AN: So glad it's this story's turn on the poll cycle! I've been chomping at the bit to write it but didn't want to break the cycle.
A Fool's Bonds
Chapter 10
-Aizawa-
Stifling a yawn, Aizawa walked into his classroom, seeing his students rush to their seats as fast and efficiently as a gaggle of teenagers could.
It was passable.
"Alright everyone, you all got through your first combat exercise yesterday but today is something even more important for your futures." Aizawa kept his tone as a carefully crafted mix of blankness and seriousness that never failed to have his students panicking over what he could mean.
It was the little things that kept him entertained enough to still put up with the rodent's ludicrous paperwork after all.
"More important?!" Mineta was clutching his head in fear.
"I didn't study!" Kaminari started sparking nervously.
"You'll be choosing class representatives." Aizawa held back his smirk as the students, bar Midoriya and those closest to him, all face planted from the sudden surprise. Unfortunately for him, that shock was quickly replaced by eager shouting about how 'I should be the Class President!' that was so loud he could barely thing.
"Sir?" Izuku raised a hand, many of the class caught off guard by the verdette's calmness "What duties will the class president and vice president have?"
"Glad one of you thought to ask." Aizawa nodded, glad to see the more eager ones look at least somewhat abashed, "The Class President is admittedly the first looked at by any Pros looking to scout your class. But it comes with responsibilities as well. They'll be responsible for keeping the class organized on group training and trips. They'll have to attend student council meeting with the other reps from your year as needed. They're also the link between the students and faculty so if your class has any issues, they'd have to be able to bring them to that class president who could confer them to the faculty should the issue be one that needs addressing. It's a role where one has to be unbiased and looking out for the best interest of both their classmates and themselves." The students seemed toe have calmed down from that even if a great many still looked eager.
"I propose we put it to a vote then." Yaoyorozu clapped her hands eagerly, "That seems to be the fairest way, especially if this is supposed to be someone that the class feels like they could come to with their concerns."
"Do what you will." Aizawa gave a tired sigh, feeling his teeth rotting from the sugary exuberance, "Just keep in mind for whoever wins that should you prove unable to handle the workload and responsibilities I can and will replace you." Everyone at that pulled out small slips of paper, showing they only had one slip, wrote down their vote, and put into a had that Aoyama had brought for some reason.
"Aizawa Sensei, will you read out the votes?" Midoriya asked him, smile eager as Aizawa held back a grumble. So much for sneaking a nap in during home room. For once he cursed efficiency.
Pulling up the class roster he started tallying the votes by each name, clear winners soon standing out. "Alright, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu have four votes each." Aizawa finished tallying up the last vote "Everyone else got one vote or none. I'll give you till after lunch to decide among yourselves who's president and who's vice. For now, take your seats, Ectoplasm will be here soon for Math."
-Izuku-
"Foooooood!" Kaminari shot off for lunch the second the last of their morning classes came to an end, eager to escape the horrors of English class with Present Mic.
"Oooookay." Momo blinked at the enthusiastic act, standing up as she walked over to Izuku, "Anyway Midoriya, would you like to eat Lunch together with myself and Jiro? Ashido and Kirishima and are welcome to join us."
"That sounds great." Izuku smiled at Momo warmly, "And you know you can call me Izuku if you want. It feels a little weird to just use my last name given the Arcana thing."
"R-right!" Momo blushed at the request to use his given name but was smiling brightly all the same, Izuku's gut flipping at the sight.
"That sounds awesome!" Mina jumped on Izuku's back, her smile bright and eager as she wrapped her arms around Momo and Kirishima for a big group hug, Jiro snickering from her place of safety, "Onward trusty steed! Food awaits!"
"That's weird, I thought Kaminari already left." Izuku mock gasped as Mina huffed and swatted his head, pouting at Kirishima's laughter.
"So, four votes each huh?" Jiro raised an eyebrow as the group started walking, Izuku not even phased by the weight of Mina who still hadn't climbed off his back.
"Yeah." Izuku gave a sheepish grin, "I didn't even vote for myself, so I don't have a clue who did. I honestly voted for you Momo."
"But I voted for you!" Momo gaped as he blinked in mutual surprise at the predicament.
"I voted for Midori-Bro." Kirishima added helpfully.
"Me too!" Mina cheered, apparently liking being a backpack.
"I voted for Yaomomo." Jiro pipped in.
"So, we know who three of my votes were and two of yours Momo." Izuku noted, even as his brain remembered the others who had zero votes, the ones who without a doubt hadn't voted for themselves.
Neither Todoroki nor Bakugo had a vote on the tally board after all were counted out. And Izuku wasn't sure how he felt about that.
-Nezu-
"This is quite the plan." Nezu steepled his paws, contemplating the plan put forward to him by All Might and Sir Nighteye, a plan to hide the reason for All Might's sudden loss of power, "And you're sure that this 'Shie Hassaikai' are the ones developing the drug?"
"I'm positive." Nighteye nodded, the man having come to the school under the pretext of updating some paperwork in relation to his work study pupil, "Every single criminal I've managed to question or stake out reported they got it from the Yakuza, but a judge would only rule it as circumstantial. But if we could find a situation where All Might's friend in the police force was able to detain one of them for an unrelated crime, I could use my prerogative as a Detective Hero to use my quirk to look into the situation."
"That might be enough to get a warrant and allow the raid on their base if your quirk sees them making the drug." Nezu nodded, "Especially if All Might backs you. Still, given the time it takes to push for these things when there isn't an immediate crisis, plus having to hope one of these Yakuza slip up, I wouldn't expect any results till after the Sports Festival. During the Internship at the bare minimum."
"I figured that." Nighteye nodded, raising his glasses up stiffly, "Speaking of, I was hoping to have All Might's Successor do their internship after the sports festival at my Agency."
"Oh?" Nezu raised an eyebrow. He knew that the man wasn't liable to insist that miss Yaoyorozu give away the quirk given the cellular decay issue, but he wasn't sure how he'd treat the girl regardless.
"I wish to ascertain her ability for myself." Nighteye nodded, "Plus see about making her into a proper successor for the position of 'Symbol of Peace'."
"Actually, I'd already spoken to Gran Torino about taking her during the internships." All Might spoke up before Nezu could, the man pulling a successful lie out of his ass. Although it probably only worked since Nighteye and All Might were still patching things up so Nighteye had no idea All Might was still terrified of his old homeroom teacher, "He was with Nana when she first got it and helped teach me. I figured he knows the most about it and how it affects various holders."
"Hmmm, yes, I can see the logic in this." Nighteye nodded, buying the bluff. Still, Nezu knew he had to throw the man a bone to keep him distracted from miss Yaoyorozu till she came into her own more.
Hmmm…oh…oh this would be very entertaining.
"If I may, I might have another candidate for you to take for internship week." Nezu smiled as he pulled up Midoriya's file, "He's growing close to Miss Yaoyorozu. It's still young and I admit to not being the best at reading you human's interactions, but I could easily see him being part of her One for All circle eventually. Pair that with an analytical mind of prodigal status and I feel you would be a good fit at mentoring him." Nezu slid the file over.
If things went well then Midoriya could maybe pull that stick out of Nighteye's ass. If things went neutrally then at least Miss Yayorozu will have some more time to gain practice and confidence with One for All. And if things went sour then Nezu could always sick Aizawa on Nighteye. The man was very protective over his 'not child'. Before he could continue either the conversation or his train of thought, a loud blaring alarm sounded throughout the school.
"That's a level three alarm!" All Might was on his feet in an instant, rushing towards the gate while Nighteye and Nezu began pouring over every security camera that he could pull up.
-Izuku-
Gritting his teeth, Izuku pushed back from where the panicking mob was smashing him against the window. The dozens upon dozens of students, all crammed into a too small hallway were screaming, Izuku almost able to taste their panic on the air as the level three security alarm continued to blare throughout, only adding to the cacophony. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the teachers ushering the press that had been outside that morning back, the paparazzi having apparently broken past the gate which set off the alarm. But in their panic, none of the other students seemed to have noticed this.
One sound managed to cut through it to him though, a pained cry.
Looking back, eyes wide, Izuku saw his friends trying to shield Jiro, the girl clutching her ears even as pained tears fell from her eyes. A blaring alarm, undulating thrashing bodies, and screaming fools. It had to be agony for her.
"ENOUGH!" Izuku roared out, cerulean flames blasting forth. First one wave. Then another. And another. And another.
The blue flames that didn't burn continued to flow outward in pulsing waves as the panicking throne quieted down in shocked silence and even the blaring alarm seemed to not be as loud anymore.
"You're UA students." Izuku's voice was cold with disappointed fury, "Yet you panic like screaming toddlers. You hurt each other, hurt my classmates, through your own stupidity. Look out the window!" Izuku pointed even as the flames continued to blast out again and again, "It's just the press. Now shut up and walk out orderly, I need to make sure my friends are alright after what you did." The students ducked their heads, but the crowd soon dispersed as Izuku walked over to his friends who were helping Jiro up to her feet.
"Let's get you to Recovery Girl." Izuku nodded to her, "Momo, can you get here there? Kirishima, go with them. Mina and I will make sure our class gets to where they need to be and that Aizawa knows where you guys are." He didn't know who'd be president and who the vice, but either way they both had a responsibility to their class.
"Right." Momo nodded before she and Kirishima helped carry a still unsteady Jiro, Izuku making a mental note to suggest to her a bit of support equipment to muffle sounds for her when she was in situations like this. Screaming and sirens were commonplace for emergencies, and it would be best to have a workaround to avoid collapsing again.
"Come on Mina." Izuku nodded to the pinkette as the two joined their class at the evacuation spot, the teachers talking to the students already there from the various classes to check about what had happened inside.
AN: Alright, next chapter we're going to get to the USJ incident. After that it'll be training and bonding stuff until we get to the Sports Festival.