operation to fail? I've designed the Nomu to rival the power of All Might himself, surely that is worth more than a mere trial run."
"Well it's simple. All Might is too strong of a person to be brought down by a mere tool of ours. This is a mission solely for Tomura and Midoriya to learn from, by facing their greatest enemies."
"So this is just training then? Why go to such lengths if you know they'll fail?"
"Because growth in failure is greater than growth in success. If either of them are to learn then it's by learning from their mistakes and growing past them." He informed rather matter of factly. "I am aware that Midoriya is capable of this much, but Tomura especially is capable of adapting, he only needs time and drive. And should Tomura manage manage to kill my greatest adversary... All the better I suppose."
"I see. You're plan is fool-proof then, master." The scientist stated
"Of course. If we want our greatest assets to grow, then we must throw them at the heart of the fire."